Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 1: Truman & Eisenhower
1) MAIN IDEA : Even though prices were going up and some
workers were on strike, the U.S. was able to move from being at
war to peace without the economy getting worse.
* GI Bill*Closed Shops–
* right-to-work laws -
* union shops -
Chapter 16 Postwar America 1945 -1960
Check-Up
This act provided money to veterans to help them start
businesses, buy homes, and go to college ._________________
Practice of forcing businesses to hire only union members.
__________________
Work places where new workers were required to join a
union.
__________________
Name the law that prohibited this practice.
___________________
Define these terms in your own words:
Legislators
Inflation
Recession
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 1: Truman’s Program
MAIN IDEA : President Truman wanted all Americans to have a better life
a “Fair Deal” ,even though Congress would not pass many of his
proposals.
•Proposals included•1.
•2.
•3.
•4.
•5.
•6.
•7.
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Election of 1948 - many thought Truman would lose.
Within the Democratic party 2 groups emerged –
Dixocrat or States Rights Party – nominated
Strom Thurmond for president.
Progressive Party - nominated Henry A. Wallace
for president.
Republicans - nominated Thomas Dewey.
Truman attacked Republican Congress as “ Do-Nothing Congress,
he narrowly won with support of farmers, African-Americans,
laborers.
Chapter 16 Postwar America 1945 -1960
Check-Up II
A group of Southern Democrats did not like Truman’s
support of._________________
Thd Dixocrats nominated ________________ to be their
candidate for the presidency.
__________________
Truman campaigned for the presidency by calling the
Congress the
______________________________
List some successes of “The Fair Deal:
1.______________________
2.______________________
3.______________________
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 1: The Eisenhower Years
1952 – 1960 “TIME FOR A CHANGE”
MAIN IDEA : New Republican winner, Dwight D. Eisenhower cuts federal
spending, supports business, begins the Interstate Highway system and
extends some programs from the 1940’s.
* Middle of the Road – described his political beliefs
* Dynamic Conservatism -
* Federal Highway Act–
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 1: The Eisenhower Years
1952 – 1960 “TIME FOR A CHANGE”
• Extended Social Security , unemployment compensation
•
Raised minimum wage
• Gave money to farmers
• “Creeping Socialism “– stopped practice of giving money to
big institutions like banks and railroads in financial trouble
• Ended govt. price/rent controls, believed that business
growth was very impt. to success of economy.
The first houses ready for residents
came in only two styles, a rancher
with a front door facing the street
and a variant with the main entry
facing the side of the house next
door. Eventually, Levitt added twostory Cape Cods and colonials to
style choices.
Unlike Levittown, N.Y., which arose in an
improvised frenzy, Levittown, Pa., was planned
down to the last shrub and sewer grating. No
residential intersection had four corners. No
school child would ever have to cross a main
street to walk to school.
One handy way of navigating
Levittown was to do it alphabetically.
Every road in Golden Ridge, for
instance, began with a "G" — Great
Oak Road, Geranium Road, Gable
Hill Road.
No two styles were ever built side by side. Still,
the rows of houses looked so stupefyingly alike
that even residents mixed them up. One
newcomer, Reuben Sussman, later recalled
telephoning for directions to his own house
after driving around and around the
neighborhood
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 2: The Affluent Society
MAIN IDEA : The U. S. in the 50’s entered into a time of opportunity with
new jobs as white collar workers,families growing and moving from cities
to to the suburbs.
* Levittown
* Baby Boom * White Collar Job*Blue Collar Worker *Multinational Corporation *Franchise -
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 2: The Affluent Society
MAIN IDEA : A new way of doing business began with the creation of the
first computer. Doctors made discoveries which helped fight many
illnesses.
* ENIAC * Transistor *Cancer/Heart Disease * Tuberculosis *Polio (Jonas Salk )-
Negative Stain of the Polio Virus
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/polio/photos.asp
Effects of Polio
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/polio/photos.asp
Child w/polio,
Rhode Island Epidemic 1960
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/polio/photos.asp
Patients with respiratory problems due to polio were
placed in iron lungs to help them breathe.
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/polio/photos.asp
Hospital Respiratory Ward in Los Angeles , 1952
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/polio/photos.asp
Homework Due : _____________
Write 1 paragraph from the point of
view of a teenager affected with polio
and spending time in an iron lung.
•Minimum 5 sentences
•Correct punctuation/spelling
•Worth 10 points
•Printed or neat handwriting/printing
•Name, period ,date on top of page
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Multinational
Corporation
Franchise Business
Heart Disease
Cancer
Jonas Salk
Tuberculosis
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 2: The Affluent Society
MAIN IDEA : The popularity of television led to many changes in the movie
and radio industries.
* By late 1950’s – more than 80% of families had at least 1 TV
• Comedy
•Action/Adventure
•Variety Entertainment
•News
•Sports
*Cinemascope * Radio responds News, weather, sports, talk shows
Number of radio stations doubled between
1948 – 1957
– importance of automobile.
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 2: The Affluent Society
MAIN IDEA :Young people developed their own popular culture based on
rock ‘n roll music and literature of the beat movement
*Rock ‘n’ Roll •Alan Freed -
•King of Rock ‘n’ Roll –
* Generation Gap
* Beat Movement -
•Jack Kerouac
* African-American Entertainers
Add some pics
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 3: The Other Side of American Life
MAIN IDEA : Even though much of the U.S. was doing well, there were
other groups of U.S. citizens that were very poor and living in poverty.
* Poverty Line * Michael Harrington (author)
•Poor Included –
• Elderly
• Single Mothers
• Puerto Rican/Mexican
Immigrants
• Rural Americans (all races)
• Inner City Residents
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 3: The Other Side of American Life
Decline of the Inner City
* Urban Renewal
* African Americans
* Lorraine Hansberry - writer
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 3: The Other Side of American Life
Hispanics
* Bracero Program
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 3: The Other Side of American Life
Native Americans
* Termination Policy
Appalachia
Chapter 16
Postwar America 1945 -1960
Section 3: The Other Side of American Life
MAIN IDEA : Juvenile crime rates rose during the 1950’s , problems in
education emerged as baby boomers began school.
* Juvenile Delinquency •Experts blamed :
• TV
• Movies
• Comic books
• Racism
• Busy parents
• Divorce rate
• Lack of religion
• Anxiety over military draft
* Parents focused on education as a solution
• New schools
•Emphasis on math/science – influenced by Sputnik I