Post War America

Three areas of analysis in history Economic Social Political These three areas can help you analyze any period of history, especially American history.

Postwar America: Economic Readjustment necessary after War Prices no longer fixed, they skyrocket All the men returning home from war along with layoffs of defense workers = high unemployment Housing crisis: veterans needed homes for new families, birth of suburbs Higher prices, lower wages= unhappy labor=strikes Eventually, the economy balanced itself out

Postwar America: Social Civil Rights issues come to forefront Truman was all for civil rights, he wanted: Anti-lynching laws Abolition of the poll tax Permanent body to prevent racial discrimination These were not passed however, Truman used executive order to integrate the military. He also ended discrimination in hiring government employees

Postwar America: Political Truman is President and had to deal with unstable economy and pushback on social beliefs. 1948 election: Truman v. Thomas Dewey (from Owosso) Truman had issues in his party-Dixiecrats were Southern Democrats who opposed Truman’s stance on civil rights.

Postwar America: Political Truman was expected to lose the election having a divided party and not a great approval rating…the Chicago Tribune even predicted his loss before results were in on election night…

Postwar America: Political However, Truman ended up with a landslide electoral victory. Truman then attempted to implement his new “Fair Deal” policy.

Fair Deal Truman’s attempt to extend the New Deal Included: Creation of a national compulsory health insurance system Crop-subsidy system to ensure steady income for farmers Republicans and Southern Democrats teamed up to defeat the Fair Deal with some support from Northern Democrats, Truman’s allies in Congress.

Republicans take back Power Truman had successes in civil rights and with the economy however, the stalemate in Korea and rise of McCarthyism proved detrimental for Truman. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower decides to run as a “middle of the road” Republican after the people draft him for president. Eisenhower wins on his moderate ticket with Richard Nixon as his running mate.

“I like Ike”

Eisenhower governs Eisenhower took the approach of “dynamic conservatism” Conservative on the economy Liberal when it comes to people Eisenhower had a knack for avoiding controversy, however he could not avoid civil rights. He took no official stand on civil right but disagreed with the decision of Brown v. Board of Education believing it was impossible to change peoples mind with laws