America - The Transformston Of The USA 1945-1955

Question 1

USA at this time

Answer 1

US dominated economy
Enemies destroyed due to their lands
Allies virtually bankrupted
USSR lot over 20 million people
US economy continued its growth after 1945

Question 2

Changing employment opportunities

Answer 2

Technological advances continued due to the Cold War
After WW1, the US remained in a period of military preparedness
Meant investment into defence industries continued
Events such as Berlin Airlift Crisis and Korean War kept high demand
This boosted the economy
Growth of disposable income sustained demand
Once again, automobile industry began to boom
New job opportunities were created for skilled workers meaning a higher wage
Growth of clerical sector allowed more women to get into employment
US retail sector also expanded, which allowed for more jobs
- 1945 = 8 shopping centres
- 1960 = 4,000 shopping centres
Had a knock on effect on other industires as it stimulated demand
All these changes were fuelled by advertising
During the 50’s advertising expenditure increased by 1000%
Also created new jobs in this industry
Aircraft industry continued to develop
Advancements in both military and passenger aircraft
1958, Boeing produced the 707
This lead to declined in railways but offered new jobs
Also increased opportunities in computing
IBM produced first general use composter in 1944
By 50s, computers began to appear in US businesses
A major increase in white-collar jobs
For the first time, white collar workers outnumbered blue-collar workers
However, blue-collar jobs (such as in the chemical industry) were increasing
However, all of these new jobs favoured white males

Question 3

Government policies

Answer 3

The Federal gov actively attempted to stimulate the economic growth through spending on defence
After 1945, the gov sold many of its industrial facilities to private buyers who created some of the fastest growing businesses
The Cold War in creased gov spending
Began to play such a role in US economy that outgoing President Eisenhower, talked of a military industrial; complex
Gov spending on search grew by 600%
‘Knowledge revolution’ in the US, where the number of jobs on professional and technological work grew
Number of salaried middle class workers rose 61% between 1947-57
This spending helped to concentrate the power in the hands of a few giant corporations, such as General Motors
Also limited the power of the trade unions
In 1945, 35.5% of workforce were in teeside unions
After a number of strikes due to inflation, the Republican controlled congress passed the Taft Hartley Act to limit teed union rights

Question 4

Provisions for veterans

Answer 4

GI Bill 1944 (Serviceman’s readjustment act)
A range of benefits for veterans
The federal housing authority supported vertan mortgage applications
Veteran’s administration gave returning servicemen low interest mortgages
These benefits helped stimulate a construction boom
This also gave veterans educational opportunities
Just over 1/2 of the 7.8 million returning servicemen attended collages through grants
GI bill cost gov $14.5 billion

Question 5

Growing mobility

Answer 5

Between 1946-54 car production quadrupled
In 1950, the USA produced 2/3 of all the worlds cars and trucks
Dominated by General Motors, ford and Chrysler
This growth of car ownership allowed for people to move to suburbs
This fuelled by an increase in credit purchase
First credit card, Diner’s Club (1950) helped this
This was then followed by American Express (1951)
Short term credit grew to $45.6 billion in 1958
This was aided by new highways

Question 6

Growth of suburbs

Answer 6

Due to rapid growth in car ownership, new housing developments were built on the edges of towns and cities
The number of people living in suburbs grew by 10%
Cheap land and mass construction made it easier to buy a new house
William Levitt form NY big figure
1947, buys 1,200 acres of farmland on Long Island and built 10,600 houses which were brought and occupies more than 40,000 people
Included swimming pools, school and tennis courts in the development
Levittown houses in Pennsylvania originally sold for $6,990
Each had white picket fence, fully equipped kitchen and green lawn
However, Levitt made sure his home only sold to white people
This policy of racial segregation declared illegal in the 60s
In California,the suburbs around LA offered ranch-style housing with front lawns and backyards, a huge change from inner city living

Question 7

Final 2 presidents

Answer 7

1945-54 Harry S Truman - Democrat
1953-61 Dwight D Eisenhower - Republican

Question 8

Timeline Cold War

Answer 8

45 - WW2 end,s Cold War begins
47 - HUAC begins hearings on communist subversion and Loyalty oath introduced for federal employees
48-49 - Berlin airlift crisis
49 - china becomes communist
50 - Joe McCarthy makes speech about communists in state departments. Korean War begins
1951 - Rosenberg’s conviction fo espionage and sentenced to death
52 - immigration and nationality act

Question 9

Red Scare

Answer 9

After 1945, still a fear of soviet worldwide conspiracy
It was believed that communist attempts to spread its influence amongst Americans had to be contained
Competition between America and Russia in Cold War
During red scare, people were scared that communists were aiming to take over America and that5 there were communist spies within society
We know that in 1941 there were 221 society agents in USA reporting back to the NKVD
Stalin knew more about Manhattan Project than Vice President Truman
FDR had been relaxed about society infiltration
It has often been portrayed as a figment of the imagination or created by the right wing press
However, it did have a basis in reality
America started to see the violent and repressive acts of Stalin and realised he wasn’t too much different from Hitler
They urgently wanted to stop a Communist take over of America

Question 10

Responses to red scare

Answer 10

1938 - The House Un American Actives Committee (HUAC) set up to deal with subversions by Nazi sympathisers
FDR’s administration dealt with threats based on advice from, J.Edgar Hoover’s FBI
Investigations into communist supervision were stepped up under the roofers of president Truman

