Theme 1: The late 1940s and 1950s

A-Level U.S. History

What was initially difficult after WWII?

the transition from wartime to peacetime economy

What caused inflation after WWII?

lifting of price controls

What limited spending and investment WWII?

the high tax rates

Why did unions lose bargaining power after WWII?

due to the Taft Hartley Act

What canceled out factory workers’ efforts to get pay increases?

the Taft Hartley Act, which was anti-labor union and limited workers’ ability to get higher salaries

How did the U.S. fare during WIWII in comparison to Europe?

U.S. war industries made factories prosperous, while European economies and infrastructure were severely damaged

Why did the U.S. economy prosper after WWII?

• U.S. technology in aerospace, plastics, automobiles, and electronics dominated foreign completion

• women (mostly young and single) continued to contribute in the workforce

• the Korean War (1950) enriched war industries once again

Why did the demographics of Sunbelt states change?

due to climate and job opportunities

What did the G.I. Bill have a major positive impact on?

the economic lives of returning veterans

Why were Americans ready to spend in the late 1940s and 1950s?

they had suffered through sacrifice and attempted savings throughout the Great Depression and WWII

What caused the baby boom generation?

soldiers returning home and starting families

How did the baby boom help the economy?

it created more workers and raised GDP

What led to higher home ownership?

low unemployment, higher wages, and expanded federal programs

Why were consumers seen as patriotic citizens?

post war economic recovery depended on dynamic mass consumption

What were examples of desirable products in the 1950s?

automobiles, TVs, toys, home appliances, fashion and music

What did the rise of suburbs lead to?

a rise in automobiles and latest technology appliances for homes

What is an example of how aggressive advertising fueled consumerism?

advertisements targeted women for household appliances and child-related goods

What became the most desired consumer product in the 1970s?

the automobile

What did the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act (G.I. Bill) do?

gave financial aid to returning soldiers for college tuition, home loans and business loans, creating a large and prosperous middle class for generations

What did the Department of Research and Development do?

invested in science and new technology, creating a massive increase in patents after WWII

How did GNP double between 1940-1950?

mobilization of peacetime factories benefitted workers and consumers

How did wartime savings and cashed-in war bonds benefit the economy?

they encouraged spending

What did the Cold War start that employed millions of defense industry workers?

peacetime military-industrial complex

How did tax reform and the Revenue Act encourage spending and investment?

they lowered taxes significantly for individuals and corporations

What was the Federal Highway Act (1956)?

a huge infrastructure project that built major highways, employed thousands, and led to a rise in auto sales and related businesses as well as suburban housing and related necessities

What skyrocketed during WWII?

industrial productivity and corporate profits

Why did wages and benefits increase?

due to increased demand for workers and high business profits

What did labor unions gain?

more power to negotiate with employers

How did minorities advance during WWII?

they were employed more than any time prior to that point in history

What was the rise of the middle class greatly affected by?

high employment rates

Why were childcare workers in demand during WWII?

women worked in wartime factories

How were women vital to the war effort on the home front?

they worked in the factories and in clerical positions

Why did women leave the workplace after WWII?

men returned and took their jobs back, and many women had children to raise during the baby boom

How did African Americans advance during WWII?

they fought a Double V campaign, which was a victory against Nazis in Germany and racism in the U.S.

Why did African Americans threaten to march on Washington in 1941?

to protest discrimination in the defense industry; was successful as FDR passed an executive order

What civil rights organization was founded during WWII?

CORE

How did the G.I. Bill help African Americans?

it allowed more black mobility into the middle class

How did Native Americans contribute to the war effort?

code talkers helped defeat Japan in the Pacific

How did Mexicans and Puerto Ricans contribute to the war effort?

they fought and migrated to war factories on the home front

How were Mexicans and Puerto Ricans mistreated despite their war contributions?

they faced discrimination over job competition during and after the water (zoot suit riot)

What did the Bracero program do?

it recruited Mexican migrants for agricultural work but then deported them through “operation wetback” in the mid-1950s

Why did the white middle class grow?

because of higher wages and the G.I. bill

Who became the new urban poor?

blacks that moved North to take open factory jobs during WWII and ended up staying there

What required men to move to the Sunbelt states?

jobs in the defense industries

Why was the post-WWII demographic shift the largest ever?

women followed their husbands to their new jobs, which included moves from farms and cities to suburbs

What was the distinct youth culture a direct result of?

the baby boom, which created the largest demographic in U.S. history

How did advertisers and Hollywood films target a young audience?

by using stars such as James Dean, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe

What became the biggest cultural change of the 1950s?

