CHAPTER 23

POSTWAR AMERICA(1945 - 1960)

23.1 – TRUMAN, EISENHOWER & THE POSTWAR ECONOMY

• Many Americans were worried about a return to a peacetime economy (why?)

• Economy did continue to grow for the most part, but here were some problems

• GI Bill – gave money to veterans for…– Businesses– Housing– education

• Problems of the postwar economy?– Increased demand = increased prices– Cost of living goes up = labor unrest

23.1 – PEACETIME ECONOMY

• Problems led to calls for a change…

– Republicans decrease power of unions with• Taft-Hartley Act

– Closed shops?– Right to work laws?– Union shops?

• Truman vetoes the act, but Congress passed it anyway

23.1 – TRUMAN’S PROGRAM

• His proposals during his first term included:– Expansion of Soc. Sec. benefits– Raising minimum wage– Civil Rights Bill

• Election of 1948– Dixiecrats abandoned Truman and

nominated Strom Thurmond (why?)– Republicans nominate Thomas Dewey– To the surprise of almost everybody,

Truman won (did attacks on the “Do Nothing Congress” help him?

New Nat.

New Fr.

Gov’t Run

23.1 – TRUMAN’S FAIR DEAL

• His plan for the country, sets him apart from FDR’s New Deal

– Minimum wage was raised– Social Security benefits

were extended – National Housing Act of

1949

23.1 – THE EISENHOWER YEARS

• He won the 1952 election in a landslide

• Ike believed in:– Dynamic conservatism– Business growth was vital

to the nation

New Nat.

New Fr.

Gov’t Run

23.1 – THE EISENHOWER YEARS

• Ike’s actions included:

– Abolishing the RFC– Decreasing funding for the

TVA– Federal Highway Act– Extending Soc. Security

benefits– Extending Unemployment

benefits

New Nat.

New Fr.

Gov’t Run

23.2 – THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY

• During the 1950s new technologies and forms of entertainment led to a time of affluence for many– Also led to a

generational divide

• During the 1950s– Avg. income tripled– Affluent Society – a new, postwar

world of prosperity– Rising standard of living– More disposable income– More advertising, products, cars….

23.2 – SUBURBIA

• Mass-produced, planned suburbs exploded in the 1950s– Ex. Levittown, NY (Bill

Levitt)

• Why were people moving to the suburbs?– Affordable homes– Quieter and safer than

cities– Better life for their kids

23.2 – BABY BOOM

• From 1945-1961 more than 65 million babies were born – These babies are known as

the baby boom generation

• Why did this happen?– WWII and Korea were over– Homes were affordable– Society and gov’t

encouraged growth of families (exs. GI Bill, TV, magazine)

23.2 – BABY BOOM

• From 1945-1961 more than 65 million babies were born – These babies are known as

the baby boom generation

• Why did this happen?– WWII and Korea were over– Homes were affordable– Society and gov’t

encouraged growth of families (exs. GI Bill, TV, magazine)

HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE

1. Which one is your favorite?

2. Which one is your least favorite?

3. What is the point of the article?

4. What is your overall opinion of the article?

5. How would people respond today if this article appeared in a school textbook?

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER EPISODE

1. How is this show the same as current family based sitcoms? Provide at least one example

2. How does this differ from current family based sitcoms? Provide at least one example

3. Does this episode portray husband and wife roles similar to the way they are discussed in the “How to be a Good Wife article”? Provide one example to defend your answer

4. Do you think this show would be a success today? Why or why not?

23.3 – THE OTHER SIDE OF AMERICAN LIFE

• Poverty Line: figure the government sets to reflect the minimum income required to support a family

• Urban Renewal Programs: replace slums with high-rise buildings for poor residents in an effort to remove poverty

• Juvenile Delinquency: Antisocial and/or criminal behavior of young people

• 20% of America lived in poverty during the 1950s

• Urban Renewal led to crowded housing with plenty of violence

• Government removed poor once they earned higher income, putting them back into poverty

• Juvenile delinquency up 45 percent between 1948 and 1953

23.3 – DECLINE OF THE INNER CITY

• Poverty was best seen in the city

• Many middle class residents moved out the city – What economic problems

does this cause for the city?

• Urban renewal projects like high-rise developments did not help

23.3 – THE OTHER SIDE OF AMERICAN LIFE

• 1950s saw a growth in the middle class

• But…about 20% of Americans still lived below the poverty line

• Chronicled by Michael Harrington in his book The Other America– Who were the poor?

WHAT IS POVERTY?

1. White2. African-American3. Hispanic4. Native-American5. Asian-American

Poverty line depends on the size of the family (levels?) (poverty by groups)

African Americans

• Moved to cities for better economic opportunity in the past (think about everything we’ve discussed already in class)

• Racial discrimination in schools, housing, hiring….. kept African-Americans poor and stuck in the cities

• Generally averaged only 51% of what white workers earned and often did not receive other benefits

Hispanics

• Bracero Program brought over 5 million workers to the U.S. to work on farms and ranches in the Southwest

• 350,000 stay in the US permanently but lived in extreme poverty

• Worked long hours, received very little pay, housed in small shacks (easy to take advantage of?)

• Largely invisible in society until they organized for greater rights

Native Americans

• Poorest ethnic group in America; made up less than 1% of the population

• Termination Policy intended to bring Native Americans into the mainstream and ended their classification as a separate legal group

• Government attempted to have Native Americans move out of reservations and into cities with horrible results and life expectancy for Native Americans was far lower than other groups within cities

Appalachia

• Stretches from New York to Georgia

• Unemployment soared and economy moved away from coal (roughly 1.5 million people without work)

• Standard of living very low – example: fewer doctors per 1,000 people than anywhere in

the U.S.; schools worse than inner-city schools of the time

• High rates of infant mortality and nutritional deficiency

U.S. Census Bureau Poverty Thresholds, 2011

Size of Family Unit Poverty Threshold

One person (unrelated individual) $11,484

  Under age 65 11,702

  Age 65 or older 10,788

Two people 14,657

  Householder under age 65 15,139

  Householder age 65 or older 13,609

Three people 17,916

Four people 23,021

Five people 27,251

Six people 30,847

Seven people 35,085

Eight people 39,064

Nine people or more 46,572

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Weighted Average Poverty Thresholds, 2011, released in September 2012.