1. The Cold War - 1950s

2. Fear of Communist Influences 1947: Truman creates Federal Employee Loyalty Program – Investigated gov’t employees and fire any found to be disloyal – Membership in 91 “subversive” organizations was grounds for suspicion

3. Fear of Communist Influences House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated Communist influence in movie industry – Believed Communists sneaking ideas/propaganda into movies

4. Fear of Communist Influences 57 witnesses called to testify – Hollywood Ten refused to cooperate – felt hearings were unconstitutional; sent to prison Created a blacklist of 500 actors, producers, writers who could no longer work

5. Spy Cases Stun the Nation 1950: German nuclear physicist implicated Ethel and Julius Rosenberg – When accused, pled the 5 th – Claimed being persecuted for being Jewish – Found guilty, sentenced to death – June 1953: electrocuted

6. McCarthyism Most famous anti-Communist activist: Senator Joseph McCarthy “McCarthyism” -tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without evidence Claimed to have names of up to 205 Communists in State Dept. – Never actually gave names

7. McCarthyism 1954: made accusations against Army, resulted in televised Senate hearings – Bullying witnesses lost him support – Senate accused him of actions unbecoming of a Senator Died 3 years later 1954: made accusations against Army, resulted in televised Senate hearings – Bullying witnesses lost him support – Senate accused him of actions unbecoming of a Senator Died 3 years later

8. Readjustment and Recovery 1944: GI Bill of Rights – paid for GIs to get education, guaranteed a year of unemployment $ while job hunting

9. The Baby Boom As soldiers returned, there was an unprecedented population explosion – Advances of medicine increased #s of vaccinations – Education field boomed – Number of working mothers increased As soldiers returned, there was an unprecedented population explosion – Advances of medicine increased #s of vaccinations – Education field boomed – Number of working mothers increased

10. Readjustment and Recovery After war, gov’t cancelled $35 billion in war contracts Cold War fears kept up defense spending When war regulations ended, prices went up, workers earned less But, Americans had been saving – $135 billion in savings – Wanted consumer goods!

11. Consumerism Abounds Material goods = success Planned obsolescence: manufacturers intended that products would wear out after a certain period – People have to buy more Advertising became key

12. Mass Media on the Rise Television booms! – 1948: 9% – 1960: 90% Radio switches to news and music – Rock ‘n roll makes its controversial appearance – Parents thought it would corrupt their children

13. The Other America 1950s: white flight of many middle-class Whites to suburbia took economic resources Rural poor moving into inner cities, compounding the problem – Solution: urban renewal – Tear down rundown neighborhoods, replace with low-income housing 1962: 1 in 4 Americans living in poverty

14. The Other America Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans came into U.S. as hired hands – Willing work work for less $ – Increased racial tensions Native Americans continued to face problems – 1953: Termination policy discontinued federal economic supports to tribes – Was absolutely devastating – 1963: Termination policy abandoned

15. Impact of Ike 1953: Dwight Eisenhower (WWII hero) elected Enlarged defense spending, helped create National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 1962-63: U.S. had 450 missiles and 2,000 bombers able to strike USSR, compared to 50-100 ICBMS and 200 bombers that could reach the U.S

16. USSR in the 1950s Nikita Khrushchev takes over after Stalin ’ s death in 1953 – condemns Stalin’s actions Soviets were hoping Khrushchev would change things – Polish and Hungarian citizens held demonstrations calling for free elections, withdrawal of Soviet troops – BUT in 1956 Soviet tanks were sent into Hungary crush dissent. Eastern Europe remained under Soviet control.

17. The Problem of the Atomic Age 1952: U.S. explodes worlds first hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) 1953: Soviets explode H-bomb The Nuclear Arms Race Continues…

18. Brinkmanship Eisenhower embraces policy of brinkmanship – prevent spread of communism by promising to use all force, including nuclear, against any aggressor – Made navy and army smaller, increased air force to deliver bombs – USSR does the same

19. Eisenhower Doctrine 1957: Eisenhower Doctrine issued – Promises military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country needing help in resisting communist aggression

20. Cold War in Iran 1951: Iran’s prime minister nationalizes oil fields – Britain stops buying (because they’re making no $) – Iranian economy tanks

21. Cold War in Iran 1953: keep Iran from turning to USSR for help, CIA gives millions to Iranian rebels – Wanted to overthrow current gov’t – Put Shah back into power Plan works*: Shah returns and puts oil fields back into Western control – Shah is a horrible ruler: misuses $$, very harsh to his people. Iranians resent him and the U.S. for putting him into power

22. Cold War in Guatemala 1954: Ike believes Guatemalan gov’t is communist sympathizers – Gov’t had given 200,000 acres of American owned land to the peasants CIA trained army which invaded Guatemala Guatemalan army refused to defend their president; army’s leader became dictator

23. The Space Race October 4, 1957: USSR launched first satellite, Sputnik, into orbit – Sputnik launch confirmed the Soviet Union ’ s superpower status and starts the SPACE RACE Two months earlier, USSR had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Khrushchev – “ We will bury you ” Awesome History Channel Clip on the Space Race