The United States in 1945 Flashcards
USA by the start of 1945 stats
7 % of the world’s population
42% of the world’s income
62% of its discovered oil
50% of its manufacturing output
80% of its cars
33 million households owned a radio
idea of ‘American exceptionalism’
national unity
FDR successes
12 year presidency, longest serving president presided over two major crises the Great Depression and the Wall Street crash and the Second World War
His approval rating never dipped below 48%
What did Elenor Roosevelt say to Truman
‘Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now”
Truman just lacked the political capital that Roosavelt had
Intransigence in congress
refusal to change one’s view about something eg republican president democratic congress vice versa
Executive power. FDR
FDR had increased executive power with the coming of peace an an inexperienced president Congress had every right to challenge executive power at home,
Truman found it considerably more easy to wield power internationally than at home
Significance of FDRs New Deal
Over FDRs 12 years I office, the US economy enjoyed an average annual GDP growth of 8.5%, the highest growth rate in the history of any industrialized country
What organizations defended workers rights?
The American Federation of Labour
Congress of Industrial Organizations
Had defended worker’s rights and campaigned for pay raises which were difficult to turn down in the war years.
North East regional division;
Was the traditional, political, financial, and educational power house incorporating Washington DC, New York and Boston, It saw itself more sophisticated than the rest of the country. 18 of the 32 presidents had come from the north eastern states up until FDR
Midwest regional divisons
sparsely populated which reduced its influence on national politics.
However was agriculturally rich produced wheat and even rice.
South regional divisions
More traditional than the rest of the country, segregation was still embraced and rural communities focused on plantation of crops. South legacy of slavery and civil war
West Coast Regional divisions
The state of California, permanently associated with the American Dream, saw itself as more relaxed, liberal, and glamorous but had lack of political influence
Impact of The immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
Made immigration easier from Asia as a result in 1980 there was 3.5 million asian Americans compared to in 1950 were there was only 320,000
What was the ‘National Myth’
It was about all kinds of people becoming Americans in the ‘melting pot of Integration’
African Americans Ethnic divisions
Largest Ethnic group after white amounting to 14 million people and 10% of the population
Concentrated in the South
But have been moving to the North and West for over 30 years in a demographic shift known as the Great Migration Where they moved to more industrialized cities like Detroit and Los Angeles, driven by the injustice of Jim Crow.
Hispanics Ethnic Divisions
Were the next largest group consisting nearly 2 million mainly concentrated in the South west