March 1947 - Executive Order 9835
This established Federal Loyalty Boards
It led to the securitising of personal lives and political beliefs of government employees
Investigators has to find ‘reasonable grounds’ yo suspect individuals and they often did
Between 1947 and 1951, over 3,000 government employees were forced to resign
As many as 39 states passed their own anti-subversion laws
“Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the communists party”
The committee wanted a higher profile sop they targeted Hollywood
During war, many pr Russia films fmadr and now deemed as a threat

Question 11

Reality

Answer 11

There were a lot of Communist sympathisers and they did pose a real threat
Events of the Cold War played a major role in developing a fear of communism’s
The ‘loss of China’ to communisms was blamed on weak minded individuals
It was feared this could appendix to USA
Communist espionage really did aid Russia

Question 12

The Rosenburg case

Answer 12

Klaus Fuchs arrested in n1950 for passing on nuclear weapon secrets to the USSR
He implicated 2 Americans, Ethel and Julius Rosenburg
Julius was an electrical engineer it’s the US Army Singal Corps
They had both been members of communist party
Evidence based on testimony from Ethel’s brother in law
Evidence was circumstantial
They were found guilty over the Epsionage ACt and executed 19th June 1953
Julius was actually passing on secrets

Question 13

Harry Truman 1945-53

Answer 13

First president since Lincoln or Grant to make significant contribution to civil eifghts
From a former slave state and so people thought he wouldn’t do much to help ethnic minorities
He did little at first
1946 - civil rights committee to investigate racial abuse
1947 - ‘to secure these rights’ stated the UASA can’t claim to lead the free world while it treats black Americans so badly
Cellae’s foe laws to prevent lynching
Coalition of 20 southern democrats and 15 Republicans blocked every civil rights measure
“I’d rather die fighting for states than than live in Truman boulevard in **** heavan”

Question 14

Desegregation of armed forces 1948

Answer 14

Executive order 9981 - brought and end to segregation in armed forced
It was criticised as an attempt to get black voters
Truman revived 2/3 of black American vote
However, it was part of Truman’s plan to improve civil rights
It to secure these rights, Truman allowed for civil rights groups to put forward their fade-ins
Executive order 9980 - fair employment board which ensured equal treatments i9n hiring for federal jobs
Increased job opportunities for bulk. Americans
The Korean War 50-53 was the first conflict where black and white soldiers fought togteher
Only a partial success as the order didn’t apply to the national guard or reserve forces

Question 15

Professional sports and popular entrainment

Answer 15

Black American had been been prominent in sports due to superior Laurent’s rather than racial equality 19e36 - Jesse owners won 100 meter and long jump. When he returned in triumph to USA, FDR refused to welcome him into the White House
1947 - racial breakthrough in Major league baseball
Brooklyn dodgers signed Jackie Robinson
Most black Americans faced diffuctly getting jobs, particularly in clashing and didn’t get the same pay/conditions as white staff
They a;so faced verbal abuse from white spectators

Question 16

Eisenhower 53-61

Answer 16

Less committed to desegregation
However it did become more of a signfanct issue during his time in power
He said laws couldnt Change hearts
He did facilitate desegregation in Washington DC

Question 17

Groth of the NAACP

Answer 17

National association for the avdvamcnet of coloured people 1909
Wanted to gain civil rights for black Americans
Said black Americans should group togteher to fight discrimination
Su[ported voter registration and h joined with trade unions

Question 18

End of school segregation

Answer 18

Brown case1954
Us sumpreme court reached a unaminous decision to declare school segregation unconstitutional
Corey rules that it went agaisnt 14 amendment
Other cased had been densided such as Plessy vs Ferguson
Supreme Court said that separate but equal facilities were legal
NAACP legal time, end by Thurgood Marshall argued that there was psychosocial as well as educational discrimination involved in school segregation
Sweat vs painter 1950 the Supreme Court rules an upgrade of black American schools
A key factor in the brown vase was the appointment of a new chief of justice, earl warren
He played a leu role in improving rights of minorities
Although the court made the c decision is was up to the other branches to implant it
Was regarded as a triumph for NACCP
Other forms of segratgtion could now be challenegd

Question 19

The extent of chnage b y 1955

Answer 19

By 1955 the modern civil rights move,nt had begun
The desegregation of the airmen forced and the brown case had been major steps in the right direction and encourage black Americans to stake the stand
However, chnage was limited
By 1955, all the segregated public schools were stil, segrertgated
So were a variety of public facilities such as toilets, park benches, fountains and public transport
In the old south black Americans stil, lived as second class citizens in a legally segregated society
Outside of the south, they still faces discrimination and racial abuse
An event that shows that America still have a long way to go was the southern manifesto
100 congressmen singed in 1955 to say thar t5he brown case was an abuse of judicial power
White cistxen councils were created to defend legal segregation
By end of 1956, not one school in Deep South was intergrated

Question 20

Residual discrimination

Answer 20

Still discrimination in housing and employmeny
Many black Americans lives in ghettos such as Harlem and the south side of Chicago
Many lived below the poverty line and in he south many black Americans were disenfranchised
The poll tax m,ant that many poor Blake people and white people couldnt vote
Groups such as KKK intimated prospective voters
Hispanic Americans didnt make much progress in gaining civil rights
Many Mexican Mexicans had been deported
Eisenhower also hispped mire than 3 million illegal mightrants back across the border
Of those who stayed, 1/3 were living below the poverty line
Many also ended living in ghettos
By 1955, the US was on the Cusp of great awakening by mintories into an organised campaign for equality
The were aided by an activist US Supreme Court, but faced resistance from white people in the old south, politicans in congress and state governments in the south that didn’t want chnage