1. The Cold War Era
Sputnik and Beyond

2. The Cold War
Threat of the spread of Communism led to policy of containment
US declared to take what ever economic and military means necessary to stop the spread of communism

3. Political Economy 1929-Stock Market Crash
Prosperity following the end of W.W.II in 1945 led to more consumerism
Communist scare let to McCarthy hearings

4. Threat of Communism
US declared to take what ever economic and military means necessary to stop the spread of communism
Known as “policy of containment”

5. Doctrine of First Use
US stockpiled nuclear weapons in order to initiate nuclear bombing whenever enemy forces threatened America

6. Red Scare
A near hysteria was created in the late 40's and 50's with hearings led by Joseph McCarthy accusing people of belonging to the Communist Party

7. DuBois Accused of Communism
Detail of photo taken in 1951 of Philadelphia communists protesting the detention of W.E.B. DuBois. The picket sign reads:
"FRAME-UP / YOU MAY BE NEXT"

8. Spies and Espionage Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
U.S. communists who were executed in for passing on nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.

9. More Spies Francis Gary Powers
U.S. Air Force U-2 pilot who was shot down while on a surveillance mission over the Soviet Union.
Sentenced to 10 years in captivity but served only two before he was released to the United States in a spy exchange for Soviet spy Rudolph Abel.

10. Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957), anti-Communist crusader
Ideology
McCarthyism
Meritocracy
Social Mobility
Anticommunism
Education for national interest
Corporate liberalism
Joseph McCarthy ( ), anti-Communist crusader

11. Sputnik
First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race.

12. Schooling Had US Schools Failed?
This launch of Sputnik alarmed the American public and made them think that their schools had failed to teach science and math.

13. Shift in Curriculum
Millions of dollars were allocated for upgrading the teaching of science and math
Schools introduced tracking, differentiated curriculum, and IQ testing

14. James Conant and the SAT
James Conant, president of Harvard, saw the need to develop a valid measure of academic aptitude to ensure objectivity in determining scholarship eligibility
Decided on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Click to read interview