Download 1945 and Beyond-3

1945 and Beyond-3
Unit XI Part 3
The Affluent Society and
the Other America
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In spite of prosperity nearly 1/5 were living
below poverty line: Elderly, Blacks, Hispanics,
Native Americans
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Early 50’s National Incomes up by 50%
Farmers’ incomes fell by 1/3
More buying synthetics, fewer buying cotton
Between 1930 and 1960, 2/3 cotton acreage
gone. The end of the family farm
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The Other America
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Coal miners lost income
Conversion of home heating to oil
In the West, migrant farmers…very poor
The move to suburbs left ghettos in cities
Between 1940 and 1960 3 million Blacks moved
North
Great migration of Mexico and Puerto Rico
The Other America
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Poverty of the inner city led to increase of criminal
activities especially among the youth
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Poverty due to: Decrease of blue collar jobs
Racism
inadequate education
automation = fewer jobs
movement of factories to suburbs
Urban Renewal didn’t help much
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The Constitution
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Amendment 22 Limit to Presidential terms
Bricker Amendment (did not pass by one vote)
was an attempt to limit presidential power:
would need congressional approval for treaties
Amendment 23 (1961) Electors for Washington
DC
Amendment 24 (1964) Abolition of the Poll
Tax
Amendment 25 (1967) Presidential succession
Civil Rights
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Eisenhower a moderate. Was committed to
fighting communism
1947 Jackie Robinson: First Black in the major
leagues…Brooklyn Dodgers
1954 Brown v Bd. Of Education overturned Plessey
v Ferguson (separate but =) Will be applied
mostly to schools
Civil Rights
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Billboards all over the South “Impeach Earl Warren”
(Supreme Ct. Justice in Brown Case)
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Brown II rules for integration: “with all deliberate
speed”
Schools in the South stalled.
Southern states passed “Pupil Placement Laws”
“Students placed in schools according to scholastic
ability and social behavior.”
These were upheld by the Court
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Civil Rights
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Eisenhower believed Brown case would set back
race relations 50 years but did send troops to
Central High School in Little Rock, Ark to
integrate.
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1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on
a bus to a white guy (Montgomery, Alabama)
Was arrested
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Civil Rights
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Bus Boycott in support of Parks organized by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (23 years old)
King’s (integrated organization) SCLC (Southern
Christian Leadership Conference) continued
boycott for 11 months. Brought bus company
and downtown stores to their knees
1956 The Court declared that segregation in
Public transportation was illegal
King and Passive Resistance
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Was inspired by Indian leader, Gandhi
Important to show the white middle class that
racial equality was not a threat. Passive
resistance was perfect
Freedom Rides
Lunch Counters
1957 Civil Rights Act: federal protection to
Blacks who wanted to vote (no enforcement)
More Civil Rights in the 60’s
Eisenhower
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A modern Republican: extended Social Security
and raised minimum wage to $1.
1956 Federal Highways Act: $25 billion for 10
years for 40,000 miles of interstate highways…to
move military across the country faster.
Ike had a heart attack in first term and stomach
surgery in second but delegated authority very
well…Nixon VP
Ike and the Cold War
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Sec of State: Dulles
Had Doctrine of Massive Retaliation (threatened
to nuke Soviets to gain concessions)
Also Brinkmanship: was willing to bring us to
the brink of war for concessions
Dulles specialized in forming peace time military
alliances modeled after NATO: SEATO,
CENTO, METO, etc.
Egypt
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King Farouk booted out by new guy: Nasser
U.S. had promised aid to Egypt to build Aswan
Dam
But we discovered Nasser trading cotton for
weapons with Soviets
We threatened to withhold help with the Dam
Nasser said he didn’t need us
Then he took over Suez Canal from Brits and
French
Egypt 1956
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U.S. distracted with ’56 elections
Soviets distracted with crushing a rebellion in
Hungary
Israel, Brits, French formed a tripartite to regain
control of the canal
U.S. and Soviets worked together in UN to end
the crisis.
