US 1940s/50s Flashcards
What had car production risen to by 1955?
8 million (compared to two million in 1946)
How many shopping centres were there by 1960?
4000 (compared to 8 in 1945)
In the 1950s how many people moved out of cities?
18 million
Despite prosperity how many people lived below the poverty line? (1950s)
40 million
What was the FHA and how did it help veterans with mortgages?
• Federal Housing Authority
• 90% mortgages to veterans
When was pearl harbour and what happened?
• 1941
• Japanese planes destroyed US naval base in Hawaii
• more than 2400 Americans killed
What was lend lease and when was it passed?
• 1941
• allowed the government to lend war supplies to any nation vital to US defence
How much of the popular vote did FDR win in 1940?
• 54% (gone down since previous elections)
Who opposed US involvement in WW2?
• The American First Committee
formed in 1940
• estimated 800,000 members at its height
• Dissolved four days after Pear Harbour
When did FDR endorse war?
• 1941 after pearl harbour
• only one member of Congress voted against declaring war
What did the War Powers Act do?
• gave president sweeping powers to conduct war
• censorship allowed
• 1941
US resources going into WW2
• 60,000 enlisted immediately after Pearl Harbour
• military training facilities overwhelmed, not enough barracks or materials
• Basic training instilled a strong sense of discipline and was designed to build strength and stamina
What was Executive Order 9066?
• removed more than 400,000 Japanese Americans from society
• About 2/3 were citizens
• 1942
• in comparison, only 11,000 German Americans were interned, racism
How did Japanese Americans respond to Executive Order 9066?
• would put I am American signs on their shop windows
• Nisei (Japanese Americans) forces to sell homes, businesses, property (lost an estimated $2bn
• Interned in camps with horrible conditions (barbed wire enclosures, meagre food budget)
Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?
• All black combat unit 1941
• from may 1943-June 1945 they did not lose a single bomber
• given officer status which many southern congressmen did not like
• given better but still not equal treatment
What was the Double V campaign?
• 1942
• created by the Pittsburgh Courier, biggest selling black newspaper with sales of 20k nationwide
• promoted patriotism by encouraging people to buy war wonds
• called for victory over our enemies at home and victory over our enemies on the battlefields abroad
Randolph and the Fair employment Act
• Randolph - influential African American union leader
• Executive Order 8802 (1941) created the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FDR) which outlawed racial discrimination
• however, black Americans ended up in low paid jobs (40% rise in income compared to 60% for whites)
• Executive Order 9346 strengthened FEPC but it was abandoned by Congress in 1946
Who were the Navajo code talkers?
• 420 people used to transmit messages in the Pacific theatre
• code so complex it was never broken
• involving indigenous people in the war effort, but not many
How did the Detroit race riots occur and when?
• 1943
• Detroit, Michigan (car industry meant it was racially diverse)
• began at an integrated amusement park, fight between a black and white person - white sailors got involved in, then over 5000 whites joined
• lasted 3 days, FDR sent 6000 troops to occupy the city
• occupation lasted 6 months
Where did riots break out after the Detroit riots?
• Harlem, NYC 1943 - riots stopped by troops
• LA 1943 - conflicts between sailors on leave and Mexican Americans
• LA therefore made off limits to servicemen by military
What did the Office of War Information do and when was it established?
• 1942
• Controlled propoganda
• set up the Bureau of Motion Pictures and Bureau of Censorship to oversee Hollywood (1942)
How was radio used for propoganda in WW2
•Programmes like ‘Speaking of Liberty’ and ‘You can’t do business with Hitler’ (1941)
• imperative for up to date news with war correspondents
How was Hollywood important?
• Actors were exempt from combat duty but many joined anyway e.g James Stewert
• Actors sold and promoted war bonds
• Actors entertained servicemen in war zones e.g Marlene Dietrich
How was Disney important?
• during the war Disney were overtaken by the military and 90% of its workers were involved in making training films (Walt happy with this)
• 32 short films made, 68 hours of footage
• used its characters for propaganda, character merchandise with military insignia
How successful was Disney in the war?
• helped Hollywood achieve its highest figures ever
• Donald Duck in Der Fuhrer’s Face won best animation in 1943 Oscars
What other industries promoted patriotism in Hollywood?
• Warner Bros produced 262 films
• Dr Seuss creator produced films and received legion of merit
• other morale boosting films like Casablanca 1942
How was music crucial in boosting morale?
• age of swing and jazz e.g Glenn Miller and his band
• War became a theme - e.g 1941 Remember Pearl Harbour song by Sammy Kaye
• Frank Sinatra became a superstar
• reflected emotions of loss
How did the WPA boost morale during WW2? (Foundations established during new deal)
• employed 6,600 people made up of everyday professional people and famous writers
• launched Federal Writers Project which collected oral histories of African Americans and immigrants
• 1939-43 Federal Music Project and WPA music project have support to unemployed musicians
How did union membership increase by 1943?
