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Eisenhower Era

Chapter 37. Eisenhower Era. Economic Boom. Huge surge in home-building 80% were in the suburbs. Revolution in electronics. Made businesses more efficient and fueled business expansions. Aerospace industry also took off. Revolution in the work force—

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Eisenhower Era

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  1. Chapter 37 Eisenhower Era

  2. Economic Boom • Huge surge in home-building • 80% were in the suburbs. • Revolution in electronics. Made businesses more efficient and fueled business expansions. • Aerospace industry also took off. • Revolution in the work force— • white-collar workers exceeds blue-collar for the first time. • Union membership as percentage of employees peaks in 1954 and then steadily declines for the rest of the century.

  3. The Duel Role of Women • 1950s cult of domesticity. • Most women retreated to being mothers and home-makers. • Quiet revolution of women entering the work force. • Of 40 Million jobs created between 1950-80, 30 Million were in the clerical and service sector. Women filled the vast majority of these jobs. • Leads to the women’s movement. • Complaints of women in the work force.

  4. Feminine Mystique • Betty Friedan publishes the Feminine Mystique in 1963; opening bell of the Feminist Movement. • Attacked the boredom of housewifery and a system that told women they shouldn’t want more. • Validated women who wanted more than being a wife and mother. • Rosie the Riveter's Daughters

  5. Consumer Culture In The Fifties • First credit card emerged in 1950 and quickly caught on. • First McDonalds opened in 1950 • 1955 Disneyland opens • New consumerism based on easy credit, quick and easy food and other services and new entertainment. • TV exploded. • Sports Franchises like the Dodgers and Giants moved to California and sports were increasingly seen on TV. • Birth of Rock and Roll. • Elvis fuses Blues and Country. Kids love it. Parents hate it.

  6. Democrats in 1952 • Prospects for the Democrats in 1952 were relatively bleak. Why? • Truman clash with MacArthur • military deadlock in Korea • War-bred inflation • Also, 20 years of Democratic presidents • Democrats nominate Adlai Stevenson

  7. Ike • Republicans run Eisenhower who is immensely popular. • Richard Nixon selected as VP. • Nixon had established a reputation as an anti-communist • Ike leaves the heavy-hitting to Nixon. • Nixon and the Checkers Speech • Spoke directly to voters with an emotional appeal • Showed the power of television in politics

  8. Ike Wins Easily

  9. Ending Korea • Ike goes to Korea before the inauguration to jump-start the peace talks to no effect. • He gets things going when he threatens to use nuclear weapons. • Armistice (not a peace treaty) end fighting and returns the border to the 38th parallel. • The border continues to be very tense and the two Koreas technically remain at war. • US leaves troops permanently stationed on the border as a trip wire. • 54,000 American dead in the war. 1 Mill. dead Chinese and Koreans from both sides.

  10. Ike Takes Command • Ike was the right man for the times. People yearned for Harding’s Normalcy. • Ike was both a soothing figure who would not challenge the people and would support business • As a former General was a comforting man to have at the helm in the Cold War. • Ike strove to stay above the partisan fray. • But, failed to use his popularity as a tool for moving and shaping the country. He is a care-taker president.

  11. Fall of Joe McCarthy • McCarthy most ruthless anti-communist fear-monger, • McCarthy’s tactics were aimed at the Democratic Party • Accusations against George Marshall • Did damage to American traditions of free speech and fair play • Ike and the party were afraid to get in his way • Army McCarthy Hearings are his undoing.

  12. Desegregating The South • In 1950 2/3 of Americas 15 million blacks still lived in the South. • Jim Crow laws • Only 20% of eligible blacks were registered to vote. • Treatment of black war vets. • Emmett Till • 1944—An American Dilemma exposed the two societies that existed in America; white and black • Jackie Robinson

  13. Blacks Push Back • NAACP use courts to attempt to dismantle segregation. • 1944—Supreme Court invalidates the All-White primary • 1950 Supreme court overturned “separate but equal” in professional schools • 1955—Rosa Parks and Birmingham Bus Boycott • Martin Luther King.

  14. Seeds Of Civil Rights Revolution • 1948-Truman integrates the military • Congress stubbornly resists passing Civil Rights legislation. • Earl Warren and Supreme Court used the courts to be active in social issues • The Supreme Court began to address issues the President and Congress would not. • Brown v. Board of Education—1954 • Little Rock School Integration • Orval Faubus and National Guard

  15. Civil Right Progresses • 1957 Congress passes the first Civil Rights Bill since Reconstruction. • Relatively Mild • Sets up Civil Rights Commission to investigate violations of civil rights and allows the government to protect voting rights • 1957 King formed the Southern Christian Leadership conference (SCLC) • Used black churches to mobilize efforts to gain Civil Rights • Why? • Black churches had been the best organized institutions in a segregated society

