America at Mid-Century 1952-1963

1. America at Mid-Century1952-1963 AP U.S. History

2. President Eisenhower (1952-1960) • Harmonious relationship between government and business. • Leads to problems with the environment (oil in wetlands, DDT, toxic chemicals used in manufacturing). • “Middle of the road.” Very bland. • Accepted new deal legacy of social welfare. • Refuse to cut taxes or increase spending . • Promotes low inflation. • Real wages rise 20%.

3. Suburbanites • FHA (Fed. Housing Admin)-Provides affordable housing to suburbs. • Promoted segregation. • Levittown, Long Island (1947) • Suburban Life • Domestic ideal for nuclear family. • Feminine Mystique (1963) Betty Freidan revives feminist movement and articulates what a housewife needs versus conforming. • Oppose social activism. • 1950’s ¾’s of suburbanites identify with a church.

4. The Growth of the Suburbs, 1950–1970

5. The Beats • Culture controlled by TV, movies and governments fear of communism, manipulating behavior. • Young are tired of conforming. • Beats: Kerouac, Burroughs, and Ginsberg. • Group of writers • Open sexuality, drug use, exploration of life. • “Beatniks”. Term for boys dressed in all black acting out their hatred of society.

6. Cold War Continued… • “New Look” foreign affairs. • More bang for your buck. • Rely on nuclear rather then man force. • Nuclear weapons are less expensive. • Stalin dies in 1953. • Nikita Khrushchev reveals Stalin’s crimes in 1956. • Soviets suspend nuclear testing. • Eisenhower and Khrushchev get a long. • Talk about unifying Germany and opening markets. • May, 1960: Soviets shoot down Francis Gary Powers and his U-2 spy plane. • Taking pics. of Soviet Military bases • October, 1959: Soviets launch Sputnik. • Are the Soviets superior?

7. CIA: Covert Operations • Soviets: destabilize emerging third world nations. • Operations in Asia, Africa and Caribbean. • CIA Director: Alan Dulles. • Organize payments to political parties, or labor unions against socialists or communists. • Destroy anti-capitalist movements around the world.

8. The U.S. in the Caribbean, 1948–1966

9. CIA: Interventions • Iran: Overthrows popular government (1953). • Mossadegh nationalized oil company. (owned by Iran Gov.) • CIA funded overthrow and replaced with Riza Shah Pahlavi. • American companies get 40 % of oil contracts. • Israel and Arab tensions. • Israel is recognized by USSR and US in 1948. • Guatemala: Land reform. • 2% of population owns 75% of land. • CIA spends $7M training rebels in Honduras. • CIA trained military invades and Guatemalans seize the United Fruit Company and land. • Guatemalans beg for UN intervention. • Eisenhower denies involvement.

10. CIA: Interventions • Vietnam (1950-1954): $2.6B spent against Vietminh movement led by Communist Ho Chi Minh.( want independence from France) • France is losing battle (was a colony). • Eisenhower does not want to send troops but he fears domino theory. • France surrenders and Vietnam is divided at 17th parallel • Geneva Conventions (1956) call for a unified Vietnam. • South Vietnam is 90% Buddhist. • Ngo Dinh Diem (Catholic) is Ho’s opposition. • Ho Chi Minh will win elections. • Diem does not allow elections • 1954 create SEATO • Southeast Asia Treaty Organization • Dominated by U.S. • France, GB, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines.

11. Election of 1960 • Democrats: John F. Kennedy • 42 years old. • 2nd Catholic candidate to run for president. • 1st: Al Smith 1928 • Liberalism and idealism. • WWII veteran. • Lyndon B Johnson is running mate. • Republicans: V.P. Richard M. Nixon. • Complete opposites in look and rhetoric. • First televised presidential debate. • Nixon looks nervous and washed and JFK looks tan, relaxed and friendly. • Promises to keep church and state separate • Closest election since 1884: JFK won by a little more than 100,000 votes.

