1. ESSENTIAL Question
EQ: How did life and culture change in America in the late 1940’s and 1950’s?
Standards
2. Cite specific textual and visual evidence to describe events which changed domestic policies during the Cold War and its aftermath.
A. Summarize the reasons for the public fear of communist influence within the United States and how politicians capitalized on these threats including the leadership of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Army-McCarthy hearings, the Second Red Scare, and the Rosenbergs’ spy trials.

2. Chapter 13: Postwar Confidence and Anxiety
Demobilization – decreasing the man power in the military by allowing service men and women to return home
GI Bill of Rights – Federal law that granted benefits to veteran’s
A year of unemployment benefits if they could not find a job
Financial aid for college
Government loans for building and starting businesses .

3. Eisenhower Charts Middle Path
Eisenhower popular choice for president in 1952 – both parties wanted him!!
First elected post he ever held was president
Charted middle course
Agreed government was too big, but did not repeal New Deal programs
Federal spending increased during his presidency

4. The Car Culture Automania Car Culture Takes Over
Cheap, plentiful gas, easy credit, advertising increase car sales
No public transit in suburbs; cars necessary
Car Culture Takes Over
Depended on cars to get to work
Cars necessary to grocery shop or go to new suburban shopping malls
Fast food restaurants and drive-in movies capitalize on car
Towns near highways prosper; those near older, smaller roads decline
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5. Mobility Takes Its Toll
continued The Car Culture
Mobility Takes Its Toll
Cars create social, environmental problems— e.g. accidents, pollution
Upper-, middle-class whites leave cities; jobs, businesses follow
Economic gulf widens between suburban and urban
- also widens gap between middle class and the poor
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6. Chapter 13: Postwar Confidence and Anxiety
Interstate Highway Act
$$$ to build 41,000 miles of highway consisting of multilane expressways that would connect the nation’s major cities
Biggest public works expenditure in history
Modeled after the German Autobahn that Hitler built
Ike’s plan for rapid mobilization in times of international crisis.
In 1990, became known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways

8. Chapter 13: Postwar Confidence and Anxiety
Sunbelt – Name given to southern and western states during the migration of the U.S population from eastern and northern cities
Houston, TX - Benefited from boom in petrochemical and aerospace business
Migration had a heavy impact on the shift of representative power in Congress
California and Texas are now players in the Electoral College game
Factors in move
Climate
Large number of jobs (especially defense industries)
Air conditioning
Influx of Latino populations

9. Chapter 13: Postwar Confidence and Anxiety

10. The Organization and the Organization Man
Employment in the U.S.
By 1956, majority of Americans not in blue-collar (industrial) jobs
More in higher-paying, white-collar (office, professional) positions
Many in services, like sales, advertising, insurance, communications (service sector)
Conglomerates
• Conglomerates—corporation that owns smaller, unrelated companies
• Diversify to protect from downturns in individual industries
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11. Franchises Social Conformity
The Organization and the Organization Man
Franchises
• Franchise—company offers similar products, services in many places
- also the right to use company name and system
• Fast-food restaurants among first, most successful franchises
Social Conformity
Many employees with well-paid, secure jobs lose individuality
Personality tests see if job candidates fit in company culture
Companies reward teamwork, loyalty, encourage conformity
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12. Religious Revival
Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things Time magazine, 1954
Church membership: 1940  64,000,  114,000,000
Television Preachers:
1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen  “Life is Worth Living”
2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent Peale  The Power of Positive Thinking
3. Reverend Billy Graham  ecumenical message; warned against the evils of Communism.

13. The Suburban Lifestyle
Advances in Medicine and Childcare
• New drugs fight, prevent childhood diseases
• Dr. Jonas Salk develops vaccine for poliomyelitis (Polio)
• Pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock writes popular guide for parents
• Baby boom impacts economy, educational system
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14. Stereotypes and Gunslingers
New Era of the Mass Media
Stereotypes and Gunslingers
Women, minorities on TV are stereotypes; few blacks, Latinos
Westerns glorify historical frontier conflicts
Raise concerns about effect of violence on children
Radio and Movies
Television cuts into radio, movie markets
Radio turns to local news, weather, music, community affairs
Movies capitalize on size, color, sound advantages; try gimmicks
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15. A Subculture Emerges The Beat Movement
• Beat movement—writers, artists express social, literary nonconformity
• Poets, writers use free, open form; read works aloud in coffeehouses
• Beatnik attitudes, way of life attract media attention, students
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16. The “Beat” Generation:
Jack Kerouac  On The Road
Allen Ginsberg  poem, “Howl”
Neal Cassady
William S. Burroughs
“Beatnik”
“Clean” Teen

17. The Other America The Urban Poor White Flight
1962, 25% of Americans below poverty level
Post WW II–1960, 5 million blacks go from rural South to urban North
White flight results in loss of businesses, tax payers to cities
Cities can no longer afford to maintain or improve:
- schools, public transportation, police and fire departments
The Other America by Michael Harrington – documents changes in cities
Continued . . .
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18. The Inner Cities Urban Renewal
continued The Urban Poor
The Inner Cities
Poverty grows rapidly in decaying inner cities
Poor economic conditions lead to illness and terrible conditions
Urban Renewal
• Urban renewal—replace rundown buildings with new low-income housing
• Housing and Urban Development Dept. created to improve conditions
• Not enough housing built for displaced people
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