1. Chapter 19-Section 1-Postwar America

2. Readjustment and Recovery
By 1946 nearly ten million veterans who had returned home were in need of a job
The G.I. Bill -(1944)
Encouraged vets. to get an education
Paid them a years worth of unemployment while they looked for a job
Low interest loans to be used for housing

3. Readjustment and Recovery
Housing Crisis-
Veterans came home and with money to spend through their G.I. Bill
The main problem was there was not enough homes for all of these new families
Levitt and Kaiser solved this problem by making
Houses using assembly line ideas (Cookie Cutter Houses)
Suburbs began to fill up
1st American suburb was built Levittown in Long Island NY

4. Readjustment and Recovery
Family-
Divorce rate in the 1950’s reached about 14%
Some claimed stress after war
Women tasted independence, did not want to give it up
Other issues effecting Post War America
We shifted to a peacetime economy which meant that we canceled a majority of the war contracts to helped the economy boom during the war
This led to many people laid off and unemployment up
Prices skyrocketed (in some areas up to 25%) but not wages

5. Recovery Not as bad as could be
People that had been saving money and had gone without and now are ready to spend!
Cold war spurned growth
Aid to other countries encouraged an increase factories

6. Social Unrest Problems at Home-
Strikes-A combination of higher prices and low wages led to workers striking
Truman initially supported unions but not to the point where he would allow chaos
He responded to the strikes by threatening to draft striking workers
Many unions begin to cave encouraging their workers to return to their jobs
This stance will cause Truman problems later in his Presidency because many workers felt he took the side of big business and failed to support them

7. Social Unrest Truman supports Civil Rights reform
1946 President’s Commission on Civil Rights
1948 Executive Order to integrate Armed Forces
Tried to end discrimination in gov. jobs
Supreme Court also said they could not segregate neighborhoods

8. Social Unrest 1948 Election- Republicans-Thomas Dewey
Democrats-Harry S. Truman
South Democrats called Dixiecrats were not happy with the nomination of Dewey so they nominated Strom Thurmond as an independent candidate
In response to these nominations the Liberal Progressive party formed nominating George Wallace
Truman ultimately wins the election but is faced with the challenge of calming the American fear of Communism and restoring our economy

9. Social Unrest The Fair Deal- Despite these challenges-
It’s basically an extension of the New Deal
It offers compulsory health insurance to those in need
Offers financial aid to farmers
But both ideas defeated by Congress
Despite these challenges-
Minimum wage up
Social security for more people
Flood control and irrigation
Low income housing

10. Republicans Take the Middle Road
During his time in office Truman’s approval rating continues to drop
The fear of Communism and McCarthyism caused problems
1952 Election-
Truman decides not run again
Democrats-Adali Stevenson
Republicans-Dwight D. Eisenhower

11. Republicans Take the Middle Road
Pushed conservatism and anti communism
Many Americans prefer Ike due to his status as a war hero and the fact that he was very different from Truman
Slogan “We Like Ike”
His V.P. Nixon in trouble for illegal slush fund
Checkers Speech: TV helped saved Nixon

12. Republicans Take the Middle Road
Ike was different from both Nixon Truman
Dynamic Conservatism-
Eisenhower’s conservative policy towards money that partnered with his liberal approach to the needs of the American people
Tried to stay middle of the road in the area of race relations, but the push civil rights was not going to let him
On September 9, 1957, he signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1957
During his time in office Eisenhower also pushed for a balanced budget, higher minimum wages and created the interstate highway system