Post WW II and the 1950’s Domestic Affairs

1. Post WW II and the 1950’s Domestic Affairs • U. S. Military • Demobilizes armed forces • GI Bill of Rights • Ended price control and rationing policies • Housing shortage led to suburb developments - William Levitt – Started suburban developments 1947 completed in 1951 called Levittown in NY, Nassau County

2. Levittown, NY 1st Suburb

3. Creation of the United Nations • Charter for the United Nations adopted at the San Francisco Conference in April, 1945 –Located in New York City • Structure of the United Nations: • General Assembly • Security Council • Secretary General of the U. N.

4. Events that led to the Cold War Period • Conflict with Germany and Berlin • Conflict of governments in Eastern Europe – leads to “IRON Curtain” or “Satellite Nations” • Exception Yugoslavia- Marshal Tito (Josip Broz) • Soviet Aid to Chinese Communist (Mao Zedong) • Disagreement in Korea • Issues with Soviets role in post war Japan • Problems in southern Europe and Western Asia (Turkey &Iran)

5. The “Iron Curtain”

6. Beginning of the Cold War • Policy of Containment – prevent the spread of communism in the world! U.S. policies • Truman Doctrine • Marshall Plan • NATO • SEATO • Eisenhower Doctrine

7. Cold War Continued • Berlin Blockade – Berlin airlift • USSR explodes atomic bomb in 1949 • Korean War – Communist N. Korea invades S. Korea – United Nations helps S. Korea – Chinese help N. Korea - 1950-1953 – settled dispute along 38° parallel. * Hungarian Revolt 1956 * problems in the middle east – 1) Suez Canal Crisis 2) Lebanon 1958 * 1954 United States provides a small amount of aid to South Vietnam – begins our involvement!

9. Domestic Affairs – Post WW II -1959 • Election of 1948 – Harry Truman v. Tom Dewey

11. Domestic Policies – Desegregating America • Desegregation Begins – Truman issues an Executive Order to desegregate the military! • Jackie Robinson becomes the first Black American to play major league baseball – Larry Doby first Black American to play in the American League with the “Tribe”

12. Domestic Events under Truman • Senator Joseph McCarthy – “Communist Witch Hunt.” Ends with Army-McCarthy hearings and Censured by U.S. Senate. • Rosenberg Trial – Julius And Ethel –accused of selling atomic bomb secrets (atomic espionage) to the USSR – 1950 –convicted and executed by the electric chair in 1953. • First H-Bomb tested 1952

13. Eisenhower Election of 1952 & 1956“I like Ike”

14. Domestic Policies under “IKE” • Federal Highway Act – purpose • Creation of NASA (civilian organization) 1958 Reaction to Sputnik (soviets) in 1957 - U.S. countered with Telstar launched in 1960 (I & II) • Beginning of Civil Rights Movement: a) Brown v. Board of Education (Topeka Kansas) b) Montgomery Bus Boycott – Rosa Parks/ Martin Luther King c) Little Rock Nine – integration Riots d) Strom Thurmond – Senator from South Carolina opposed civil rights movement. • Statehood 1959: Alaska – 49th Hawaii – 50th V) Passing of the 22nd Amendment – two term limit for the President

16. Cultural Advancements & Changes during post WW II & 1950’s • Beginning of Rock and roll – Alan Freed – Elvis Presley • Vaccine for Polio developed by Jonas Salk • Bomb Shelters • Drive in movies and Motels • Beatniks – Jack Kerouac & Allen Ginsberg • Playboy magazine – Hugh Hefner • Televisions – 1948-49 explodes on the scene in the United States Einstein a BIG fan!