• membership was 14.3m people, mostly part of American Federation of Labour
• resulted in wage increase by end of WW2
• United Mine Workers of America wanted higher wages - 500,000 people called out on strike 4 times
• reflects that morale wasn’t all high - hard working at home
What new industries emerged during WW2?
• Manhattan Project developed the atomic bomb, cost $2bn
• Aircraft production the largest single section of the war economy - $45bn
• Millions of jobs in textiles, chemicals, aluminium
What were liberty ships?
• Cargo ships that were prefabricated, by 1943 three entered service daily
• 5777 were built at a cost of $13bn
• led to development of electronics, radio, construction, weapons and close relationship between defence industries and American gov.
What did the War Production board do?
• ensured that the military had the resources it needed
• directed industrial output
• organised scrap drives(collecting cooking fats for glycerin, paper, iron, aluminium)
How did the American economy suffer during the war?
• US spent more than $321bn
• National debt increased by 600%
• Americans had to pay increased income tax
• by 1946 $185bn were sold
Employment figures during WW2
• by 1945 unemployment fell to 1.9%
• federal civilian employment more than tripled
US economic superpower post WW2
by 1947 the US was producing:
• 57% of the world’s steel
• 43% of world’s electricity
• 62% of world’s oil
US govt also helped create IMF (led the way in international finance)
How did income, wealth and industrial production increase between 1941 and 1945?
• income rose by 30%
• wealth and industrial production more than doubled
•GNP rose from $99.7bn to $211bn
What did the Office of Price Administration do?
• designed to limit wartime inflation
• established ‘ceiling prices for many goods’
• introduced rationing (stopped at end of war)
• dissolved 1947
What was rationed during WW2?
• meat, butter, sugar, coffee, shoes, petrol
• black market emerged
What were victory gardens and how many were there?
• nearly 20m started gardens (urged by govt to)
• more than 9m tons of produce made
Migration: Geographic shifts in the economy
• by 1950 42% of the population lived in urban areas (used the war to escape rural poverty)
• 120,000 black Americans moved to LA, population grew by 2m
• South saw great prosperity but many still migrated - result of racial inequality?
Women in the War effort stats
• 6m women entered the workforce for the first time
• by the end of the war 18m women had helped the USA win the war
• 350,000 served in the war, thousands were nurses
• 37,000 women died in the war
How many women served in the Women’s Army Corps?
• 100,000
• women participated in non combat duties
What was the WAVEs?
• Women Accepted for Voluntary Service
• Navy programme similar to WACs
• Nurses, clerical work, communications jobs
What were the WASPs?
• Women Airforce Service Pilots
• performed noncombat flight duties
Were there women in the workforce?
• 1944 - average wage for a woman $31.21 a week compared to $54.64 per week for a man
• FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee) helped black American women go get wartime work
How did young people help the war effort?
• 20m became members of American Red Cross - produced toys, clothes and furniture
• Civil Defence volunteers took part in coast watxhung and watching enemy aircraft
Who was Jackie Robinson?
• young black army lieutenant
• 1944 - refused to sit at the back of the bus and was prevented from serving overseas
• then went on to integrate Major League football
How much did advertising expenditure increase by at the end of the 50s?
1000% (golden age of advertising)
What was the knowledge revolution in the USA?
• number of jobs in professional and technological work grew enormously
• number of salaried middle-class workers rose 61% between 1947 and 1957
What was the military-industrial complex?
• where business and military worked together
• federal funding provided money for scientific research e.g into plastics
• this funding increased by 600% during the 1950s
How did the GI bill give veterans educational opportunities?
• over half of the 7.8 million returning servicemen attended colleges and technical schools through grants given under the bill
How did veterans actually lack support?
• only given $20 a week
• less than 20% if the money set aside for veterans was actually distributed as there weren’t enough jobs
Trade unions in the 1950s
• In 1945, 35.5% of the US workforce were in unions
• Republicans introduced the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act to limited union rights (e.g right to call a strike)
US car industry globally
By 1950 the US produced 2/3 of all the worlds cars and trucks
How did short term credit increase between 1945 and 1958?
• 1946 - $8.4 billion
• 1958 - $45.6billon
• Increased by 37.2 billion
• Fuelled by introduction of credit cards
• 1950 Diner’s club card, then 1951 Amex
How were roads developed in the 1950s?
• federal spending on highways went from $79 million in 1946 to $2.6 billion by 1960
How did the car industry change in the 50s?
• different models of cars released annually - ‘built in obsolescence’
How did the number of marriages increase post WW2?
• Number of marriages doubled
TV ownership between 1948 and 1955
• 1948 - 2.9% of Americans own a TV
• 1955 76% own a TV
How did cinema attendance decline between 1946 and 1956?
• 1946 - 90m
• 1956 - 47m
How did the TV industry develop?
• 1946 - Federal Communications Commission gave 6 licenses to TV stations
• more choice, more competition, increased advertising
How did TV shows change family life?
