Chapter 14 Postwar America Chapter 14 Truman and

Chapter 14: Postwar America Chapter 14

Truman and Eisenhower Return to Peacetime Economy Harry S Truman (1945 -1953) The Fair Deal Expanded Social Security benefits Raised minimum wage Public housing and slum clearance Desegregation of military

Truman and Eisenhower Harry S Truman (1945 -1953) Failures National health insurance Civil rights Elimination of poll taxes Most programs blocked by Congress Republicans Southern Democrats Reelected in 1948

Truman and Eisenhower The Eisenhower Years (1953 -1961) Dynamic conservatism Cut federal spending Reduced funds for schools Slashed public housing Programs supported Federal Highway Act (Interstate System) St. Lawrence Seaway Extended Social Security Raised minimum wage

The Affluent Society American Abundance Growth of suburbia Bill Levitt & mass-produced suburbs Escape from city core Congestion Crime Baby boom

The Affluent Society Scientific Advances Electronic computers ENIAC (military) UNIVAC (businesses) Passenger jet aircraft Medical breakthroughs CPR developed Polio vaccine Tuberculosis treatable with antibiotics

The Affluent Society The New Mass Media Television Black and white sets Golden Age of Television I Love Lucy Gunsmoke The Honeymooners Dragnet The Ed Sullivan Show The $64, 000 Question

The Affluent Society The New Mass Media Movies (Hollywood) adapts to television 3 -D movies – not successful Cinemascope Movies shown on large panoramic screens Color movies Radio reached people in cars

The Affluent Society New Music and Poetry The Beat Generation Rock ‘n’ Roll African American rhythm and blues roots Rebellion against parents – generation gap Stars of the 1950 s Chuck Berry Little Richard Buddy Holly Elvis Presley

The Other Side of American Life Poverty Amid Prosperity Decline of the inner city “White flight” Urban renewal programs unsuccessful Groups in poverty African Americans Hispanics Native Americans Juvenile Delinquency