Overview (T4) Flashcards
What was the USA like after WW2?
It emerged as a superpower - it was the richest country in the world
What was the prosperity like after WW2?
Some feared the prosperity would not last, but this diminished and a consumer boom developed - along with mass movement to the suburbs
What was the fear of communism like after WW2 in the USA?
There was a spread of the fear of communism
The fear was exacerbated and resulted in, communist witch hunts, along with the start if the Cold War
What were attitudes towards race after WW2?
There was a slow improvement in the role and status of ethnic minorities
Southerners fiercely fought for the maintenance of segregation
What happened in 1944?
GI Bill of Rights
When was the GI Bill of Rights?
1944
What happened in April 1945?
Death of Roosevelt
When was the Death of Roosevelt?
April 1945
What happened August 1945?
End of WW2 in Asia (Pacific)
Explosion of the first Atomic bomb of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
When was the end of WW2 in Asia (Pacific)?
August 1945
What happened in May 1947?
Truman Doctrine speech
When was the Truman Doctrine speech?
May 1947
What happened in June 1947?
Taft-Hartley Act
When was the Taft-Hartley Act?
June 1947
What happened in October 1949?
China became communist
When did China become communist?
Oct 1949
What happened in August 1949?
USSR explodes its first atomic bomb
When did the USSR explode its first atomic bomb?
Aug 1949
What happened in Feb 1950?
McCarthy’s anti communist ‘witch-hunt’ begins
When did McCarthy’s anti communist ‘witch-hunts’ begin?
Feb 1950
What happened 1950-1953?
Korean war
When was the Korean war?
1950-1953
What happened Jan 1953?
Eisenhower becomes President
When did Eisenhower become president?
Jan 1953
What happened in March 1954?
USA explodes its first hydrogen bomb in Bikini Atoll
When did the USA explode its first hydrogen bomb?
March 1954 - in Bikini Atoll
What happened in May 1954?
Brown vs Topeka Board of Education
When was the Brown vs Topeka Board of Education?
May 1954
What happened in July 1954?
Citizens’ Councils formed
When were the Citizens’ Councils formed?
July 1954
What happened in March 1955?
Southern Manifesto issued
When was the Southern Manifesto issued?
March 1955
What is the GI Bill of Rights?
Grants were offered to veterans to improve their education, learn new skills or set up a business
They were also offered low interest home loans
What was the Truman Doctrine?
President Truman pledged American support to any country that was under the threat of a communist take-over –> Largely focussed on post-war Europe
Then followed by the Marshall Plan - offer aid to protect capitalist economies
What was the Taft-Hartley Act?
Passed in 1947 by Republicans
Limited the power of the unions in favour of employers - i.e. the right to call a strike & the right for employers to sue unions
What were Suburbias?
Often new housing developments on the outskirts of major cities
Houses often larger with more open space, away from the busy city and more affordable
18 million Americans move out of the towns and cities
How did Levitt Towns start?
In 1947 Levitt bought 1,200 acres of land on Long Island, New York where he built 10,600 houses
Who was connected to the growth of suburbs after WW2?
William Levitt - he started Levitt Towns
Why did William Levitt see Levitt Towns as a perfect opportunity?
He was aware of the GI Bill & its links to mortgages for veterans - this created a significant opportunity to mass produce houses using prefabricated door frames, walls and windows that could be easily put together ‘on site’
What were Levitt Towns like?
They were a middle-class suburbia
They encouraged people to purchase houses hy including swimming pools, schools and sports facilities which made life here more attractive
What did the Taft-Hartley act give the president power to do?
To prevent strikes that were against the national interest
The act also made union leaders swear they were non-communist
What was the nuclear family?
A couple and their dependent children, regarded as a basic social unit
What did HUAC stand for?
House of Un-American Activities Committee
What was HUAC originally set up to do?
Set up in 1938 to deal with possible German agents spying and subversion
How did HUAC change after WW2?
At the end of WW2 it was used against possible communist subversion - The Smith Act helped this
They investigated what the believed to be communist infiltration by attempting to expose communists in federal government, TUs & entertainment i.e. Hollywood
What was the Smith Act?
The Smith Act of 1940 allowed the prosecution of anyone who supported communism
How did the 1946 midterm elections affect HUAC?
After the midterm elections in 1946, the Republican control of the House of Representatives resulted in the HUAC becoming a powerful instrument in America’s fight against communism
What did McCarthy claim in Feb 1950?
That the State Department had been infiltrated by communists & communist sympathisers and that he had a list of 250 names
How did McCarthy’s story change during his communist witch hunt?
The amount of names he had went from 250 to 50 then to “a lot” of names
How were McCarthy’s claims unrealistic?
McCarthy however never named any of the individuals on his ‘list’
A Senate Committee set up to investigate found no evidence of his assertions
What led to McCarthy’s downfall?
In 1954, McCarthy’s accusations & aggression, witnessed by many Americans through televised HUAC committee hearings, led to his downfall
Who was Klaus Fuchs?
He was a nuclear scientist, who in 1950 was arrested & admitted to passing American nuclear weapon secrets to the soviets
He implicated an American couple who had been members of the American Communist Party - the Rosenbergs
Who were the Rosenbergs?
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg - they had previously been members of the American Communist Party
Julius Rosenberg was an electrical engineer and was arrested in July 1950
Why were the Rosenbergs arrested?
They were suspected of passing on info about American nuclear weapons onto Communists
What was the evidence against the Rosenbergs like?
The evidence was based on circumstance & innuendo
The couple claimed they were victimised as they were Jewish
What was the result of the Rosenbergs trial?
They were found guilty under the Espionage Act of 1917 - They were sentenced to death
When were the Rosenbergs excecuted?
June 19th 1953
What did the Rosenberg case demonstrate to the American population?
The very public trial confirmed for many Americans that there was a real threat of communism
The greatest threat came from within through subservies & spies