• people living more comfortably and conveniently - TV dinner packs, sitting at the sofa rather than table
TV programmes reflecting ideals 1950s
• Father Knows Best - reflected growing views of affluence, father head of family unit
• I love Lucy - biggest sitcom of the time, Lucille (main character) was a loyal housewife
• black Americans not given big roles in TV until 1965 (Bill Cosby
• 1952-56 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Teen culture
• by 1950, 9-13 year olds watched 27 hours of TV a week
• Changing culture reflected in Hollywood - 1953 The Wild One starring Marlon Brando and 1955 Rebel Without A Cause starring James Dean
• 95% of American male teenagers had been sexually active by 15
What were levittowns?
• Created by Levitt and Sons in 1947
• flat packed houses, pre fabricated, identical (all had a white picket fence) and affordable
• Sold for $7,900
• A house could be built in 1 day if 36 men worked on it
How much did the average family in suburbia earn compared to the rest of the country?
• $6500
• 70% higher than the rest of the country
How did disposable income increase between 1946 and 1955?
Increased by $115.3 bn
How did home ownership increase between 1950 and 1960?
• 1950 - 55%
• 1960 - 62%
(Increased by 7%)
When was McDonalds created?
• 1954
• $15 a burger
• Only drive thru, reflected more people wanting to eat out
What was Truman’s response to the Cold War/ Red Scare
• Executive Order 9835 - The Loyalty Order
• Established the Federal Employees Loyalty and Security Program
• Checked if any employees had communist sympathies
• Between 1947 and 1951 nearly 3000 federal employees resigned and 300 were dismissed
• distrust
What did Senator Joseph McCarthyism do to raise fear?
• In 1950 he states that the State Department was full of communists and sympathisers with no evidence
• attacked government departments and organisations like the American Medical Association and teaching - as a result 61% of people said that teachers should be dismissed - fear mongering working
What was the HUAC and when was it established?
• 1938
• Congressional committee that sought to find communists in the US
• Dennis vs United States 1941 the Supreme Court upheld the Smith Act 1940 which allowed the arrest and detention of Communists - led to the conviction of top 11 communists
What was the response to the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee)
• attacks severely weakened morale amongst government workers
• heavily criticised by Truman and the Democrats as well as pressure groups like the American Civil Liberties Union
What was the 1950 McCarran Act?
• Senator McCarran initiated the Internal Security Act, which required all 60,000 communists to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board
• allowed federal government to investigate any suspect group and arrest anyone in a time of national emergency
What act did Senator McCarran initiate in 1952?
• Immigration and Nationality Act
• strict quotas on immigration and strict screening progress
• immigrants not able to settle, no chance of finding homes, screening based on ideology
HUAC attacks Hollywood
• 1947 the House of Un-American Activities Committee began to investigate communism in Hollywood
• If witnesses didn’t go along and name names they would be blacklisted from Hollywood by the Motion Picture Association of America
• Blacklisted Charlie Chaplin, ended many careers
Play reflecting the Red Scare of the time
• 1953 The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• about Salem witch hunts
Who were the Hollywood 10?
• refused to cooperate with the HUAC
• charged with contempt of Congress (lying to Congress) - $1000 fine and 1year in prison
• 1951 one of the ten - Edward Dymytryk decided to cooperate and give the names of 20 communists
• reflected ruthlessness and
manipulation of government
• film made about it called ‘Trumbo’ 2015
Who were the Rosenbergs?
• arrested on mostly circumstantial evidence accusing them of giving atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets after being implicated by Klaus Fuchs
• both former members of the communist party and Jewish
• appealed to Supreme Court seven times but were executed in 1953 - Julius was guilty but Ethel was innocent
The end of McCarthy
• people turned against McCarthy after he was exposed in the ‘See it Now’ episode by journalist Ed Murrow
• Questioned by the senate for 35 days for accusing the army of being communist despite helping the Republicans return to power
• up to 20m people watched on TV
What was the impact of McCarthyism?
• made it so leftists/ ultra liberals were marginalised in politics
• intensified a period of paranoia
• persecuted and invaded peoples privacy
What did the Hirabayashi vs United States case show?
• 1943
• Supreme Court ruled that the internment of Japanese Americans was lawful - damaging and demonstrates racial prejudice in government
Increase in TV ownership between 1948 and 1955
• 1948 - 2.9%
• 1955 - 76%
How did cinema attendance decline between 1945 and 1955?
By 50%
Which 1950s TV shows helped to undermine racism amongst younger kids
• 1948 Toast of the Town
• The Ed Sullivan Show
In which sitcom was racism prevalent
1951-53 Amos ‘n’ Andy
How was popularity of sport developed in magazines
1954 - first Sports Weekly published
What music developed teen culture?
Rock n roll:
• popularised by Bill Haley, The Comets, Elvis Presley
Discrimination in levittowns
• Federal Housing Association encouraged housing discrimination, going against 14th amendment
