HA2 24/25

February
Post WWII America

Topics
What would you be interested in researching
as a homework assignment?
Select 6 topics and rank them in order of
your interest (whole sheet)
Some options:

1) Transistor Radio = Portable Radio

2) Commercial Jet Airlines = Airlines start up
3) Live broadcasting satellites = broadcasting from space
4) Star Trek = 60s television show, William Shatner, Leonard
Nimoy
5) Easy Rider = 60s motorcycle movie, Harley Davidson
6) On the Waterfront = Marlon Brando film about a prize
fighter
7) American Modern Furniture = mid=century, spacey looking
8) Kennedys = the conspiracy theories, assassinations, Jackie
O
9) Baseball options = World Series, 1951 Dodgers v. Giants,
Home Run Record

Post-WWII America

WWII Ends
Demobilization
August 1945 high war production stops and
Truman begins the process of demilitarizing
Military goes from 12 million to 3 million in a
year
Government cancels war production
contracts, millions lose jobs
60% of people fear their income will fall and
another depression will ensue

GI Bill of Rights
GI = government issued refers to the
soldiers by their standard uniform and
equipment
Government gives veterans
Unemployment benefits
Financial aid for college tuition
Government loans for building
homes / starting businesses
Effects:
Massive increase in home production
suburbs
Many go to college an educated generation

Baby Boom (1946-1964)

Population explosion after WWII
Veterans come home, get married, and
begin families
1957 = peak year of baby boom
1 baby every 7 seconds = 4.3 million
in one year
1940-1955 US population goes
from 130 million to 165 million

Economy Shift
Converting wartime economy back to
peacetime economy
Unemployment
Inflation (high prices because lots of
money and little supply)
BUT
Americans have money and
rationing is over high purchasing
power

Economy Shift Marshall

Plan
ALSO, GROWTH
- Productivity (high due to tech and
WPB)
+ GATT + Marshall Plan (government
$$) = production jobs open in new
industries to sell to Americans and
Europeans

Congress and Labor

Unions got many rights during New
Deal (FDR)
BUT inflation Unions demand higher
pay
Millions of Americans strike
Taft-Hartley Act outlaws the closed
shop = workplaces that only hire union
members
Takes rights away from unions

Civil Rights
Truman struggles with congress over civil
rights reform:
Particularly desegregation of the military

Tries to create legislation, but Congress fights

against it

Truman runs for Election

Truman decides to run for president, but
hes not popular because:
Inflation, Unrest from labor unions, Cold
War conflicts have begun (Korean War)
T. blasts Congress for being the worst in
history and blocking legislation
Steals the win
with a narrow margin

Fair Deal - Truman

Fair Deal = legislation that would strengthen
existing New Deal reforms and establish:
national health insurance programs
Minimum wage
Social Security extensions
Housing reform
BUT
Congress refused to let any of the legislation
through to become laws
Truman didnt run for re-election in 1952

Topics in 1950s
With your group of 3
Take 15-20 minutes to research your topic
and prepare to give a 2 minute minipresentation to your classmates on this
topic
Come up with:
The four major points about your topic to
write on the board
Everyone in your group must present
some information
Be sure to explain your topic and major