TV

What were popular children’s TV shows of the 1950s?

Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Kangaroo, Howdy Doody

What did TV comedies focus on?

white traditional families – working father and stay-at-home mother

How were people of color usually presented in TV?

as stereotypes

What was the distinct youth culture seen a backlash to?

the consumerism and conformity of the 1950s

What behaviors did rebellious teens engage in?

smoking, using slang, and adopted a hot rod culture (fast cars)

What were “squares”?

teens (or older people) that conformed to accepted 1950s values

What was rock and roll?

a new mix of country / African American blues that morphed into popular teen music hated by parents

What was rock and roll popularized by?

radio DJs

What did rock and roll become a major component of?

teen culture

What was race music?

music made by and for African Americans, typically of the blues of jazz genre

What is social mobility?

the movement of a person or a group of people between different social classes or statues in a society

What is the opposite of social mobility?

a caste system

What is intragenerational mobility?

how a person’s social mobility changes during their lifetime

What is intergenerational mobility?

how social mobility changes across generations

How was the G.I. Bill a major factor in social mobility?

it provided monetary assistance to create a larger middle class

How did the government help the upper class earn more?

it invested in technology and education

Why did blacks have to struggle to make the same gains as whites?

they benefitted from the prosperous economy but to a lesser degree

What limited women’s social mobility?

women were forced out of their jobs during WWII and a women’s social mobility was usually tied to her husband’s

Why was Truman considered the “whoopsie” president?

he became president because he was vice president when FDR died at the beginning of his term

Who took the blame for the initial postwar economy being poor?

Truman

Why was the postwar economy poor initially?

due to inflation and labor strikes

What redeeming qualities did Truman have?

he was authentic and accountable

What did Truman accomplish?

• he integrated the military

• he appointed a civil rights commission

• he raised minimum wage

• he attempted universal healthcare

• he extended the New Deal

Why did Republicans win control of Congress in the 1946 midterm elections?

the Democrats in power were blamed for the poor economy

Who did the Republicans nominate for the 1948 presidential candidate?

Thomas Dewey, New York governor

Why was Dewey confident in the 1948 presidential election?

he had a large lead in the polls and the Democrats were split between candidates Truman and Wallace

Who were the 2 presidential candidates that created opposition to Truman within the Democratic party?

• Henry Wallace (Progressive/Left) – liberal, soft on Soviets, and strong on civil rights

• Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrats/Right) – a southern segregationist that left the Democratic party angry over Truman’s civil rights agenda

How did Truman campaign?

by traveling throughout the country by train, giving more than 300 speeches, and labeling the Republican Congress a “do nothing” Congress

How did Truman earn the nickname “give ‘em hell Harry”?

a supporter shouted the phrase during a speech

Why was Truman’s win surprising?

split parties don’t usually win elections

When was the First Red Scare?

in the 1920s

What did the First Red Scare lead to?

the deportation of “undesirable” immigrants, who were mostly from Southern and Eastern Europe

What were the main events of the First Red Scare>

the Palmer raids and the Sacco and Vanzetti trial

What did postwar WWII issues include?

the aggressiveness of Stalin and the Iron Curtain

What did communist ideology include?

government control of all private property, including social media, no free elections or bill of rights, and criminalization of organized religion

How did Soviets obtain the ability to make atomic bombs?

espionage

Who were outed as Communist spies?

Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs

What happened to the Rosenbergs?

they were executed

What country became communist in 1949?

China

How was the U.S.’s approach to communism viewed?

they were believed to be soft toward it

Who started the Korean war?

aggressive Communist North Koreans

Who were the Communist North Koreans backed by?

China and the USSR

What portion of Americans belonged to communist/socialist policies?

a small percentage

What did conservatives label as Reds/Commies?

labor unions, civil rights leaders, and liberals

Why did Truman create the Loyalty Review Board (EO 9835)?

to investigate communist sympathizers in the government

What did the House UnAmerican Committie (HUAC)?

it investigated subversives in the entertainment industry

What did the Supreme Court rule in Dennis v. U.S. (1951)?

it upheld limiting the first amendment rights of communists

What did FBI director J. Edgar Hoover do to help Loyalty Committees do?

investigate 5,000,000 Americans

What did the Lavender Scare do?

out and fire gay federal employees

Who was Joseph McCarthy>

a conservative senator from Wisconsin who was the person most associated with anti-communist hysteria

What did McCarthy use the Red Scare for?

for his political benefit, by accusing people without evidence

How did the media benefit from McCarthyism?

the scandal sold millions of newspapers and boosted TV ratings