Chapter 22

Truman to Eisenhower• GI Bill - Provided loans to

veterans to establish businesses, buy homes, and attend college

• Taft-Hartley Act 1947 Curbed the power of

unions Outlawed closed shop States could pass right-to-

work laws Passed by Congress over

Truman’s veto

Truman to Eisenhower

• Election of 1948 Truman attacked “Do

Nothing” Congress Won support of labor,

farmers, and African-Americans

Truman narrowly won election

Truman to Eisenhower

• The Fair Deal Truman domestic

policies Raised minimum wage

to 75 cents an hour Expanded Social Security

Truman to Eisenhower

• Election of 1952 Eisenhower won Vice President Richard

Nixon

• Ike as President Passed Federal Highway

Act – largest public works program in American history

Even numbers go East – WestOdd numbers go North – South

Mile markers count down North to South and East to WestThey count up South to North and West to East

Exits are numbered by the mileage marker

Don’t know which side of the car the gas tank is on?

Affluent Society

• The Spread of Wealth More white-collar jobs

such as sales and management

Rise in income at all levels

Advertising the fastest growing industry

Affluent Society

• The Baby Boom 1945 to 1961 Over 65 million babies

born Boom due to end of

wars, GI Bill loans for houses, popular culture celebrating parenthood

Affluent Society

• Advances in Electronics Transistors – allowed

miniaturization ENIAC – first computer

• Advances in Medicine Polio epidemic killed or

paralyzed thousands First polio vaccine

developed by Jonas Salk

Popular Culture

• Rise of Television New market for

advertising Varied categories of

shows from comedies to westerns

Introduction of TV dinners

Blacks portrayed as one-dimensional characters

Popular Culture

• Impact of TV on Hollywood Movie audiences

declined Introduced 3D films Larger screens/movies in

Cinemascope

Popular Culture

• New Youth Culture Rock and Roll influenced

by rhythm and blues King of Rock and Roll –

Elvis Presley Generation Gap – the

cultural separation between children and their parents

Popular Culture

• Black Entertainers Television tended to

shut out blacks Rock and Roll singers

much more popular Chuck Berry, Little

Richard, the Drifters Women’s groups also

popular – the Shirelles, Supremes

The Other Side

• Poverty Line – a figure set by the government that reflects the minimum income needed to support a family

• Urban Renewal – programs that tried to eliminate poverty by tearing down slums

The Other Side

• Decline of the City Inner cities had mostly

poor populations As middle class moved

to suburbs tax money went with them

Little $ left for city services, housing, etc

The Other Side

• Hispanics Bracero Program

brought ~5 million Mexicans to US

Worked long hours in fields and lived in crude shacks

The Other Side

• Native Americans Termination Policy – US

government withdrew all official recognition of Native American groups as legal entities and made them subject to same laws as whites

This policy resulted in Indians becoming poorest group in America