The 1950s

1. The 1950s By: Chris Conte, Sophie Hasco, Anastasia Novodran, Bryan Tye, Nick Longinotti

2. The Targets What should I know?

3. I can… • Identify and explain the actions taken by the U.S government to limit communism at home. • Explain how the Americans responded to real and perceived threats of domestic communism in the 1950s. • Describe the major goals of President Truman’s Fair Deal and relate whether they were accomplished • Explain how President Eisenhower tried to manage the nation’s problem.

4. I can… • Describe suburban life during 1950s • Analyze how trends in the popular culture reflected the larger social changes among teenagers in the 1950s

5. Communism in the USA The beginning of the 1950’s was also the beginning of the Cold War. Because of this American citizens and the government were truly concerned about their safety and the perceived threat of the spread of Communism. Around this time, the government began creating many programs in hopes of containing these perceived threats. • Internal Security Act 1950 • Modifying laws to restrict civil liberties in the name of security • Required communist party members to register with the government. • Imposed strict rules on suspected communists • Loyalist Review Board (during 1951) • 200,000 workers investigated, 2000 resigned, and 300 fired due to security risks.

6. Communism in the USA • Creation of the CIA • In order to gather military and strategic information overseas • House Un-American Activities Committee • Questioned the ties of members of peace organizations, liberal political groups, and labor unions. • Hollywood Ten • Refused to answer government questions and went to jail • McCarthyism • Joseph McCarthy (senator) claimed to have a list of alleged communist supports within in the federal government system. • Used his position as chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to wage war against alleged communist sympathizers within the government. • Almost with no evidence, ruined the images of hundreds of government members.

7. McCarthy Speech

8. Threats of Domestic Communism • FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover contributed towards many legislative investigations involving Communist threats • Hoover and FBI gathered extensive profiles on suspected communists • Used wiretaps, surveillance technology, and infiltration of communist and leftist groups to gain information • FBI monitored American Communist Party and convicted 12 members on charges of attempting to overthrow the government in 1950 • As the Red Scare intensified many citizens became convinced U.S. was in danger of being taken over by Communists • Politicians became more conservative for fear of being accused • Many Americans accused of being communist sympathizers saw personal lives disrupted

9. Threats of Domestic Communism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm8Am_G5HRE&feature=relmfu

10. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg • American Communists convicted of espionage in 1951and executed in 1953 • Both members of Young Communist League in their early lives • Believed to have headed a spy ring within the U.S. and accused of passing information on the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union • Many people believed the Rosenbergs were victims of Red Scare and anti-communist hysteria • The Rosenbergs proclaimed innocence from time of trial until their deaths

11. Rosenberg Sentence to Death

12. Truman’s Fair Deal • Set of proposals for domestic reform in U.S. during Truman administration • Goals expanded off of Roosevelt’s New Deal to promote economic opportunity and social stability • Difficult to accomplish goals due to political opposition from conservatives • Results: Banned racial discrimination in Gov. Hiring Process and eliminated segregation in military • Increased minimum wage ($0.75/hr) • Social Security coverage expanded to 10 million people • Unemployment compensation became more available • Federal Funds went towards public housing • Veterans received numerous benefits

13. Truman’s Fair Deal • Failures: Truman’s program for universal health care did not pass in Congress • Widespread federal aid for education • Many proposals only partially took effect • Truman’s Fair Deal ended as a mixed success • Preoccupation with Cold War didn’t allow Truman to concentrate fully on domestic issues

14. Eisenhower and the Nation • Took office in 1953 after the Truman Administration with the campaign slogan of “I Like Ike” • Promised to boost the economy and reform the Federal Government. • Balancing the budget • Reduce government regulation of the economy • Cut billions of dollars from the federal government.

15. Eisenhower and the Nation • Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was closely developed under the supervision of the Texan Ovets Culp. • “Modern Republicanism” • Eisenhower was possibly the first president to have the approach of Modern Republicanism. • “conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings.” • This topic really shines when the movement of desegregation had begun.

