Period+6+Post-WWII-1950s

= Historical Context  = When World War II ended in 1945, the United States found itself in yet another war--the Cold War. During this period, the country was in a race to get ahead of its rival, the Soviet Union. One of the presidents at the time, ** Truman **, found himself in a constant battle with Congress. He strived for a liberal nation, where government agencies such as the Fair Employment Practices Commission would be renewed to assist Americans in their transition from a wartime economy to a more peaceful one. However, because America was in a period of ** McCarthyism ** (fear of communism and anti-American values), Congress worked to point the country away from anything that was even remotely socialist, thus taking a more ** conservative **approach to governing the country. In one instance, they rejected Truman's idea of a national health care and allowed businesses to return to their exclusive, prewar hiring practices. When ** Eisenhower ** became president, he wanted to follow the "middle course", that is, to be more conservative in money matters but liberal when dealing with people. His wish was to reduce spending and reduce government involvement in businesses by ending two decades of the New Deal collition. He however, did not end the New Deal policies. If fact, he enlarged the ** Social Security ** act and signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1959. As Truman and Congress fought for power, Americans wanted to return to normalcy. In the process, they felt pressure to ** conform **, through modern advertising, television, the availability of credit cards(which allowed them to spend money they did not always have), and the increase in children. The ** baby boom **put pressure on parents to provide more for their children than they had possessed during the Depression. In brief, people had more economic freedom in postwar America. They purchased televisions, cars, clothes(the U.S. became the center for fashion), and homes. This increase in ** consumeralism ** was partly brought about by advertisement that enticed Americans to buy. Having more things was a sign of an upper class status and because America was in a time where everyone wanted to be like his or her neighbor, people constantly found themselves purchasing new cars and washing machines to keep up. During both Truman and Eisenhower's presidencies, minorities were expected to give up their war gains and revert to being mistreated by whites. However, with pressure from ** Civil Rights' advocators ** like Martin Luther King Jr, changes regarding ** segregation ** took place. One such instance was in 1948, when President Truman called for ** the integration of the military **. Another outcome from their determination was **the Civil Rights Act** in 1957 that created the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. One economic issue during this time was that the country saw an ** inflation **in prices, which led to ** an increase in strikes ** from workers. In response, in 1947, Congress passed the ** Taft-Hartley Act ** that essentially hindered union organizing, and gave the president the power to force striking workers back to their jobs. All in all, postwar America saw a lot of changes.
 * Suburbanization ** resulted from the increase in family sizes (baby boom),mass marketing for suburban living, as well as government involvement to help people be able to afford this style of living. ** Levittowns **, low-cost, identical, mass produced suburban developments, attracted these growing families, as well as a number of World War II veterans. These veterans received government help from the ** GI Bill **. It provided them with loans to attain college educations as well as loans to purchase homes and start businesses. With the creation of suburbs, husbands found themselves traveling long distances for work. This helped bring about Eisenhower's ** Federal Highway Act of 1956 ** ﻿, which used $32 billion to expand the interstate system by improving the quality and length of the roads.

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GI Bill of Rights - The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill of Rights, was a bill that provided World War veterans with education, one year of unemployment compensation, and loans to start businesses and buy homes. *watch from 3:50-5:53* media type="youtube" key="vx6JSJ3l-qg" width="425" height="350" align="center"

Levittown- It shows the amount of conformity that was present during the 1950s. *watch from 0:51-1:47*











There is a spike in the graph after WWII and it continues through the 50s and part of the 60s.

[|State of the Union, 1959 Speech] Eisenhower's State of the Union speech that talks about how he plans to achieve peace by preventing war, improving the economy, and strenghtening the international situation. He talks about how the military is strong and how there were advancements in military weapons and they are constantly being improved but the improvements cost a lot of money. He talks about how to prevent inflation within businesses. He talks about rights the the public should have.

Inflation would reduce job opportunities, price us out of world markets, shrink the value of savings and penalize the thrift so essential to finance a growing economy. Inflation is not a Robin Hood, taking from the rich to give to the poor. Rather, it deals most cruelly with those who can least protect themselves. It strikes hardest those millions of our citizens whose incomes do not quickly rise with the cost of living. When prices soar, the pensioner and the widow see their security undermined, the man of thrift sees his savings melt away; the white collar worker, the minister, and the teacher see their standards of living dragged down. Inflation can be prevented. But this demands statesmanship on the part of business and labor leaders and of government at all levels. We must encourage the self-discipline, the restraint necessary to curb the wage-price spiral and we must meet current costs from current revenue.

First, I shall submit a balanced budget for the next year, a year expected to be the most prosperous in our history. It is a realistic budget with wholly attainable objectives. Second, I shall recommend to the Congress that the Chief Executive be given the responsibility either to approve or to veto specific items in appropriations and authorization bills. [I assure you gentlemen that I know this recommendation has been made time and again by every President that has appeared in this hall for many years, but I say this, it still is one of the most important corrections that could be made in our annual expenditure program, because this would save tax dollars.] Third, to reduce Federal operations in an area where private enterprise can do the job, I shall recommend legislation for greater flexibility in extending Federal credit, and in improving the procedures under which private credits are insured or guaranteed. Present practices have needlessly added large sums to Federal expenditures. Fourth, action is required to make more effective use of the large Federal expenditures for agriculture and to achieve greater fiscal control in this area.

