The Post War US

Truman Shocks the Nation

• Election of 1948- Harry Truman defeats Thomas Dewey.

• Most believed Truman would not win, some news papers already made headlines before the results came in.

Truman

• Inaugural addresses, announced the Fair Deal

• Fair Deal- vast social reforms

• Fair Deal- extends social security benefits, increases in minimum wage, and funds for construction of low income housing.

The GI Bill

• Intended to help war vets readjust to life back home

• GI Bill or Servicemen’s Adjustment Act

• Provides vets with job priorities, money for school, job training, and loans for purchasing homes and property.

The Effects of the GI Bill

• GI Bill- helps start a social revolution

• “Common” people can now afford houses

• Developers start create communities of houses

• The will result in an increase in suburban housing

The Baby Boom

• Population explosion known as the Baby Boom

• Baby Boomers- members of the generation born within the first few years after WWII

Education • Prior to the war- working

class people did not go to college

• GI Bill- allows war vets • US population is now more

educated• Middle class grows• College degrees allow for

high paying jobs• High paying jobs allow

families to put their kids into college.

Exclusion for African Americans • African Americans do

not get advances in education.

• Colleges still segregated• Limited number of

spaces means African American war vets didn’t get to go to college.

• Many also lacked formal education prior to war, which hurt their chances

Cold War’s Impact on Education

• 1958-National Defense Act• Aid for education and was

geared towards boosting the study of science, math, and foreign languages.

• Intended to help the US get ahead of Soviets in the space race and nuclear arms race.

Consumerism

• Availability of jobs and boom in production means citizens have money.

• But rationing programs meant people couldn’t spend.

• The war ends- the late 1940’s and 1950’s, the US is back to a consumer society.

New Invention

• 1950’s the TV becomes popular

• Automobile industry takes off.

• People need cars to get them from the suburbs to the city

Advertisements

• One’s status is now judged on what they own.

• Credit Cards- buy now, then pay over time with interest.

• People stop saving money, debts increase.

• Shopping centers become very popular.

Women of the 1950s

• Woman’s place widely believed to be the housewife.

• Purpose is to raise kids, clean the house, cook the meals, devoted to husband

Women of 1950s

• Books publish “scientific” evidence that women can only achieve happiness through the role of wife and mother.

• House wife image is reinforced by advertisements and TV

• After the 1950’s a new group of women will emerge to challenge this idea.

African Americans Migrate North

• 1944- mechanical cotton picker comes out

• This and other factors led to urban migration of many African Americans

• Hoped to find better jobs and escape racial problems.

African Americans Migrate North

• Many find crooked landlords, employers that will not hire them, labor unions would not welcome them, and racial violence.

• Cities respond by making all black housing units

• Poor conditions lead to urban ghettos

• Poor housing and lack of education make these ghettos hotbeds for crimes, slum housing, welfare dependency, and gang violence.

• Some African Americans rise to middle and upper classes, but most remain in urban poverty.

Re-Emergence of Religion

• More people join churches

• Cold War, Soviet Union Communism advocates atheism – not believing in god.

• Thus being patriotic means being religious.

Re-Emergence of Religion

• 1954- Congress approves addition of “one nation under god” to pledge

• 1955- “in god we trust” put on all currency.

Mass Media and Religion

• Churches now advertise to people to get them to attend churches

• Billy Graham- evangelist • Preached messages of

positive thinking, assurance that a comfortable life is God’s will

Mass Media and Religion

• Preaching comfort helps push consumerism.

• Some believe that this approach is misleading giving the social injustices in the US, as well as the pending nuclear arms race.

Nuclear Threat and a New Red Scare

• Despite prosperity, citizens are worried about a nuclear attack

• Nuclear Arms Race provides for possibility of massive retaliation- responding to attack of nuclear weapon.

Nuclear Threat and a New Red Scare

• Schools practice nuclear attack drills, students are to duck and cover

• Bomb shelters are sold to average families.

The New Red Scare• During the great

depression many Americans joined communist party, because it offered economic relief.

• Economic prosperity, and Stalin make Americans hate Communism

• 1950’s Government harasses anybody with ties to Communism.

• This is known as the 2nd red scare.

The Government Deals with Communism

• 1947 National Security Act –Creates department of defense and secretary of defense.

• National Security Council- to coordinate national security policies

The Government Deals with Communism

• CIA- Central Intelligence Agency- responsible for covert (secret) operations to ensure national security.

• Top mission of the time was to spy on USSR.

HUAC

• House Un American Activities Committee – responsible for rooting out Communists in government and society

• 1950-Alger Hiss- convicted of perjury and sent to prison

Rosenberg Trial

• Julius and Ethel- accused of passing secrets about atomic bomb to Soviets.

• Controversial Trial• Guilty of espionage

and sentenced to death.

Hollywood Ten

• HUAC charges many in movie making industry having communists links.

• 10 refused to show up in court, believed it violated their civil rights.

• Some jailed for contempt for up to a year.

Hollywood blacklist

• Paranoid movie executives denounce Hollywood ten and developed Hollywood blacklist.

• List consisted of movie industry workers who had Communists ties.

Josephy McCarthy • Wisconsin Senator• Believed Communists

had been in high levels of government and military.

• At first popular, near the end most believe he was paranoid and crazy

• McCarthyism- ideas and fears of communism voiced by McCarthy and supporters.

Preparing for a possible war

• 1951- Selective Service Act- government can draft men ages 18-26

• National Highway Act of 1956

• Called for the construction of the interstate highway system

Interstate Highway System

• Improves mobility for citizens

• Also has military purpose.

• Improved roads allow military troops and personnel quicker, cities can be evacuated incase of nuclear attacks.

Military Industrial Complex • Military Industrial

Complex- link between US military, the Congress (which allocates money for military spending), and the civilian industry that produces needed military goods.

• MIC- becomes very important during the cold war

A New Youth Culture

• Kids, never experienced a depression, or world war.

• Teens have more economic advantages than their parents.

A New Youth Culture

• Radios greatly improve• Rock star= Elvis Presley • British Invasion= long

haired bands like Beatles and Rolling Stones.

• These will develop to the growth of the counter culture- youth that rejects the traditional way of life.