  16. Sit-In Movement • 1960 Sit-in movement begins in Greensboro North Car. Becomes an effective mass movement. • April 1960 Southern Black students formed the Student Non-Violent coordinating Committee (SNCC). • Often at odds with SCLC and NAACP because they wanted more immediate change

  17. Eisenhower Republicanism At Home • “Dynamic conservatism” • Eisenhower tried to balance the federal budget, but was only successful 3 out of 8 years. • Eisenhower wanted to shrink the federal government and he cut defense spending • Government also deported as many as 1 million Mexicans • Canceled many of the gains made by Native Americans • Eisenhower and the New Deal • He expanded social security and unemployment insurance • Interstate Highway Act of 1956 • Massive government spending program • $27 billion to build 42,000 miles of roads • Robbed the railroads of business and created a disaster for inner cities and downtowns by taking away their businesses

  18. A New Look In Foreign Policy • Ike pledged to roll back communism and liberate captive peoples • Rejected idea of containment • Sec. of State, John Foster Dulles. • Also pledged to reduce military spending. • How to do both? • Massive air power • Strategic long-range bombers. • Strategic Air Command (SAC) • Ike also sought, with only limited success, to thaw the Cold War. • New Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev rejected open skies, and mutual inspection of both countries militaries

  19. Hungary • 1956 Soviets crush a democratic uprising in Hungary. • One of the most western-leaning of the Eastern-European countries. • Reaffirms fears that Soviets are out to create a communist empire. • America refused to provide aid to pro-western Hungarians • Reveals the problem with security based on massive retaliation. • Problem in Hungary was too minor to use nuclear weapons • Atomic bombs and massive retaliation was an expensive foreign policy

  20. Vietnam French Indochina • Nationalist movement wanted to get rid of colonial rulers • 1954 French in Viet Nam facing a very determined guerrilla movement. • US was financing about 80% of the French costs. • March 1954 French garrison at Dienbienphu defeated. • International conference divides Viet Nam. • US backs the south with economic and military aid

  21. Menaces In The Middle East • Fear of Soviet influence in oil rich middle east • 1953- Pro-U.S. ruler put into place in Iran backed by CIA sponsored coup • Egypt and the Suez Crisis • US. and British supported Arab nationalist president Nasser • Nasser also seeks Soviet support • Nasser takes control of Suez Canal and threatens to cut off flow of oil from the Middle East • United Nations troops used for the first time to maintain order • Suez crisis last time U.S. could use “oil weapon” • 1948 U.S. was no longer an exporter of oil

  22. Eisenhower Doctrine • Eisenhower Doctrine in 1957. • Middle East remains a key American strategic area for the rest of the century. • Goals: • Keep Soviets out so that they cannot control the oil. • Protect Israel. • Keep the Arab nations friendly to US so that continue to supply oil. • Give them lots of economic and military aid

  23. The Voters Still Like “Ike” In 1956 • Hungary and the Suez made voters concerned about foreign affairs • Gave Ike a huge advantage in 1956 election. • Democrats re-nominate Stevenson. • Ike trounces Stevenson even worse than the last time, 457-73. • Ike has no coat-tails and Congress remains in the hands of the Democrats.

  24. Round Two For “Ike” • Ike in poor health in his second term and turned a lot of the work over to his underlings. • Goes after labor unions; had increasingly been found to be corrupt and infiltrated by the mob. • Worst example was the Teamsters Union. • Landrum-Griffin Act • Designed to keep corruption out of labor union leadership

  25. The Race Into Space • 1957- Sputnik was launched by the Soviets • Huge PR win for USSR. • Impact on US psyche • Concern about “Missile Gap” • Led to space race and development of NASA • Led to renewed emphasis on science and math training in schools.

  26. The Continuing Cold War • Khrushchev wanted to meet with Eisenhower • 1959 Khrushchev tours U.S. and has a successful visit • Summit at Camp David is a success • U-2 spy plane incident sours relations again. • Gary Powers is paraded around Moscow and put on trial by Soviet government

  27. Castro in Cuba • Many in Latin America resented U.S. actions toward them • Support for anti-communist dictators and not giving the region financial aid like Western Europe • Cuban rebels under Castro throw out the repressive Cuban dictator, Batista • New leader Fidel Castro seizes U.S. property • USSR backs Castro. • Cuba seen as Soviet proxy. • Khrushchev threatens U.S. if they attack Cuba

  28. Kennedy v. Nixon • In 1960, Nixon is the front-runner. • Very visible VP; famous debate with Khrushchev in Moscow. • Reputation as a unprincipled and nasty politician • Democratic race is close in the primaries, but John F. Kennedy wins out over Lyndon Johnson, Senator from Texas. • LBJ is nominated for VP.

  29. The Presidential Issues Of 1960 • Kennedy’s Catholicism. • Kennedy neutralized the issue • Kennedy charges that Republicans have caused a missile gap. • Television played an important role. • Nixon-Kennedy Debate. • Kennedy won relatively easily in the electoral college, but by only 100,000 votes in the popular vote.

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