Our military and related scientific progress has been highly gratifying.

Great strides have been made in the development of ballistic missiles. Intermediate range missiles are now being deployed in operational units. The Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile program has been marked by rapid development as evidenced by recent successful tests. Missile training units have been established and launching sites are far along in construction. New aircraft that fly at twice the speed of sound are entering our squadrons. We have successfully placed five satellites in orbit, which have gathered information of scientific importance never before available. Our latest satellite illustrates our steady advance in rocketry and foreshadows new developments in world-wide communications. Warning systems constantly improve. Our atomic submarines have shattered endurance records and made historic voyages under the North Polar Sea. A major segment of our national scientific and engineering community is working intensively to achieve new and greater developments. Advance in military technology requires adequate financing but, of course, even more, it requires talent and time. All this is given only as a matter of history; as a record of our progress in space and ballistic missile fields in no more than four years of intensive effort. At the same time we clearly recognize that some of the recent Soviet accomplishments in this particular technology are indeed brilliant. Under the law enacted last year the Department of Defense is being reorganized to give the Secretary of Defense full authority over the military establishment. Greater efficiency, more cohesive effort and speedier reaction to emergencies are among the many advantages we are already noting from these changes. These few highlights point up our steady military gains. We are rightfully gratified by the achievements they represent. But we must remember that these imposing armaments are purchased at great cost. National Security programs account for nearly sixty percent of the entire Federal budget for this coming fiscal year. Modern weapons are exceedingly expensive

To safeguard workers' funds in union treasuries against misuse of any kind whatsoever. To protect the rights and freedoms of individual union members, including the basic right to free and secret elections of officers. To advance true and responsible collective bargaining. To protect the public and innocent third parties from unfair and coercive practices such as boycotting and blackmail picketing. The workers and the public must have these vital protections. In other areas of human rights -- freedom from discrimination in voting, in public education, in access to jobs, and in other respects -- the world is likewise watching our conduct.

[|Eisenhower's Second Inaugural Address] He talks about how the country is in such "peril" which is worse than its ever been before. He talks about how communism is "dark" and he talks about how the nation can move past this time period and help other countries at the same time.

May we pursue the right -- without self-righteousness. May we know unity -- without conformity. May we grow in strength -- without pride in self.

The divisive force is International Communism and the power that it controls. The designs of that power, dark in purpose, are clear in practice. It strives to seal forever the fate of those it has enslaved. It strives to break the ties that unite the free. And it strives to capture -- to exploit for its own greater power -- all forces of change in the world, especially the needs of the hungry and the hopes of the oppressed.

We do not fear this world of change.

We cherish our friendship with all nations that are or would be free. We respect, no less, their independence. And when, in time of want or peril, they ask our help, they may honorably receive it; for we no more seek to buy their sovereignty than we would sell our own. Sovereignty is never bartered among freemen. We honor the aspirations of those nations which, now captive, long for freedom. We seek neither their military alliance nor any artificial imitation of our society. And they can know the warmth of the welcome that awaits them when, as must be, they join again the ranks of freedom. We honor, no less in this divided world than in a less tormented time, the people of Russia. We do not dread, rather do we welcome, their progress in education and industry. We wish them success in their demands for more intellectual freedom, greater security before their own laws, fuller enjoyment of the rewards of their own toil. For as such things come to pass, the more certain will be the coming of that day when our peoples may freely meet in friendship.

May the light of freedom, coming to all darkened lands, flame brightly -- until at last the darkness is no more. May the turbulence of our age yield to a true time of peace, when men and nations shall share a life that honors the dignity of each, the brotherhood of all.

= Analysis  = Emerging from WWII left Americans with general feelings of confidence and optimism. With low unemployment and highs in spending and homeownership, achieving the American Dream seemed possible for the average person. This perspective of post-WWII and the 1950’s, however, neglects the minorities who felt less of the benefits of the growing economy and were instead expected to return to their previous role in society as lesser people than the typical white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Feelings of confidence and optimism were also interrupted by the fear of Soviet expansionism which helped fuel the Cold War. The Cold War was a time of suspicion, and the country’s goal became to stop the spread of communism, as made obvious through the Red Scare. Those who promoted change were under increasing attack, and liberal ideas were often deemed communist, contributing to the social shift towards conformity. It was this attitude which created the moderate agenda of Truman’s presidency despite his more liberal intensions. Truman’s suggestion for a national health system was rejected by Congress for being too expensive and too liberal. In contrast with the expanded government power of the New Deal and WWII, Eisenhower’s presidency was more in tune with the feeling of the time, as, in a “hands off” policy, he successfully cut spending and reduced some of the domestic programs of the New Deal. The time after WWII and through the 1950’s resembled the 1920’s in the sense that the government was doing less regulating and more encouragement of capitalism. The 50’s are again comparable to the 20’s in that both eras enjoyed a growing post-war economy. Unemployment post-WWII was low and production of consumer goods boomed. At the same time as this prosperity, grassroots movements encouraging racial acceptance and equality were growing with the support of Supreme Court decisions that began the civil right’s movement.


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