“Make it sound right” – example:

“The Soviet Union however had created a larger cause to start the

war.”

THE TRUMAN

PRESIDENCY

I. Unpopular immediately after the war (“To err is Truman”)A. Kept soldiers in the field who wanted to return

home.B. Reversed course after public outcry.C. Huge demand for consumer goods led to high

inflation after WW2.1. Truman vetoed Congress’ extension of

wartime price controls.2. Threatened to draft striking railroad workers

into the army.

II. Truman’s ProposalsA. Higher unemployment compensationB. Higher minimum wage.C. Federal housing assistance.D. National Health Insurance.E. All of these efforts to extend the New Deal were

blocked by Congress.F. Republicans won control of Congress in the 1946

mid-term elections and passed the Taft-Hartley Act.

Taft-Hartley Act AKA: “Slave Labor Bill”

• Limits the closed shop• Requires an 80 day cooling off period for strikes• Union leaders must swear they are not Communists• Passed over Truman’s veto

III. The 1948 Presidential Election.A. Truman’s support for Civil Rights alienated

Southern Democrats.B. South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond ran as the

“States’ Rights” Party candidate.C. “Dewey defeats Truman” – Famous (and incorrect)

headline in the Chicago Tribune.

The 1948 ElectionDemocrat: Harry Truman

• Maintain/ expand New Deal• Adopts civil rights policies to counter Wallace• Desegregates the military• Attacks the 80th “Do-nothing Congress”

The 1948 ElectionRepublican: Thomas Dewey

• Gov. of NY• Reverse the New Deal• Attacks Truman for poorly managing the Communist threat.

The 1948 Election“Dixie-crat”: Strom Thurmond

• Gov. of South Carolina• Segregationist• Runs in reaction to Truman's civil rights policies

The 1948 ElectionProgressive: Henry Wallace

• Liberal New Dealer• Truman’s fired him as Sec. of Commerce• Accused of being “a tool of the communists”

Results of the 1948 Election Party/ Electoral College Pop Vote%

Truman: Democrat 303 49.5%Dewey: Republican 189 45.1%Thurmond: Dixiecrat 39 2.4%Wallace: Progressive 0 .6%

IV. The “Fair Deal” – Truman’s Program to extend the New Deal

A. Successes1. Higher minimum wage2. Federal funds for low-income housing3. Extension of Social Security

B. Blocked by Congress1. Anti-lynching laws.2. Elimination of the poll tax.3. National health insurance4. Federal aid for education5. Repeal of Taft-Hartley