The Family ◦ Rising Divorce rate. Why? 8 million worked during war ◦ How to be a good wife
The Economy ◦ US Gov’t cancelled wartime orders $35 billion ◦ 1 million workers laid off 10 days after Jap. surrender ◦ War ends Aug 1945 ◦ By May 1946, 3 million are unemployed ◦ Prices skyrocket Not enough consumer goods (people wait on line) Coffee, sugar, beans ◦ 2 years before prices stabalize
Recovery ◦ $135 billion in savings ◦ What did they do with the $$$? Cold War helped economy ◦ How? ◦ What were we spending money on? Marshall Plan ◦ Foreign market for US goods
Television 1951: $ 795 2011: $6790
Truman had to restore economy Strikes ◦ High prices, lower wages ◦ 4.5 million workers Threatened to draft them ◦ You can make soldiers do anything Went to Congress for permission ◦ Unions gave in before speech was over
Truman = Democrat Republicans asked: “Had Enough”? 1946: R. controlls Senate & HOR ◦ Cancels a lot of pro-labor laws
African-Americans still unequal Congress won’t act Truman signs executive orders ◦ Integrates the military ◦ Ends discovery in hiring gov’t employees
Election of 1948 Rep- Gov. Thomas Dewey (NY) ◦ Liberal Republican Dem- Pres. H. Truman (Mo) ◦ Civil Rights/ Fair Deal Prog- Sec. Henry Wallace ◦ Civil Rights/ Socialism Dixiecrats- Gov. Strom Thurmond (SC) ◦ State’s Rights ◦ Pro segregation
Harry Truman (D-MO)Tomas Dewey (R-NY
Election of 1948 Truman (D)- 49.6%/ 303 Dewey (R)- 45.1%/ 189 Thurmond (Dixie)- 2.4%/ 39 Wallace (P)- 2.4%/ 0
1951: Truman is unliked ◦ Korean War ◦ McCarthyism ◦ Doesn’t run for re-election Reps talk about rise of Communism in China & E. Europe Nominate Dwight D. Eisenhower ◦ “I Like Ike” “I Like Ike”
Eisenhower wins Middle of the road Conservative when it comes to money Liberal when it comes to human beings Raised minimum wage Extended Social Security Increased $ for public housing Interstate highways Won re-election in 1956
Who am I talking about?
25% living below poverty level Mostly minorities African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans
Middle Class whites moved to suburbs ◦ Took businesses & money ◦ Isolated from other races Rural poor African Americans moved to cities ◦ $ in cities decreased ◦ Less taxes ◦ Poor schools, fire, police, transportation People in suburbs refused to believe poverty could exist in USA
Provide decent home & job to every family Tear down old buildings ◦ Replace w/ low income housing Created new Cabinet position ◦ Housing & Urban Development Lots of housing replaced by parks, stadiums, roads, malls, parking lots ◦ What is the problem here?