CHAPTER 22.1
POSTWAR AMERICA
WHY IT MATTERS!
• AFTER WW2, THE COUNTRY ENJOYED A
PERIOD OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. MANY
MORE AMERICANS COULD NOW ASPIRE TO A
MIDDLE-CLASS LIFESTYLE, WITH A HOUSE IN
THE SUBURBS AND MORE LEISURE TIME.
TELEVISION BECAME A FAVORITE FORM OF
ENTERTAINMENT. THIS GENERAL PROSPERITY,
HOWEVER DID NOT EXTEND TO MANY
HISPANICS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, NATIVE
AMERICANS, OR PEOPLE IN APPALACHIA.
THE IMPACT TODAY!
• THE MIDDLE-CLASS
REPRESENTS A LARGE
SEGMENT OF
AMERICAN
POPULATION.
• TELEVISION IS A
POPULAR FORM OF
ENTERTAINMENT FOR
MANY AMERICANS.
A. RETURN TO A PEACETIME
ECONOMY!
• AFTER THE WAR MANY
AMERICANS FEARED THE
RETURN TO A PEACETIME
ECONOMY.
• THEY WORRIED THAT AFTER
MILITARY PRODUCTION
HALTED, AND MILLIONS OF
FORMER SOLDIERS JOINED
THE LABOR MARKET,
UNEMPLOYMENT AND
RECESSION MIGHT SWEEP
THE COUNTRY.
RETURN TO A PEACETIME ECONOMY!
• DESPITE THESE WORRIES,
THE ECONOMY CONTINUED
TO GROW BECAUSE OF
CONSUMER SPENDING.
• THE SERVICEMEN’S
READJUSTMENT ACT, ALSO
CALLED THE GI BILL, HELPED
THE ECONOMY BY
PROVIDING LOANS TO
VETERANS TO ATTEND
COLLEGE, SET UP BUSINESS
AND BUY HOMES.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qvrkM
mw5gg
INFLATION AND STRIKES
• THE POSTWAR ECONOMY
WAS NOT WITHOUT ITS
PROBLEMS.
• INCREASED SPENDING LED
TO HIGHER PRICES FOR
GOODS, WHICH THEN LED
TO RISING INFLATION.
• WORKERS WENT ON STRIKE
FOR INCREASED WAGES.
• PRES. TRUMAN FEARED AN
ENERGY SHORTAGE,
FORCED MINERS TO
RETURN TO WORK AFTER A
MONTH-LONG STRIKE.
REPUBLICAN VICTORY
• IN 1946, AMERICANS INTERESTED
IN CHANGE ELECTED
REPUBLICANS IN BOTH HOUSES
OF CONGRESS.
• CONGRESS, WANTING TO CUT
THE POWER OF ORGANIZED
LABOR, PROPOSED THE TAFTHARTLEY ACT.
• THA: THIS ACT OUTLAWED THE
CLOSED SHOP, OR THE PRACTICE
OF FORCING BUSINESS OWNERS
TO HIRE ONLY UNION MEMBERS.
• STATES COULD PASS RIGHT-TOWORK LAWS OUTLAWING UNION
SHOPS, OR SHOPS WERE NEW
WORKERS WERE REQUIRED TO
JOIN THE UNION.
REPUBLICAN VICTORY
• THE ACT ALSO
PROHIBITED
FEATHERBEDDING, THE
LIMITING OF WORK
OUTPUT IN ORDER TO
CREATE MORE JOBS.
• ALTHOUGH TRUMAN
VETOED THE TAFTHARTLEY ACT,
CONGRESS PASSED IT
IN 1947.
B.TRUMAN’S DOMESTIC PROGRAM
• SHORTLY AFTER TAKING
OFFICE, TRUMAN HAD
PROPOSED A SERIES OF
DOMESTIC MEASURES
THAT SOUGHT TO
CONTINUE THE WORK
DONE AS PART OF FDR
NEW DEAL.
• DURING HIS TENURE IN
OFFICE, TRUMAN
WORKED TO GET HIS
AGENDAS THROUGH
CONGRESS
TRUMAN’S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
• SOME OF TRUMAN’S
PROPOSALS INCLUDED THE
EXPANSION OF SOCIAL
SECURITY BENEFITS,
RAINSING THE MINIMUM
WAGE FROM 40 TO 75
CENTS AN HOUR, AND A
BROAD CIVIL RIGHTS BILL
PROTECTING AFRICAN
AMERICANS.
