1. 18.1 Critical Thinking 1.How did the GI Bill help returning veterans? College tuition, low interest loans 2. What economic challenges did America face after the war? High prices, unemployment, low wages, housing shortages 3. What caused the economy to recover so rapidly? Ppl began buying consumer goods that were previously unavailable, Cold War fears created defense jobs, economic aid to Euro created markets for US goods 4. How did Truman handle strikes by miners and railroad workers? Threatened to draft workers as soldiers to order them to work; threatened to nationalize mines and railroads 5. What caused voters to elect a conservative Republican Congress in 1946? economic hardship, shortage of goods, high prices, inflation & strikes 6. How did Truman deal with civil rights? Created a Commission on Civil Rights, asked federal antilynching law, ban poll tax; integrated military and ended discrimination in hiring for gov’t jobs

2. 18.1 Critical Thinking 7. How did the civil rights issue affect the Democratic Party in the election of 1948? Dems who did not support Civil Rights broke off and became Dixiecrats; 8. What was Truman’s Fair Deal and who was it received in Congress? An extension of the New Deal; provided health care and $ for farmers; Congress shot them down but supported higher minimum wage, extension of SS, $ to build housing for low income families 9. Why did Truman not run for reelection in 1952? Low approval ratings because of the Korean War and fear of commies in the federal gov’t 10. What kind of leadership style did Eisenhower bring to his presidency? Middle of the road; conservative with $ but liberal with ppl 11. What did Eisenhower’s reelection in 1956 signify? The country was on its way to good times!!!

3. Postwar America In groups of 3-4 describe how the following problems were solved & who offered the solutions. 1.Millions of veterans thrown our of work as they return to civilian life 2.Severe housing shortage 3.Runaway inflation 4.Labor strikes that threaten to cripple the nation 5.Discrimination and racial violence

4. Postwar America 1.Millions of veterans thrown our of work as they return to civilian life Truman & Congress: GI Bill of Rights: free education, unemployment benefits, low-interest loans) 2.Severe housing shortage Developers: Mass-produced standardized homes built using assembly-line methods Congress: Financial support to clear out slums and build low- income housing units; increased funding for public housing 3.Runaway inflation Truman & Congress: Reestablishment of wartime controls on prices, wages, & rents 4.Labor strikes that threaten to cripple the nation Truman: threatened to draft strikers 5.Discrimination and racial violence Truman: Fed anti-lynching law; abolition of poll tax; worked to end discrimination in hiring; passed laws to end voting discrimination; integrated armed forces

5. Levittown

6. What words would you use to describe this housing development? How would you feel living here? Why would Americans in the 50’s want to live in a housing development like this? How do you think cookie-cutter homes like this will affect/reflect US society in the 1950’s