12. The Election of 1960

13. JFK: “New Frontier” • First celebrity president (Camelot: administration). • New Frontier domestic agenda • Higher minimum wage, federal aid for education, social security benefits, medical care for elderly, public housing and antipoverty measures. • Struggles to get Congress to work w/ him. • Increase min. wage to $1.25. • $5B for public housing. • Founded the Peace Corps • Revive women’s rights. • Fight discrimination of women in the workforce and inadequacy of day care. • Commits money to space program. • NASA had been established under Eisenhower in response to Sputnik. • $33B before reaching the moon in 1969. • Legacy: Strengthening Executive Branch.

14. JFK: The Cold War • Move from aggressive containment to easing soviet-US relations. • Secretary of Defense: Robert McNamara. promoted weapon buying & increased military • Increase defense spending from $43B to $56B between 1960-62. • Used Army’s Special Forces (Green Berets) versus third world guerillas. • Greater flexibility to conduct foreign policy in secret and quickly.

15. Vietnam Continued • Rise in support of Diem (catholic) in 1963. • Buddhist: Protest repressive rule. • Alliance for Progress • 10 year plan giving Latin America $100B to spur economic development and capitalism. • Marshall plan for South America. • Helps dictators.

16. Cuba & The Bay of Pigs • Cuban Revolution (1959) installed Fidel Castro. • U.S. had controlled the oil production, mines, and half of the RR’s and sugar and cattle industries since 1905. • Havana: Attractive tourist spot. • Castro: land reforms and nationalization of industries. • U.S. pulls aid. • Fidel turns to Soviets • U.S. has boycotted Cuba since 1960. • U.S. Secretly arm Cuban exiles and train them (Eisenhower). • 1400 counterrevolutionaries invade country with CIA help and land at Bay of Pigs. • Defeated, U.S. denies involvement. • CIA failed to understand Cuban Revolution. (people like Castro) • Strengthened Castro’s standing. • Kennedy finally takes blame. • At least eight attempts are made against Castro’s life by CIA – he says 637 times.

17. The Cuban Question

18. Cuban Missile Crisis-1962 • Epitome of brinkmanship: The brink of nuclear world war. • Khrushchev (1956) makes a speech to western diplomats visiting stating, “Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you.” • In the U.S. at the UN General Assembly, Oct. 12, 1960, Khrushchev bangs his shoe on the desk in defiance of capitalist policies.

19. Cuban Missile Crisis-1962 • Castro asks Khrushchev for protection. • USSR ships Cuba sophisticated weapons (including Intermediate range nuclear missiles). • U-2 spy plane sees missiles. • Sec. of Defense McNamara: It is a domestic & political problem. • It is a slap in the face. • Oct. 22: JFK tells public about missiles and orders blockade of Cuba. • Requests emergency meeting of UN Security Council. • Any missile launched from Cuba would bring a full retaliation ON USSR.

21. Cuban Missile Crisis-1962 • For one week the American public thinks we could all be destroyed. • Oct. 26: Khrushchev orders 25 ships going to Cuba to return to USSR thus avoiding confrontation. • Offers to removes all missiles if we promise not to invade Cuba. • Then he demands we remove missiles from Turkey. • Nov. 20: Missiles are officially removed, we pledge Cuban sovereignty and promise not to invade.

23. Lessons from Cuban Crisis • Soviets begin largest build up of missiles ever. • Set up a hotline to permit instant communication between U.S. & USSR. • Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty • Signed by U.S., GB and USSR. • No nuclear tests above ground, in water or outer space. • Underground testing continues. • Treaty is merely symbolic.

24. Assassination • Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963. • Lee Harvey Oswald is caught quickly and then shot the next day by Jack Ruby. • Many Americans doubt the findings of the Warren Commission. (One bullet killed him) • 1979 House committee concludes there was more than one gunman but FBI disputes findings. • Magic Bullet? • Into TX Gov. John Connally • Cuban Connection? • CIA, FBI & State Department? • Mafia? • LBJ is sworn in as president.