• HIS PROPOSAL MET WITH
LITTLE SUCCESS WITH
REPUBLICANS AND
CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS
THE ELECTION OF 1948
• AS THE ELECTION OF 1948
APPROACHED, IT LOOKED AS
IF TRUMAN WOULD NOT BE
REELECTED.
• DURING HIS CAMPAIGN,
TRUMAN MADE SPEECHES
THAT CRITICIZED A “DO
NOTHING
CONGRESS,”BECAUSE IT HAD
NOT ENACTED ANY OF HIS
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS.
• TRUMAN WON THE ELECTION,
AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
ALSO MADE A COMEBACK,
REGAINING CONTROL OF
BOTH THE HOUSES OF THE
CONGRESS.
THE FAIR DEAL
• TRUMAN’S DOMESTIC
AGENDA WAS COINED
THE FAIR DEAL. HE PUT
FORTH IN HIS STATE OF
THE UNION MESSAGE
THAT AMERICANS HAD
THE RIGHT TO EXPECT A
FAIR DEAL FROM THEIR
GOVERNMENT.
• CONGRESS DID NOT
SUPPORT ALL OF
TRUMAN’S IDEAS.
THE FAIR DEAL
• WHILE THE MINIMUM
WAGE WAS INCREASED
AND THE SOCIAL
SECURITY SYSTEM
EXPANDED, CONGRESS
REFUSED TO PASS
NATIONAL HEALTH
INSURANCE OR TO
ENACT CIVIL RIGHTS
LEGISLATION.
C. THE EISENHOWER YEARS
• WITH THE UNITED
STATES AT WAR IN
KOREA, TRUMAN’S FAIR
DEAL FADED, AS DID HIS
APPROVAL RATING. HE
CHOSE TO NOT RUN
FOR RE-ELECTION.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDnxg
RzCB_M&list=PLC961CC5E9F818B9F
10:36 EISENHOWER/TV
IKE AS PRESIDENT
• THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE, DWIGHT
EISENHOWER RAN WITH
THE SLOGAN, “IT’S TIME
FOR CHANGE.”
• HE PROMISED TO END
THE KOREAN WAR.
• EISENHOWER WON IN A
LANDSLIDE WITH
RUNNINGMATE, SENATOR
RICHARD NIXON.
IKE AS PRESIDENT
• PRESIDENT
EISENHOWER’S POLITICAL
BELIEFS WERE SELFDESCRIBED AS MIDWAY
BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE
AND LIBERAL.
• HE REFERRED TO THE
IDEA OF “DYNAMIC
CONSERVATISM,” OR THE
BALANCING OF
ECONOMIC
CONSERVATISM WITH
SOME ACTIVISM.
IKE AS PRESIDENT
• ON THE CONSERVATIVE
SIDE, EISENHOWER
ENDED GOVERNMENT
PRICE AND RENT
CONTROLS, VETOED A
SCHOOL
CONSTRUCTION BILL,
AND CUT AID FOR
PUBLIC HOUSING
WHILE ALSO
SUPPORTING SOME TAX
REDUCTIONS.
IKE AS PRESIDENT
• AS AN ACTIVIST,
EISENHOWER PUSHED
FOR THE FEDERAL
HIGHWAY ACT, WHICH
PROVIDED $25 BILLION
FOR A 10 YEAR PROJECT
TO CONSTRUCT 400, 000
MILES OF INTERSTATE
HIGHWAYS.
• THIS ACT WAS NECESSARY
TO PROVIDE MORE
EFFICIENT TRAVEL
ROUTES, DUE TO THE
INCREASE IN CAR
OWNERS.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02sIZn
oX1gY
EXTENDING THE NEW DEAL
• BY THE TIME
EISENHOWER RAN FOR A
SECOND TERM IN 1956,
ONE IN WHICH HE EASILY
WON, AMERICA
TRANSITIONED FROM A
WARTIME TO PEACETIME
ECONOMY.
• AMERICANS FOCUSED
THEIR ENERGY ON A
DECADE OF TREMDOUS
PROSPERITY.