Chapter 26: Affluence and Anxiety in the Atomic Age, 1950–1959*

What is Moderate Republicanism?

A political ideology that promises to curb federal government and restore state and local government authority.

Who spearheaded Moderate Republicanism?

President Eisenhower.

Federal-Aid Highway Act (1956)

The largest federal project in U.S. history, the act created a national network of interstate highways.

What year was the GI Bill of Rights enacted?

The GI Bill of Rights was enacted in 1944

What benefits did the GI Bill of Rights provide for World War II veterans?

The benefits provided were employment, educational, and financial benefits

What was the purpose of the GI Bill of Rights?

The purpose was to ease the transition of World War II veterans back to the civilian world

Suburbia

Communities formed from the mass migration of middle-class Whites from urban centers.

What are racial covenants?

Clauses inserted into property deeds that prohibit the purchase, lease, or occupation of a property based on race, color, religion, or national origin.

What do racial covenants prohibit?

The purchase, lease, or occupation of a property based on race, color, religion, or national origin.

What is the baby boom?

A markedly high birth rate in the years following World War II.

What demographic event is associated with the baby boom?

The biggest demographic 'bubble' in U.S. history.

Who were the Beats?

The Beats were a group of bohemian writers, artists, and musicians.

What did the Beats flout?

The Beats flouted convention.

What did the Beats favor?

The beats favored liberated forms of self-expression.

What was the landmark Supreme Court case that struck down racial segregation in public schools?

The case was Brown v. Board of Education

What year was the Brown v. Board of Education decision made?

Brown V Board of Education was decided upon in 1954

What doctrine did Brown v. Board of Education declare unconstitutional?

Separate but equal was declared unconstitutional

Massive resistance

A White rallying cry for disrupting federal efforts to enforce racial integration in the South.

What event sparked the Montgomery bus boycott?

The event that sparked the Boycott was the arrest of Rosa Parks in 1955.

Where did the Montgomery bus boycott take place?

It took place in Montgomery, Alabama.

Who organized the Montgomery bus boycott?

Civil rights activists organized the boycott.

In what year did the Montgomery bus boycott occur?

The boycott occurred in 1955.

Nonviolent civil disobedience

The tactic of defying unjust laws through peaceful actions championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What does SCLC stand for?

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Who formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference?

It was formed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What approach did the SCLC champion to end segregation?

It chose to achieve an end to segregation through nonviolent direct action

Massive retaliation

A strategy that used the threat of nuclear warfare as a means of combating the global spread of communism.

What is the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)?

An intelligence-gathering government agency.

When was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) founded?

The CIA was founded in 1947

Under whose orders did the CIA secretly undermine elected governments?

This was done under President Eisenhower's orders.

What was the CIA's goal in undermining elected governments?

Ther goal in undermining elected governments was to combat communism

What is Dien Bien Phu?

Dien Bien Phu is a cluster of Vietnamese villages.

What significant event occurred at Dien Bien Phu?

A major Vietnamese victory over the French in the First Indochina War occurred at Dien Bien Phu

Viet Cong

Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam who launched attacks on the Diem government.

"Falling-domino" theory

The theory that if one country fell to communism, its neighboring countries would necessarily follow suit.

What year did the Suez Crisis occur?

The Suez crisis occurred in 1956

Which countries attacked Egypt during the Suez Crisis?

Britain, France, and Israel attacked Egypt during this crisis

Who seized control of the Suez Canal, prompting the Suez Crisis?

Gamal Abdel Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal

Which U.S. President intervened in the Suez Crisis?

President Eisenhower intervened in the Suez Crisis

What did President Eisenhower demand during the Suez Crisis?

Eisenhower demanded the withdrawal of British, French, and Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula and the Suez Canal

What did the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 create?

A network of interstate highways modeled after the German autobahns.

How was the interstate highway system funded?

Largely by federal gasoline taxes.

What was the economic impact of highway construction in the 1950s?

It generated a 'multiplier effect' by creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and spurring tourism.

What was a significant cause of American prosperity in the 1950s?

The U.S. was the only industrialized nation not ravaged by WWII.

What was the increase in real income from 1945 to 1960?

Real income adjusted for inflation increased by 25%.

What was the home ownership rate in the U.S. in 1960?

62% of American families owned their homes.

What role did television play in American society during the 1950s?

It popularized consumer products and became a mediator of consumer culture.

What benefits did veterans receive from the GI Bill?

Money for higher education and low down payments on homes.

What demographic shift occurred due to the invention of air conditioning?

Population growth in the warmer states of the Sunbelt.

What characterized the Baby Boom from 1946 to 1964?

An average family size of 3.2 children and stable marriages.

Who were the leaders of the Beat movement?

Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.

What was a major cause of suburbanization in the 1950s?

The mass production of housing and the availability of GI Bill benefits.

What was the Bracero Program?

A program allowing Mexican citizens to work in the U.S. during WWII due to labor shortages.

What was the outcome of Mendez v. Westminster School District (1947)?

California school segregation was ruled unconstitutional.

What was the significance of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

Educational segregation was ruled unconstitutional.

What event sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955?

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat.

What was the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement?

He preached nonviolent civil disobedience and led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

What was the U.S. strategy of Massive Retaliation during the Cold War?

A promise that any attack on NATO or the U.S. would be met with massive nuclear retaliation.

What does the Domino Theory refer to?

The belief that the fall of a non-communist government in Southeast Asia would lead to the spread of communism to neighboring countries.

Who was Mohammad Mossadegh?

The Prime Minister of Iran who was overthrown in a coup supported by the U.S.

What was the significance of the Little Rock Nine in 1957?

Nine African American students were barred from attending a segregated school, leading to federal intervention.

What was the impact of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act?

It built freeways connecting urban areas to suburbs, facilitating suburbanization.

What was the average marriage age during the Baby Boom?

22 for men and 20 for women.

What was the cultural impact of television in the 1950s?

It perpetuated social stereotypes and consumer culture.

What was the economic condition of the U.S. by 1960?

The economy had doubled in size from $213 billion in 1945 to more than $500 billion.

What was the significance of the GI Bill in post-WWII America?

It enabled millions of veterans to access education and home ownership, contributing to economic growth.