16. Eisenhower and the Nation • Technically, Eisenhower somewhat began the movement of desegregation. • Put a new chief justice in the Supreme Court, Earl Warren. • Warren Court unanimously decided that segregation in school was unconstitutional. • After the Brown v. Board of Education case, the Arkansas governor attempted to defy the law. • Governor OrvalFaubus used national guards to bar African Americans from entering schools of Little Rock.

17. Eisenhower and the Nation • After the Brown v. Board of Education case, the Arkansas governor attempted to defy the law. • Eisenhower made it clear he would uphold the law. • Faubus was enjoined and was forced to remove the National Guards. • Armed Mobs chased the Africans out, so Federal troops were sent in to deal with the trouble. • A lot of trouble to uphold the law right? • Containment • Eisenhower did continue Truman’s policy of containment.

18. Eisenhower and the Nation • Containment • Southern Vietnam received military support with weapons and military advisors. • Latin America got CIA to help undermine the government with covert actions. • The Middle East also received CIA to protect American economic and political interests.

19. Historic Events and People • Brown vs. Board of Education • Supreme Court Case in 1954 • Challenged segregation in public schools • NAACP’s lawyer Thurgood Marshall represented Brown and argued against “separate but equal” ruling fromPlessy vs. Ferguson • Marshall argued rule was harmful to minority students and affected their ability to learn • Racial segregation in public schools declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court

20. Rosa Parks • Known for her role in Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 • Refused to give up seat on a bus to a white passenger on Dec. 1 1955 • Violated city law which said whites and blacks must sit in separate rows on buses • Refusal started bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama which lasted 382 days • Ended with Supreme Court declaring segregation on busses unconstitutional • Beginnings of Civil Rights Movement occurred in 50’s and continued throughout the 60’s

21. Explorer I • First Satellite launched by the United States in 1958 • Part of Cold War Space Race between U.S. and U.S.S.R. • Launched after the two Soviet Satellites (Sputnik 1 in 1957 and Sputnik 2 also in 1957) on January 31st 1958 • Designed to measure solar radiation, cosmic ray intensity, etc. so information could be gained about conditions in space • Ultimate goal of Soviet and U.S. Space programs was to send man into space and to the moon • Explorer I Sputnik I

22. Highway System • Network of highways constructed throughout U.S. as a result of the Federal Highway Act (1956) • Largest public works project in history of U.S. • Dwight D. Eisenhower believed highways would improve the economy and provide transport for military in case of attack • Eisenhower saw it as national defense system • Contributed to growth of suburbs because people could commute to jobs easily

23. Immigration and Naturalization Act • Enacted in 1952 and restricted immigration to U.S. by governing citizenship • Sponsored by Senators Pat McCarran and Francis Walter • Quota system established for different nationalities and regions • Truman vetoed act and believed restriction was “un-American” • Veto was overturned by Congress • “Today, we are "protecting" ourselves as we were in 1924, against being flooded by immigrants from Eastern Europe. This is fantastic...We do not need to be protected against immigrants from these countries–on the contrary we want to stretch out a helping hand, to save those who have managed to flee into Western Europe, to succor those who are brave enough to escape from barbarism, to welcome and restore them against the day when their countries will, as we hope, be free again....”- Truman’s veto message to Congress

24. Suburban Life • Suburbanization was played a major role in the idea of the American Dream • Post war, many young couples wanted to settle down and have their own home where they could raise their children, safe from the horrors of the inner city • Baby Boom – after the war, most young Americans wanted to have children – confident that the future held peace and prosperity • Uniformity – everyone dressed the same, their income was the same, was of the same age, etc.

25. Suburban Life • Conformity – families participated in the same activities as their neighbors, attended the same church, etc. • By 1960 almost 60 million Americans lived in suburbs (about 1/3 of the total population) • The role of being a mother and a housewife was emphasized for women in the 50s, yet the number of working women increased – most families need two paychecks to sustain a middle-class income

26. Teenage Social Changes • Teenagers had more free time and more money to spend – found new ways to spend their time • Movies, music, books, magazines all seemed to "glamorize rebellion against suburban conformity." • Rock n' Roll pushed teenagers to forget the uniformity of suburban life and urged individualism

27. Go to the Wiki for Part 2!