POWERPOINT 28 The Eisenhower Years, 1953 - 1960

A New Direction Dwight Eisenhower’s “New Republicanism” Appointed business professionals to his cabinet Left much of Democratic programs intact Ike ends Korean conflict Secretary of State John Foster Dulles 38th parallel Stalin dies March 5, 1953 Korean Truce July 1953 50,000 American dead 850,000 South Korean troops dead

The Cold War at Home and Abroad McCarthy’s hunt for communists continues J. Robert Oppenheimer Fort Monmouth Senate censured McCarthy in 1954 Died of alcoholism in 1957 “New Look” changes American military Ike cut defense spending 20% between 1953-55 CIA increases covert operations Mohammad Mossadeph and the Shan of Iran Vietnam threatens to become major problem Ho Chi Minh

The Civil Rights Movement Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1953) Struck down Plessy v. Ferguson Brown II guidelines for desegregation South reacted unfavorably Montgomery Bus Boycott Rose parks Boycott brings Martin Luther King, Jr. to national attention November 1956, federal court stuck down Alabama segregation on public transportation law

The Age of Television “Golden age of television” Brings entertainment to American homes Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle Allowed politicians to speak directly to public Sitcoms reinforced stereotypes Quiz show scandals rock country and bring reforms to television industry $64,000 Question and Twenty-One rigged

Youth Culture Teens defined by their music, especially rock ‘n’ roll Alan Freed Elvis Presley enthralls youth as he, and others, change face of music Little Richard and Chuck Berry Beat Generation charts different course, clearly showing their discontent

Crises and Celebration Ike recovers form heart attack in September 1955 Polio is defeated with Salk vaccine (1955) March of Dimes Federal Highway Act establishes plans for interstate system Nikita Khrushchev becomes Russian Premier Hungarian revolt crushed by Soviets in 1956 Suez crisis Gamel Abdel Nasser Nasser blockaded Gulf of Arabia Israel, France and Britain retook Suez November 6, 1956 negotiation settled crisis

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Israel, the Middle East, and the Suez Crisis, 1956

A Second Term South opposed to Brown decision Southern Manifesto Central High School refused to desegregate Ike sent in national guard, Central High desegregated Soviets shock Americans with launch of Sputnik Summit meeting derailed by Soviets shooting down American U-2 spy plane Francis Gary powers Nixon runs for president in 1960, but Democrat John F. Kennedy (JFK) wins very close election First televised presidential debates

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Discussion Questions What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Eisenhower administration? Was Ike a good match for the America of his day? Describe the rise and fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy. Did he harm or help America? How did Rose Parks impact the civil rights movement of the 1950s? What were some of the effects of the Montgomery Boycott? What was the U-2 Crisis, and how did it affect U.S. and USSR relations?