1945 and Beyond-3

Unit XI Part 3

The Affluent Society andthe Other America

In spite of prosperity nearly 1/5 were living below poverty line: Elderly, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans

Early 50’s National Incomes up by 50%

Farmers’ incomes fell by 1/3 More buying synthetics, fewer

buying cotton Between 1930 and 1960, 2/3 cotton

acreage gone. The end of the family farm

The Other America

Coal miners lost income Conversion of home heating to oil In the West, migrant farmers…very

poor

The move to suburbs left ghettos in cities

Between 1940 and 1960 3 million Blacks moved North

Great migration of Mexico and Puerto Rico

The Other America Poverty of the inner city led to increase of

criminal activities especially among the youth

Poverty due to: Decrease of blue collar jobs

Racism inadequate education automation = fewer jobs movement of factories to

suburbs Urban Renewal didn’t help much

The Constitution

Amendment 22 Limit to Presidential terms

Bricker Amendment (did not pass by one vote) was an attempt to limit presidential power: would need congressional approval for treaties

Amendment 23 (1961) Electors for Washington DC

Amendment 24 (1964) Abolition of the Poll Tax

Amendment 25 (1967) Presidential succession

Civil Rights

Eisenhower a moderate. Was committed to fighting communism

1947 Jackie Robinson: First Black in the major leagues…Brooklyn Dodgers

1954 Brown v Bd. Of Education overturned Plessey v Ferguson (separate but =) Will be applied mostly to schools

Civil Rights Billboards all over the South “Impeach

Earl Warren” (Supreme Ct. Justice in Brown Case)

Brown II rules for integration: “with all deliberate speed”

Schools in the South stalled. Southern states passed “Pupil Placement

Laws” “Students placed in schools according to scholastic ability and social behavior.”

These were upheld by the Court

Civil Rights

Eisenhower believed Brown case would set back race relations 50 years but did send troops to Central High School in Little Rock, Ark to integrate.

1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white guy (Montgomery, Alabama)

Was arrested

Civil Rights

Bus Boycott in support of Parks organized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (23 years old)

King’s (integrated organization) SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) continued boycott for 11 months. Brought bus company and downtown stores to their knees

1956 The Court declared that segregation in Public transportation was illegal

King and Passive Resistance

Was inspired by Indian leader, Gandhi

Important to show the white middle class that racial equality was not a threat. Passive resistance was perfect

Freedom Rides Lunch Counters 1957 Civil Rights Act: federal

protection to Blacks who wanted to vote (no enforcement)

More Civil Rights in the 60’s

Eisenhower

A modern Republican: extended Social Security and raised minimum wage to $1.

1956 Federal Highways Act: $25 billion for 10 years for 40,000 miles of interstate highways…to move military across the country faster.

Ike had a heart attack in first term and stomach surgery in second but delegated authority very well…Nixon VP

Ike and the Cold War

Sec of State: Dulles Had Doctrine of Massive Retaliation

(threatened to nuke Soviets to gain concessions)

Also Brinkmanship: was willing to bring us to the brink of war for concessions

Dulles specialized in forming peace time military alliances modeled after NATO: SEATO, CENTO, METO, etc.

Egypt

King Farouk booted out by new guy: Nasser

U.S. had promised aid to Egypt to build Aswan Dam

But we discovered Nasser trading cotton for weapons with Soviets

We threatened to withhold help with the Dam

Nasser said he didn’t need us Then he took over Suez Canal from

Brits and French

Egypt 1956

U.S. distracted with ’56 elections Soviets distracted with crushing a

rebellion in Hungary Israel, Brits, French formed a

tripartite to regain control of the canal

U.S. and Soviets worked together in UN to end the crisis.

