In-depth Notes on 20th Century American History

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill) 1944

• Provided benefits for WW2 veterans:

  • Money for college education

  • Low interest loans for homes and businesses

  • One year’s unemployment insurance

• Impact: Boosted college education rates, expanded the middle class, stimulated homeownership, increased consumer spending.

Post-War Societal Changes

• Women's Employment:

  • Many women left jobs in wartime industries as men returned to the workforce.

  • Some women retained jobs in fields like teaching and nursing but faced wage disparities.

  • The war highlighted women's capabilities leading to the second wave of feminism (e.g., "The Feminine Mystique", 1963).

• Baby Boom (1946-1964):

  • Significant increase in birth rates due to economic prosperity and returning soldiers.

  • Resulted in future protests related to Civil Rights and the Vietnam War.

• Suburbia and Levittown:

  • Movement from cities to suburbs facilitated by the Interstate Highway System (1956).

  • Levittown (1947) was the first mass-produced suburban community, built using assembly line techniques.

  • Conformity was prominent as many families adopted similar lifestyles, excluding minorities due to racial covenants.

Truman’s Fair Deal (1949)

• Aimed to expand the New Deal through:

  • Raising minimum wage

  • Federal aid for education

  • Universal healthcare

  • Public housing

  • Expanding Social Security

• Outcomes: Some policies, like minimum wage and Social Security expansion, were passed; most others failed.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

• Designed to reverse gains made by organized labor over the past decade.

• Key features:

  • Banned closed shops

  • Allowed states to establish right-to-work laws

  • Required union officials to affirm they were not communists

  • Imposed a cooling-off period for strikes.

Yalta Conference (1945)

• Leaders: FDR, Churchill, Stalin.

• Intended to discuss post-war stability; Stalin agreed to free elections in Eastern Europe but established communist regimes instead.

United Nations (1945)

• Created to promote global peace, replace the League of Nations.

• Function: Diplomacy, security, human rights, economic development.

Cold War and Containment Strategies

• Cold War: Proxy wars, arms race; the idea of containment outlined by George Kennan aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

• Truman Doctrine (1947): $400 million in military aid to Greece and Turkey to oppose communism.

• Marshall Plan (1948): Aid to revitalize Western Europe, promote economic stability to resist communism.

Major Events in Cold War

• Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-49): Soviet block of West Berlin; allies initiated the airlift to supply the area.

• Korean War (1950-1953):

  • North Korea invaded South Korea; US intervened to contain communism.

  • Disagreements between Truman & MacArthur led to MacArthur’s dismissal.

Red Scare and McCarthyism

• Second Red Scare:

  • McCarthy accused government officials of being communists without proof.

  • McCarran Act (1950): Required communist organizations to register and allowed for deportation of communists.

• Significant Cases:

  • Alger Hiss: Accused of espionage, convicted of perjury.

  • Rosenbergs: Executed for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets.

Civil Rights Movements in the 1960s

• Key events include:

  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Struck down segregation in schools.

  • Montgomery Bus Boycott (1956): MLK emerged as a leader; led to federal court ruling against segregation on buses.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibited discrimination in various public settings.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965: Outlawed discriminatory practices in voting.

Key Judicial Decisions by the Warren Court

• Mapp v. Ohio (1961): Illegal search evidence cannot be used in court.

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Right to counsel extended to felony defendants in state courts.

• Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Established Miranda rights for criminal suspects.

The Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• Escalation under presidents, notably LBJ through the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, leading to greater military involvement.

• Opposition and Protests:

  • Counterculture emerged, symbolized by events like the Woodstock Festival.

  • Kent State Incident (1970): National Guard killed four students protesting the war, intensifying national anti-war sentiment.

Nixon's Presidency (1969-1974)

• Domestic Policies:

  • Growth of Federal government through initiatives like the Environmental Protection Agency.

  • Mixed views on civil rights, supporting some measures but appointing conservative justices.

• Foreign Policy: Shift towards realism, engaging in détente with China and strategic arms limitations with the USSR.

• Watergate Scandal: Led to Nixon’s resignation over cover-ups of corrupt activities.

Feminism and Women's Rights

• Feminine Mystique (1963): Highlighted women's dissatisfaction with societal norms.

• Notable legislation includes the Equal Pay Act (1963) and establishment of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966.

  Roe v. Wade (1973): Landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion and reinforced women's reproductive rights.

• Title IX (1972): Legislation that prohibited sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, significantly increasing female participation in sports and academics.

Feminine Mystique (1963): Highlighted women's dissatisfaction with societal norms.

Notable legislation includes the Equal Pay Act (1963), which aimed to abolish wage disparity based on sex by requiring equal pay for equal work in the same establishment. It also led to the establishment of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966, which sought to advocate for women's rights and promote equal opportunities in various spheres such as employment, education, and reproductive rights.