Goal 10 Part 4

The Home Front

WWII

Social Adjustments = G.I. BILL OF RIGHTSWWII is over = soldiers come home!

WWII TIMEFRAME: 1939-1945

Problem: Not ready for society!

Solution: GI BILL OF RIGHTS also known as the

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act

- provided education, loans for purchasing homes and job training for veterans of WWII

- to ease that transition from wartime to peaceful society

Tension / Racism in America after WWII “ZOOT SUIT RIOTS”

Mexican-American style of dress to rebel

against tradition in America 11 American soldiers claimed “Zoot Suits”

attacked them – “NATIVISM?????” Reaction: American mobs went into Mexican-

American neighborhoods, ripped off their suits and beat them

Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E) 1942 – CORE confronts “urban” segregation (Example: Great Migration)

North – Racism is there or snowballs

Internment of Japanese Americans Pearl Harbor stunned the nation Early 1942, mass evacuation of Japanese Americans occurred! U.S. government forced them into “INTERNMENT” camps

(separate confinement camps housing nearly 1,500 Japanese Americans behind barbed wire)

**** Executive Order 9066 ****- issued by FDR to remove Japanese Americans and place them in internment camps

Purpose: NATIONAL SECURITY / protecting American citizens & MILITARY NECESSITY

CAUSED BY: PEARL HARBOR EVENT (Japan was the “enemy state”)

Korematsu V. U.S. (1944) Fred Korematsu = born in the U.S.Story: REFUSED to leave and go to the internment camps!

Korematsu – arrested and convicted of a crimeRuling: Korematsu’s conviction was upheld (military necessity / national

security)EX = “court –sanctioned racism” ex. Dred Scott / Plessy V.

Ferguson (low points of Supreme Court)Overturned in the 1980s (Japanese Americans posed NO proven

threat on America)$20,000 were given to pay reparations to these Japanese-Americans.

COMMON CONNECTION: Korematsu V. U.S. (WWII) & Schenk V. U.S. (WWI)

****CIVIL LIBERTIES!!!!*****

Housing Crisis (VERY IMPORTANT) After WWII = SEVERE housing problem/

housing shortage! Solution: William Levitt created “SUBURBS”

– communities surrounding cities ($7,000)

***** VERY FIRST SUBURB ******

“Levittown”

Baby Boom

Late 1940s,1950s, 1960s Birthrate went up!!! One kid was born every 7 seconds Reasons:

Reunion of families Decreasing marriage age Desire to have a family Confidence in economy

**************THE GRAYING OF AMERICA*****************Baby Boomers are now old!

Harry S. Truman

Sworn in after FDR’s death (‘45) Elected in 1948

Planned a “FAIR DEAL” piggy-backed off of FDR’s New Deal (economic help for American people and businesses) Results: raised hourly wage, extended Social Security,

and built housing units for low - income families Picture: Chicago Tribune ran this inaccurate headline on

November 3, 1948 showing New York Governor defeating Harry Truman

Trying to beat deadlines – the staff “felt” they had it right based on early returns of voters

1948 Election of Harry Truman MOST IMPORTANT

LEGACY OF TRUMAN INTEGRATION OF THE MILITARY

*1st time a president used

an executive order to

combat civil rights issues

Executive Order 9981

Political Risk:

Loss of Republican vote