American Civ. 10
CHAPTER 16
Name:_________________________
1
STUDY GUIDE
Section 1
Main Idea –

Despite inflation and strikes, the nation was able to shift to a peacetime economy w/o a recession.
 GI Bill – bill passed to provide money to veterans to help establish businesses, go to college,
purchase a home.
 Miner’s Strike - Truman ordered government seizure of the mines, while pressuring mine
owners to grant the union most of its demands
 Taft- Harley Act – Outlawed the “closed shop” – practice of forcing business owners to
hire only union members. Attempted to stop labor unrest, create jobs.

Truman pushed for a “Fair Deal” for Americans, despite the legislative conflicts he had with Congress.
 Fair Deal – Truman wanted to provide a “fair deal” for every American.
 States’ Rights or Dixocrat Party - was formed in 1948 by Southern Democrats, against
Truman’s support of civil rights. Strom Thurmond candidate for president.

Eisenhower cut federal spending, supported business, funded the interstate highway system and
extended some New Deal programs.
 Dynamic Conservatism – means balancing economic conservatism with activism. Truman
wanted to provide a “fair deal” for every American.
 Federal Highway Act – largest public works program in U.S. history.
Section 2
Main Idea –


America entered a period of postwar abundance with expanding suburbs, growing families and more
white collar jobs.
Computers began a business revolution, and doctor’s discovered new ways to fight disease.
 Multinational Corporations – located out of U.S., overseas, closer to raw materials and cheap labor
pool, helped competion
 Development of Transitor– a tiny electric generator that made it possible to miniaturize radios from
large pieces of furniture to small portable items.
 ENIAC - of nation’s earliest computers.
 New Treatments – Cancer, heart attacks and tuberculosis were diseases that could be managed. Jonas
Salk developed injectable vaccine to prevent polio.

The rise of television led to changes in the movie and radio industries.
American Civ. 10
CHAPTER 16
Name:_________________________
2
STUDY GUIDE

Young people developed their own popular culture based largely on rock ‘n roll music and literature of
the beat movement.
 Alan Freed – Disc Jockey in Ohio,began rock ‘n’ roll form of music, stemmed from African
American rhythms and sounds which are sometimes called rhythm and blues.
 Elvis Presley – became “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, born in Memphis Tennesse.
 Allan Ginsberg – poet who was into beat movement, blasted American life in poem “ Howl”.
 African American entertainers – singers Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ray Charles.
Section 3
Main Idea –

Despite growing affluence of much of the nation, many groups still lived in poverty.
 Poverty Line – imaginary marker , the U.S. government sets to reflect minimum income required
to support a family. Writer Michael Harrington wrote about poverty in The Other American.
 Urban Renewal – tried to eliminate poverty by tearing down slums and erecting new high rise
towers, was a failure.
 Minorities – African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans,those living in
Appalachia(mountainous part of U.S.that stretches from NY to GA) that all struggled with
poverty, low paying jobs. Bracero Program – brought 5 million Mexicans to U.S. to work on
ranches and farms on a temporary basis, many remained.

Juvenile crime rates rose during the 1950’s,a crisis in education occurred when the baby boomers
began school.
 Juvenile Delinquency – antisocial or criminal behavior of young people. Disagreements on what
caused rise in delinquency, e.g. television, busy parents, movies, drugs, gangs. Schools became
focus of possible solution. Esp. after Soviet Union launches 1st space satellite – Sputnik, U.S.
education focuses on math and science.