Truman presidency

Red Scare

fear of communism coming to the u.s and dominating.

Huac

the house un-american activities committees

made by republicans to investigate if democrat presidents let communists into the state department

investigated hollywood actors, made people blacklisted (hollywood 10)

Richard Nixon (huac member) prosecuted alger hiss for being communist, he was convicted of purgery

McCarran Internal Security Act

allowed president to arrest suspicious possible communists

truman vetoed, got overridden so he chose not to enforce it

September 9, 1949

Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb with help from spies in the U.S

this was earlier than the U.S expected and that created fear

1952,1953

U.S exploded the first hydrogen bomb (stronger than atomic)

Soviets did that later in 1953 (the arms race begun)

Julius and Ethel Rosengburg (1951)

were brought to trial for being spies, convicted, and executed

Joseph McCarthy + McCarthyism (February 1950)

became famous by accusing of knowing 205 communists in the state department and the sec. of state was hiring them

McCarthyism - was a period where McCarthy ruined many public figures lives in public trials

was the most powerful man in America for a brief period of time

truman and eisenhower hated him but did not challenge him

McCarthy went after the Army and their spouses and people thought he was going to far, was later exposed for lying (1954)

died in 1957 from alcohol complications

Servicements readjustment act (GI bill of rights) 1944

gave servicemen benifits like

• $ for college

• Low interest loans for buying houses and starting businesses

• government jobs

• free medical care from Veteran administration hospitals

“Truman Recession”

a fear from economists right after the war cause of:

• ww2 inflation

• sinking gnp (gross national profit)

• cuts in government spending

• lack of available jobs

There was a slow economic recovery between 1945-1947

1948 affects of the war

Americans experienced prosperity because of money saved from the war

middle class doubled

90% of americans owned a tv

many families had 2 cars

suburbs

people like the levitt brothers made cheap “cookie cutter” houses, creating the suburbs

the levitt brothers did not allow anyone other than caucasians in the suburbs

1/3 of the population lived in the suburbs by 1960

Baby boom

caused by the return of soldiers and economic prosperity

in 1957 a baby was born every 7 seconds

baby boom lasted from 1946 to 1970

Dr Benjamin Speck wrote the commonsense book of baby and child care

Jackie Robenson (1947)

first black baseball player in the major league

inspired change and helped the civil rights movement

Sunbelt

an area in the south west

all presidents from 1964 to 2008 were born from there

northeastern people started moving south and west

important pollitically

Presidential election 1948

gop won the house (1946) and elected thomas dewey to run in the presidential election

many thought dewey would win

chicago tribune sent an early issue saying dewey won

trumans nomination split the southern democrats

truman won with 303 electoral votes to 189 from dewey

fair deal

made as an extension to the new deal, includes:

• improved housing

• full employment

• higher minimum wage

• better farm price support

• extension of the social security

• new tva (Tennessee valley authority act)