EISENHOWER IN THE WHITE

HOUSE

ELECTION ELECTION OFOF 19521952Fear of communism is very strong in the early 50’s

and the nation is ready for a change.

REPUBLICANS:

Dwight D. Eisenhower, P

Richard M. Nixon, VP the “Checkers

speech”•“Time for a Change!” “I Like Ike”•Promised to end Korean War, be tough on communism & end corruption in gov’t•Nixon serves as attack dog

•Capitalized on war hero, NATO•TV ads – 1st time in P campaign•Landslide!

• 442 to 89 electoral votes

DEMOCRATS:Adlai Stevenson•No real chance•Tried to defend Truman•Ike announced plan to go to Korea

What are the advantages & disadvantages to this type of leadership?DYNAMIC CONSERVATISM = DYNAMIC CONSERVATISM = Small Government

MODERN REPUBLICANISMMODERN REPUBLICANISM::•To slow the growth of the federal gov’t:

•Cutting spending, reducing taxes,

balancing budget

EISENHOWER’S STYLE:EISENHOWER’S STYLE:Very popular! Liked to work behind the scenes. - relied heavily on his cabinet – became a true advisory board - administration became known as the “hidden hand presidency”

Eisenhower’s administration steered a very middle of the road course --

Liberal with individuals; conservative with their money

Eisenhower & the Economy:-50’s growth due to consumer credit / advertising-Lowers Truman’s defense spendingOn business & labor:

-minimal business regulation.....-big business / many mergers-union growth slow; AFL-CIO merge; Teamsters corruption

Eisenhower & the New Deal Programs:-debate was over how much larger they should become-Social Security & unemployment increased-Dept. of HEW created; Sec. condemns Salk vaccine

In 1959:Alaska becomes the 49th StateHawaii becomes the 50th State

HAWAII

KAHOOLAWE MAUI

MOLOKAI

OAHU

KAUAI

LANAI

HAWAII

NIIHAU

Kailua

Honolulu

Kahului

Hilo

• Operation “Wetback”:– A million illegal Mexican immigrants sent back– Didn’t want to undercut program of legally

imported farmworkers begun in WWII – “bracero” program

Interstate Highway System – why?Nuclear Arms race:

US – Hydrogen Bomb, ‘52; Soviets –’53US Policy – Deterrence; conventional air

powerSoviets - long-range ICBMs

NASA established! In response to Soviet success with Sputnik in 1957.U.S. Mercury I, 1958

EDUCATION – National Defense Education ActMath, Science stressedAP PROGRAMS; College Loans

DOMESTIC PROGRAMSIN RESPONSE TO COLD WAR:

IKE’S HEALTH & THE 25TH AMENDMENT

4. If P unable to inform Congress & is unable to carry out duties, VP & Cabinet go to Congress & have VP appointed as acting P

Ike’s health problems were an issue in election of ’56 & led to the 25th amendment on Presidential Disability:

1. If P dies, resigns, retires, VP moves up

2. If VP office vacant, P appoints a new VP

3. If P going to be unable to carry out duties, tells Congress & VP becomes acting P

Brown v. Bd. of Education, Topeka, KS, 1954 –Reverses Plessy v. Ferguson

Thurgood Marshall(center)

CIVIL RIGHTS:

Jim Crow still rules South Only 20%/less were

registered to vote Emmett Till, 1955

Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier in sports, 1947

Brown v. Board of Education, 1954

Ike: did not complete Truman’s integration of military Did not believe racial

equality could be achieved by gov’t action

Ike’s biggest contribution: appointing C.J. Earl Warren

NAACP AttorneyThurgood Marshall

THE LITTLE ROCK 9

Issue is forced integration of 9 black students into Little Rock’s Central High

Gov. Faubus mobilized National Guard to prevent Little Rock 9 from entering the school / town mob

Pres. Eisenhower federalizes National Guard/sends paratroopers to escort the 9 in – soldier bodyguards remain

Ike sets up permanent Civil Rights Commission to investigate violations and authorizes injunctions to protect voting rights

CRITICISMSOF IKE:

Criticized for lack of attention to civil rightsCivil Rights Bill of

1957 is mildest one possible

What did it provide?

Criticized for not doing enough to protect natural resources

What else?

IKE & FOREIGN POLICY

KOREA:Armistice in Korea

in ’53 after threat of nuclear weaponsAlso, Stalin died in

’53 &Khrushchev was ready to end war

US losses – 54,000Chinese & Korean

losses –over a million

NEW LOOK POLICYSec. of State John Foster Dulles

Containment is insufficient – promised “Massive Retaliation and Liberation”Need to prevent small wars from happening by threat of nuclear weapons

“New Look” in defense policy – no large conventional army; buildup of nuclear deterrents insteadGives U.S. more “bang for the buck”

“Brinkmanship”willingness to go to the brink of war

to force the other side to back downProblems?

Hungarian Revolt, 1956

“New Look” is just too

massive to use in small

incidents

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/DuckandCover.jpg

THE SHAH OF IRAN,MOHAMMED REZA PAHLEVI,

COURTESY OF THE CIA & 1953 COUPU.S. secured oil for the West, but bought resentment from Iran

SUEZ CRISIS, 1956

EISENHOWERDOCTRINE?

