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20th Century > 1950s Domestic and Foreign Policies > Flashcards

1950s Domestic and Foreign Policies Flashcards

1
Q

Truman’s stance on Civil Rights

A

Created President’s Commission on Civil Rights

Fought with Congress over antilynching law, ban on poll tax, and permanent civil rights commission

Not successful because of continual fighting with Congress

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2
Q

What was Truman able to do with regards to civil rights?

A

Signed an executive order to integrate the armed forces

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3
Q

Dixiecrats

A

Conservative white southern Democrats

Angry with Truman’s work with Civil Rights

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4
Q

Dixiecrat canidate in 1948 election

A

Strom Thurmond

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5
Q

Who won the 1948 election?

A

Truman

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6
Q

Why was the outcome of the 1948 election a surprise?

A

Almost every poll indicated that Dewey would win

Truman traveled across the country on train to denounce the “do-nothing Congress”

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7
Q

Fair Deal

A

Truman

Purpose was to guarantee economic opportunity and social stability

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8
Q

What happened to the Fair Deal?

A

Congress did not pass it

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9
Q

Specifics of the Fair Deal

A

Nationwide health insurance

Crop system for farmers

Increase minimum wage

Equal employment

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10
Q

Significance of the GI bill

A

Increased the size of the middle class

More Americans have money in their pockets

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11
Q

Specifics of the GI bill

A

Paid for WW2 veterans college education

Low cost mortgages

Loans to start a business

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12
Q

How was the American family and household changing after WW2?

A

Millions of women had joined the workforce during the war and did not want to give up their independence

This tensions between men and women made divorce rates skyrocket

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13
Q

How was the economy changing in the postwar years?

A

Changing from a wartime to peacetime economy

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14
Q

Characteristics of post war economy

A

High unemployment (vets back home)

Inflation

American jobs paying less than before

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15
Q

How did Congress handle the new economy?

A

Set adjustments on prices

Americans began to have more money in their pockets

More jobs created due to big demand

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16
Q

How did the workforce change in the 1950s?

A

The majority of Americans worked in professional positions such as sales, advertising, insurance, communications instead of blue collar jobs

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17
Q

Conglomerate

A

Major corporation that owns smaller companies in unrelated industries

Ex: General Electric

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18
Q

Franchise

A

Company that offers similar products or services in many locations

Ex: McDonalds

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19
Q

Importance of Franchises and Conglomerates

A

Created jobs

Grew rapidly

Homogenized American culture w/ social conformity

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20
Q

Social Conformity

A

Employees sacrificed their individuality because businesses did not want creative thinkers

Idea of an “American housewife” created

Advertising played a role in social conformity

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21
Q

Why did Truman decide not to run in the 1952 election?

A

His dissapproval rating was very high due to the stalemate in the Korean War and the rising power of Mccarthyism

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22
Q

Who were the primary canidates in the 1948 election?

A

Dewey (R) vs. Truman (D)

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23
Q

Who were the primary canidates in the 1952 election?

A

Eisenhower (R) vs. Stevenson (D)

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24
Q

Checkers Speech

A

Nixon, Eisenhower’s running mate, delivers an emotional speech over television denying accusations of getting money corruptly from supporters

First time television used to gain voters

25
Modern Conservatism
Government should be conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings
26
How is Modern Conservatism seen in Eisenhower's office?
Eisenhower balances budget and spending Expands Social Security and increased minimum wage
27
Eisenhower's stance on civil rights and important events
Supported Civil Rights Established Civil Rights Commission with authority to investigate discriminatory conditions and recommend corrective measures (Civil Rights Act of 1957)
28
Space Race
Competition of space exploration between the United States and the Soviet Union
29
Long term impact of the space race
Led to great technological and scientific advances Created friction between USA and USSR
30
Sputnik
First artificial satellite launched Triumph of Soviet technology
31
Impact of Sputnik
Made Americans fear that we were losing the space race Large Investment of money dumped into science and education Creation of NASA
32
U-2 Incident
Planes secretly flew over Russia and collected info. Eisenhower allowed one last flight, but this flight got shot down Powers (pilot) faced 10 years in jail
33
Significant outcome of U-2 incident
Eisenhower caught lying Khrushchev cancels an arm race summit Tensions significantly increased
34
What is the 1950s known as?
Time of consensus and conformity
35
Why were the 1950s known as time of consensus and conformity?
People lost individuality Houses looked the same Creative minds looked down upon in the workforce
36
Influence of television on American culture
Perfect family stereotype appeared through television Minorities not shown on TV Women portrayed as housewives Western frontier shows promote violence Large influx of consumerism through commericals
37
Beat Movement
Expressed social and literary noncomformity of artists, poets, and writers
38
Significance of the Beat Movement
These people differed from the stereotypical norm of the 1950s which eventually led to 1960s culture
39
Significance of Rock and Roll
Captivated teenagers across the country
40
Importance of African American influence on music
African Americans, despite their segregation, created music enjoyable to everyone Began to breakdown racial segregation People enjoy music based off of sound not looks
41
Planned Obsolescence
Manufactorers intentionally make an item become outdated soon after its release so that consumers must purchase another item
42
Consumerism
Middle class able to buy recreational products Credit cards (buy now, pay later) Advertisement boomed
43
Automobile Culture
Cheap fuel Suburbs create need for cars More cars more roads More pollution and accidents
44
Characteristics of the Red Scare
Immense distrust and lack of unity Many people accused of being Communist spies People said Truman is too soft on communists
45
HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee)
Committee of the US House of Representatives Originally for pro-fascists Called citizens to testify before Congress Used high pressure, controversial tactics that led to the fear and distrust of anticommunism hysteria
46
Hollywood and Communism
10 screenwriters accused of being communists by the HUAC Led to them being put on a blacklist and destroying their careers
47
Alger Hiss Case
Former Communist spy accused Alger Hiss of being a Soviet spy Jury convicted Hiss of perjury and he was sent to jail Hiss thought he was framed, but NSA eventually found substainal evidence of his guilt
48
Ethel and Julius Rosenburg
Found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death
49
McCarthysism cause and effects
Senator McCarthy took advantage of the widespread fear of communism and essentially led a witch hunt for communist supporters
50
What happened to Senator Joseph McCarthy
Republicans did not stop him because they thought he would help win the 1952 election Severals senators spoke out against him and he was brought down after blaming people in the army
51
McCarthyism
Accusation made without evidence of wrongdoing | McCarthy was berating people in televised hearings
52
McCarran Act
Made it illegal to do anything that could lead to a totalitarian dictatorship Truman thought it punished people for their beliefs and was a violation to the constitutions
53
Baby Boom
The massive influx of American babies as soldiers returned from war
54
Impact of baby boomers today
Won't be any social security left for younger generations because baby boomers will use it all up
55
Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System was the largest public works project in American history Allows middle class Americans to live in suburbs and commute to urban jobs
56
Suburbs
Small residential communities surrounding cities Americans moved out of cities and completed the American dream
57
What factors led to the growth of the suburbs
Affordable car transportation new roads affordable gas don't want to raise family in city affordable housing white flight
58
What happened to urban areas during the growth of suburbia
Urban decay (money going towards suburbs) White flight Minorities flocked to the cities
59
Dr. Jonas Salk
Developed a polio vaccine

20th Century (14 decks)

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