Brits, French and Israel went home

May 1955 Indonesia and Bandung Conference

29 Asian and African states had recently won independence from the West

Most were resentful of Western Imperialism

Both U.S. and Soviets trying to win them over

Nehru (first Indian PM) urged all to be neutral on the cold war

The U.S. and the Soviet Union

Stalin died in 1953 Khrushchev new Premier Proposed Peaceful coexistence: U.S.

and USSR would never agree but COULD have peaceful relations

Soviets pulled out of Austria Soviets allowed some freedoms in

Poland But then, crushed 1956 rebellion in

Hungary

1957 Eisenhower Doctrine

A lot like Truman’s: The U.S. would come to the aid of free peoples resisting armed and aggressive communism

Eisenhower committed to Containment

Ike and Khrushchev engaged in talks Khrushchev wanted the West out of

Berlin U.S. would not budge

The U-2 Crisis

A U.S. spy plane and pilot (Gary Powers) was shot down over Soviet air space

Khrushchev demanded an apology Eisenhower first denied it was our

plane Then refused to apologize (in spite of

irrefutable evidence U.S.-Soviet Talks ended until

Kennedy

Iran

Much Arab Resentment against the U.S. because U.S. was a supporter of Israel

But Israel had no oil! U.S. toppled the government of Iran

led by Mossadegh and installed a pro-West regime under Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran)

He westernized and modernized and was much resented by his people

Latin America

U.S. sent troops to overthrow Guzman (had a leftist government) in Guatemala

Much Latin American resentment Nixon (VP) was almost killed while

on a tour

Cuba

Batista was the dictator He allowed American investors to

take over the place He allowed American Mafia to run

the nightlife The people were poor beyond belief A popular leader ousted Batista Castro

Cuba

U.S. expected the same arrangements with Castro

Instead, he tried to give Cuba back to the Cuban people and nationalized industries

To teach him a lesson, U.S. stopped buying Cuban sugar

Cuba’s economy bit the dust So…Cuba snuggled up to the Soviet

Union

Cuba

U.S. then cut all relations with Cuba Communism drove out professionals They fled to the U.S. and asked the

government to help them take Cuba back from Castro

CIA began training the Cuban ex-patriots to reinvade Cuba

Then 1960 Presidential election

New States

Alaska and Hawaii added to the union

Election of 1960

Democrats: John F. Kennedy 303 (49.9%)

Republicans: Richard M. Nixon 219 (49.6 %)

TV debates made a difference Kennedy: dark blue suit, looked tan,

great posture, perfect TV make up, cool Boston accent

Nixon: poor posture, 5 o’clock shadow, pale

JFK: New Frontiers

First Catholic President Peace Corps Man on the moon this decade “Do not ask what your country can do for

you; but what you can do for your country.”

Said he wanted to work with existing Civil Rights legislation

Jackie…Class Act Bobby…Attorney General

Kennedy

Little movement on Civil Rights Dixiecrats still a real force If Kennedy DID sponsor new Civil

Rights legislation, he would not get the nomination for 1964

Economy: gold drain: more imports than exports. Worked with the steel industry

Kennedy Foreign Affairs

Accepted a neutral regime in Laos (Soviet deal)

Bay of Pigs invasion 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 Berlin Wall Canada and Diefenbaker July 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty:

banned above-ground nuclear testing. France and China did not sign on

Civil Rights

James Meredith George Wallace and U. of Alabama Same day: Medgar Evers (Jackson,

Miss.) Kennedy on TV. Said he would

sponsor new Civil Rights legislation. (no specifics)

King and march on DC: I have a dream…

JFK and Bobby talked to King. Stressed the need to lay low until Kennedy elected in ‘64

Split in Movement

SCLC…King SNCC and CORE…Student Groups Black Muslims (Nation of Islam)…

Malcolm X Students did not want to wait Malcolm X said all men had right to

defend selves (no passive resistance) Frightened middle class

Over time…Student groups more segregated and politically active

NAACP was legal arm of the movement

Nov. 1963

Kennedy assassinated while in Texas Oswald did it (conspiracy?) Ruby killed Oswald

LBJ now President Was very quiet during the rest of

JFK’s term