SOVIET-AMERICAN VISITATIONS 1959

The Kitchen DebateVP Nixon & Soviet Premier

KhrushchevKhrushchev attempts

Disneyland, Sept. – turned away

Meets with Ike at Camp DavidWants West Berlin

evacuatedAgrees to summit

meeting on disarmament with U.S. British, French in 1960

October 1960,United Nations

• 1960• U-2 spy plane

shot down by Soviet guided missile

• Pilot: Francis Gary Powers

• 2 weeks before the summit scheduled between Ike and Khrushchev

U-2 INCIDENT

FOREIGN POLICY – LATIN AMERICA

Why resentment toward U.S.?Guatemala?

What happened to Nixon’s “goodwill tour” in Venezuela and Peru?

CUBA:Castro takes over 1959; confiscates

all U.S. property in CubaU.S. cuts off imports of Cuban sugarCastro establishes ties with SovietsAnti-Castro Cubans (1 million +

between 1960 & 2000) head to U.S.U.S. breaks off relations in Cuba in

’61 after Cuban Missile crisis & imposes trade embargo….still in effect

Khrushchev threatens attack if U.S..?

Changes in the workplace:› Mechanization› Led to many more “white collar” jobs

than “blue collar” jobs – what’s the difference?

Changes in wealth:› Average income of American family

tripled› Home ownership up› Materialism Rampant!– “keeping up

with the Jones” Conformity Rules!

› People more concerned with outward approval

THE AMERICANDREAM:

House in the ‘burbsTV in living room2 cars in garage

“White Flight” to the suburbs

50’sSOCIETY

50’s CONFORMITY

•Suburbs, such as Levittown, NY flourish•Why?

FAMILY BOMB SHELTERS

McCarthyismEnds!

-Finally brought down by TELEVISION

-Army Hearings-Censured in ’54-Dies in ‘57

Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things.the center of things. -- -- TimeTime magazine, 1954 magazine, 1954

Church membershipChurch membership: : 1940 1940 64,000,000 64,000,000 1960 1960 114,000,000 114,000,000

Television PreachersTelevision Preachers: :

1. Catholic 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. SheenBishop Fulton J. Sheen “Life is “Life is Worth Living” Worth Living”

2. Methodist Minister 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent PealeNorman Vincent Peale The Power of Positive ThinkingThe Power of Positive Thinking3. 3. REVEREND BILLY GRAHAMREVEREND BILLY GRAHAM currently 94; currently 94; ecumenical message; warned against the evilsecumenical message; warned against the evils of Communism; greatest evangelist?of Communism; greatest evangelist?

HollywoodHollywood: apex of the biblical : apex of the biblical epics.epics.

It’s un-American to be un-religious!It’s un-American to be un-religious!

-- -- The Christian CenturyThe Christian Century, 1954, 1954

The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben HurHur 1953 1956 1959 1953 1956 1959

1954-Congress adds “Under God” to the pledge

1955- “In God We Trust” required to appear on all currency

By end of 1950’s 95% of Americans felt connected to some formal religious group

Part of the promotion for the movie “The 10 Commandments” gave court houses small monuments/copies for display

THE COLD WAR’S IMPACT ON RELIGION

THE BABY BOOMTHE BABY BOOM• 1945-19611945-1961• 65 million babies born65 million babies born

• Child-rearing became a Child-rearing became a national sciencenational science• Women being Women being encouraged (by gov’t & encouraged (by gov’t & culture) to stay homeculture) to stay home• Dr. Spock’s how-to guide Dr. Spock’s how-to guide for baby boom parents. for baby boom parents. • Urged parents to trust their Urged parents to trust their

instincts & parenting abilities. instincts & parenting abilities. • Criticized as fostering over-Criticized as fostering over-

permissivenesspermissiveness

Advances in Medicine– Polio Vaccine

» JONAS SALK»His testing subjects?

– Antibiotics– New drugs for cancer,

diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Advances in Electronics:Transistor – radios,

calculatorsComputers

A Fifties Computer

TELEVISION &TELEVISION &ITS EFFECTSITS EFFECTS

80% of families have them by end of 50s80% of families have them by end of 50s ADVERTISING industry grows exponentially!ADVERTISING industry grows exponentially! Nightly news becomes the normNightly news becomes the norm Sports – college and professional - become even Sports – college and professional - become even

more popularmore popular TV dinnersTV dinners Couch potatoesCouch potatoes Movie attendance down … but drive-insMovie attendance down … but drive-ins Types of shows: comedy, action, adventure, Types of shows: comedy, action, adventure,

variety…variety…Popular shows?Popular shows?

Very Young Lucy Lucille Ball, 1930

ROCK ‘N ROLLROCK ‘N ROLL• Grew out of R & BGrew out of R & B• Anti-conformityAnti-conformity• ““Generation Gap” – culturalGeneration Gap” – cultural

separation between kids & parentsseparation between kids & parents• Why was Elvis so controversial?Why was Elvis so controversial?

Elvis Presley

Little Richard

The Beat The Beat MovementMovement• The “Beats” or “Beatniks”The “Beats” or “Beatniks”• White artists highlighting the “values gap”White artists highlighting the “values gap”• Unconventional; promoted spontaneity, Unconventional; promoted spontaneity, open sexualityopen sexuality• Poets, writers, artists criticizing conformity Poets, writers, artists criticizing conformity of the 50sof the 50s• Even some non-beats were anti-Even some non-beats were anti-conformist:conformist:• J.D Salinger -The Catcher in the Rye suggested that the

conformist culture was making teenagers go nuts.

McDonald’s, 1955