Brits, French and Israel went home
May 1955 Indonesia and Bandung
Conference
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29 Asian and African states had recently won
independence from the West
Most were resentful of Western Imperialism
Both U.S. and Soviets trying to win them over
Nehru (first Indian PM) urged all to be neutral
on the cold war
The U.S. and the Soviet Union
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Stalin died in 1953
Khrushchev new Premier
Proposed Peaceful coexistence: U.S. and USSR
would never agree but COULD have peaceful
relations
Soviets pulled out of Austria
Soviets allowed some freedoms in Poland
But then, crushed 1956 rebellion in Hungary
1957 Eisenhower Doctrine
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A lot like Truman’s: The U.S. would come to
the aid of free peoples resisting armed and
aggressive communism
Eisenhower committed to Containment
Ike and Khrushchev engaged in talks
Khrushchev wanted the West out of Berlin
U.S. would not budge
The U-2 Crisis
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A U.S. spy plane and pilot (Gary Powers) was
shot down over Soviet air space
Khrushchev demanded an apology
Eisenhower first denied it was our plane
Then refused to apologize (in spite of irrefutable
evidence
U.S.-Soviet Talks ended until Kennedy
Iran
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Much Arab Resentment against the U.S. because
U.S. was a supporter of Israel
But Israel had no oil!
U.S. toppled the government of Iran led by
Mossadegh and installed a pro-West regime
under Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran)
He westernized and modernized and was much
resented by his people
Latin America
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U.S. sent troops to overthrow Guzman (had a
leftist government) in Guatemala
Much Latin American resentment
Nixon (VP) was almost killed while on a tour
Cuba
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Batista was the dictator
He allowed American investors to take over the
place
He allowed American Mafia to run the nightlife
The people were poor beyond belief
A popular leader ousted Batista
Castro
Cuba
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U.S. expected the same arrangements with
Castro
Instead, he tried to give Cuba back to the Cuban
people and nationalized industries
To teach him a lesson, U.S. stopped buying
Cuban sugar
Cuba’s economy bit the dust
So…Cuba snuggled up to the Soviet Union
Cuba
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U.S. then cut all relations with Cuba
Communism drove out professionals
They fled to the U.S. and asked the government
to help them take Cuba back from Castro
CIA began training the Cuban ex-patriots to
reinvade Cuba
Then 1960 Presidential election
New States
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Alaska and Hawaii added to the union
Election of 1960
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Democrats: John F. Kennedy 303 (49.9%)
Republicans: Richard M. Nixon 219 (49.6 %)
TV debates made a difference
Kennedy: dark blue suit, looked tan, great
posture, perfect TV make up, cool Boston
accent
Nixon: poor posture, 5 o’clock shadow, pale
JFK: New Frontiers
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First Catholic President
Peace Corps
Man on the moon this decade
“Do not ask what your country can do for you; but
what you can do for your country.”
Said he wanted to work with existing Civil Rights
legislation
Jackie…Class Act
Bobby…Attorney General
Kennedy
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Little movement on Civil Rights
Dixiecrats still a real force
If Kennedy DID sponsor new Civil Rights
legislation, he would not get the nomination for
1964
Economy: gold drain: more imports than
exports. Worked with the steel industry
Kennedy Foreign Affairs
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Accepted a neutral regime in Laos (Soviet deal)
Bay of Pigs invasion 1961
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
Berlin Wall
Canada and Diefenbaker
July 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: banned
above-ground nuclear testing. France and China
did not sign on
Civil Rights
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James Meredith
George Wallace and U. of Alabama
Same day: Medgar Evers (Jackson, Miss.)
Kennedy on TV. Said he would sponsor new
Civil Rights legislation. (no specifics)
King and march on DC: I have a dream…
JFK and Bobby talked to King. Stressed the
need to lay low until Kennedy elected in ‘64
Split in Movement
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SCLC…King
SNCC and CORE…Student Groups
Black Muslims (Nation of Islam)…Malcolm X
Students did not want to wait
Malcolm X said all men had right to defend selves (no
passive resistance) Frightened middle class
Over time…Student groups more segregated and
politically active
NAACP was legal arm of the movement
Nov. 1963
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Kennedy assassinated while in Texas
Oswald did it (conspiracy?)
Ruby killed Oswald
LBJ now President
Was very quiet during the rest of JFK’s term