post war America Flashcards
what is the 1946 Employment Act:
truman wanted it to ensure full employment for veterans but congress only empowered federal government ‘to use all practical measures’ to foster ‘ maximum employment’
how many veterans were demobilised in 1945
12 million
what helped the economy in 1945 (4)
- pent up consumer enthusiasm
- GI Bill of rights
- factories reverted back to usual production
- most returning servicemen quickly found jobs
what is the GI Bill of Rights
(1944 from FDR) -
gave returning veterans 52 weeks unemployment pay and loans for education, housing, farms or businesses
how much money was distributed to how many veterans between 1945-55 from the GI bill of rights
$20 billion to 7.8 million veterans
what is a Budget deficit
(government is exceeding its income)
what 3 things combined to create high inflation
- Budget deficit
- withdrawal of wartime price controls
- shortages of consumer goods as factories struggled to readjust
what was inflation at in 1945-6
25%
how did Truman try to combat the high inflation, but what did the republicans and conservatives do
Continued use of Roosevelt’s office of price administration which controlled prices during war.
BUT conservative democrats and repubs sought restoration of free market
this weakened OPA so much that prices rose.
THEN, tensions rose with employers who wanted prices up and wages down and with unions
Wagner Act
1935 legislation that assisted establishment and work of labour unions
2 factors that led to union factor increasing in Roosevelts years
Wagner act
wartime demand for blue collar workers
in 1945 how many workers were unionised
15 million
in Jan 1946 how many steelworkers walked out
800,000
in April 1946 how many miners walked out
400,000
who threatened to walk out in may that made Truman want to mediate between labour and management
railroad workers
how did Truman threaten the railroad workers - impact
with conscription - said he would have army work railroads
- they called off strike
what court case was won in NOV 1946
united mine workers/ union leader against Truman administration
how many workers were involved in strikes in 1946
4.6 million workers
how many million working days were lost due to strikes
116
what did taft Hartley act mean (and when)
1947
curtail union power
- unions liable for breech of contract
- unions couldn’t insist all workers join as a condition of employment
- president could order 80 day cooling off period before strikes
(truman veto’d but congress overruled)
what action of trumans made his staff think he was exceeding his power as president
seized control of steel mills under executive order 10340 after they threatened to strike
(important for Korean War)
what did Supreme Court rule about Truman seizing control of steel mills - impact
they were liberals elected by FDR and Truman, and ruled that he had exceeded his power
- humiliating !
- strike went ahead and lasted several months so military output was cut by 1/3
what was the republican slogan for the 1946 elections
‘had enough?’
who won the 1946 mid term elections - what was the significance of this
republicans - first time since 1928
what did 1946 polls reveal americans thought were biggest problem - which party did this make them want to vote for
strikes
republican
how many bills did truman veto from congress
250
12 were overridden
reasons for legislative conflict between president and congress (2)
- increase in presidential power under FDR
- truman wanted reformative legislation in 1945 (repubs didnt want expensive new deal style policies)
why did many democrats not like democrat truman
- liberals wanted more reforming new deal legislation
- southerns agreed with republicans over unions
who did dixiecrats select as presidential candidate in 1948 elections because they were tooliberal on race
Strom Thurmond
who was truman running agaisnt in 1948 elections
Thomas Dewey
how did truman win his election (5)
- personality and character
- 33 day, 30,000 mile whistle stop tour of nation
- attacked republican ‘do nothing’ congress
- family man
- ‘common mans man’
why was republican congress labelled ‘do nothing’
- prevented legislation truman wanted to pass
- truman challenged them in july 1948, saying if they were actually serious about passing social reform, do it. they did nothing
what 4 types of people voted for truman
- truman grew up on a farm, he knew what they wanted
- organised labour and blue collar workers because he was a better option than republicans
- af-ams approved of his stance on civil rights
- resistance to communism
how many votes did truman defeat dewey by
2 million
republican congress were so confident they would win they..
voted 80k to fund inaguration day
what phrase was used to describe his social reforms from 1949
fair deal
3 successes of fair deal !
- social security extended to extra million americans
- minimum wage raised from 40 to 75 cents an hour
-farmers assisted with measures for soil conservation, flood control etc
national housing act 1949 - was it a success ?!
- house shortage due to 12 million men returning home to start a family (baby boom)
- act said 810,000 federally subsidised public housing units for low income
- only 156,000 built and many poorly constructed
- still helped employ people though !
trumans health insurance fail
proposed national health insurance scheme based on tax of 4% on first 6,300 of a persons income
- congress attacked it as tax raising measure
- medical profession attacked it as ‘socialised medicine’
why was his fair deal not successful
- not tactful when dealing with congress
- to get his foriegn policy help (korean war) needed to sacrifice fair deal
what was the 22nd amendment in 1951
maximum two term limit on presidents
period of anti communist hysteria exacerbated by mccarthy known as
red scare
HUAC
house ( of representatives) unamerican committee
- communist suspects
- fuelled red scare
hollywood ten
group of writers and directors who were/used to be members of american communist party
- given one year sentences for contempt
what two things did truman do that encouraged red scare
- scared ppl so he could get support for truman doctrine speech
- executive order 9835 - investigation into loyalty of federal employees
what anti communist act did truman try to veto, that got overrode
internal security act of 1950 (all members of communist affiliated organisations had to register and those registered could be deported
privately, who did truman compare FBI chief Hoover to during the red scare
Gestapo
in 1948 how many americans thought truman was too soft on communism
73%
in a 1949 poll who was voted the worst US senator
McCarthy
when did mccarthy make a series of speeches about card carrying communists in state department
1950
what did the government do after mccarthys accusations
senate established a special committee under Millard Tydings (conservative democrat) to investigate his charges
- said his lies were a ‘fraud’ and a ‘hoax’ but McCarthy’s supporters faked a picture of Tydings with a communist leader. Tydings didn’t get re-elected
how many state and local government employees lost their job during red scare
500
reasons mccarthy was able to get away with his lies
- spy scares
- fear of communist expansionism (china, north korea)
- hysterical anti communism
- republican ambitions to regain control
- democrats feared defending truman in case they would also get accused
- mccarthys good relationship with press
how did mccarthy influence foreign policy
- played important role in getting america involved with korea
- when stalin died soviets sought relaxation of tensions but there was little us involvement
