1. Lesson 2: The 1950’s The Eisenhower Administration 1953-1961 Politics of Anticommunism

2. Introduction Modern Republicanism Dynamic Conservatism: responding to Americans’ desire for stability Low-key, pragmatic non- ideological style of leadership

3. I. Eisenhower’s Dynamic Conservatism Department of health Department of Education and Social Welfare Interstate highway system: 41,000 miles of new highways (largest public works project in American history)

4. A. Interstate Highway System Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway Act of 1956: Connect major American cities… Impact # 1 Lots and Lots of jobs… Easier to vacation… Road trips… Disneyworld… Makes suburbs practical

7. I. Dynamic Conservatism Impact # 2 Migrating to the Sunbelt Sunbelt States: states in the south and west During the 1950 ’ s Americans began to flock to these states Air Conditioning Lots of Jobs in South Oil, Space, and Defense Industries Major shift in political power

8. I. Dynamic Conservatism B. The Middle Road Balance the Budget Lower Taxes End farm supports Keep Social Legislation End wage and price controls

9. II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare Civil Defense Poster

10. People prepared by building bomb shelters in their homes Bomb Shelters II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare

11. Duck and Cover Drills Duck and Cover Drills in Schools: By-Product of Hysteria

12. II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare What if you were outside?

14. II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare Fear of not Keeping up with the Russians Space Race 1957 Sputnik NASA National Defense and Education Act ( spending on math and science)

15. II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare Conservatives were also concerned with: Declining religious sentiment Sexual freedom Civil Rights

16. II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare Alger Hiss Trial Convicted 5 years for perjury Video: Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs 2’28

17. II.Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1951) Convicted of giving atomic secrets to the Soviets Convicted of Treason and Executed!!! Guilt not proved until the 1990’s Video: Killed for Believing in Communism 0 – 5’03

18. II.Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare Hollywood Ten: refused to answer questions (5 th Amendment) Blacklisted HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) went after Hollywood writers and directors who were suspected of being Communists Richard Nixon led the investigations

19. II. Cold War Paranoia and the 2 nd Red Scare McCarthyism Junior Senator from Wisconsin claimed to have a list of Communists in the gov’t Went after people he suspected of being Communist Made America even more paranoid When accused the US Army, lost his credibility Eisenhower and others stayed out of his way Video: Better Dead than Red 6’

20. -June 1949- What is the Washington Post cartoonist portraying in his drawing?

21. Conclusion A. 1950’s Economic Boom and Prosperity – G.I. Bill enabled millions of vets to attend college, start businesses, buy homes – Election of 1952: Ended first phase of post-war era, ending period of Democratic Presidents in office (FDR, Truman)

22. Conclusion B. Eisenhower Legacy – Middle of the road course, pleasing neither right- wingers nor liberals liberals: failure to denounce McCarthy and racism conservatives: not repealing fair and new deals (Republicans in Congress blocked Health Care bill (=socialism)

23. Conclusion – Left office warning countrymen of the growing influence of military-industrial complex over US society – Anti-communism rhetoric silenced dissenters and weakened democratic liberalism Video: Happy Daze 0 – 21’20