1952-1960

Deadlock in Korea Democrat: Adlai E. Stevenson Republican: Dwight D. Eisenhower

VP: Richard Nixon “I like Ike”

TV politics Politicians can appeal directly to voters

Eisenhower wins Promises to go to Korea & end war himself

Eisenhower visited Korea in Dec. 1952 7 months later, armistice was signed 54,000 American deaths in Korea Return to conditions of 1950:

Korea remained divided at 38th parallel Communism had been “contained”

Eisenhower seemed suited to soothe anxieties of troubled Americans

Communist crusader National visibility Grew bolder & spread more accusations after

Eisenhower’s election in 1952 Most ruthless “red hunter” Most Americans approved of McCarthy’s

crusade McCarthy attacked US army, publicly televised

Condemned by senate McCarthyism: dangerous forces of fear that a

democratic society can unleash at its peril

15 million black citizens, 2/3 in south Jim Crow Laws

Segregated schools, bathrooms, restaurants, waiting rooms

Trains & Buses: whites only, colored only seating

Jackie Robinson- cracked racial barrier in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers

African Americans refused to suffer in silence

NAACP- enjoyed some success 1944- Supreme Court rules white primary

unconstitutional Thurgood Marshall- first African American

Supreme Court Justice Sweatt v. Painter- separate professional

schools for blacks failed to meet test of equality

Rosa Parks- refused to give up her seat in the “whites only” section of a bus

Sparked Montgomery Bus Boycott- a year-long boycott of city buses Blacks would no longer submit meekly to

segregation Brought MLK to prominence

Truman ended segregation in federal civil service, 1948

Shortages in Korea forced integration of combat units

Eisenhower showed no real interest in racial issues

May 1954 Segregation in public schools was

inherently unequal & thus unconstitutional

Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson Separate but equal

led to desegregation Declaration of Constitutional Principles-

signed by Southerners who pledged their resistance to desegregation

Eisenhower not inclined to promote integration Brown v. Board of Education upset the customs of

Americans Orval Faubus, governor of Arkansas, used

National Guard to prevent 9 black students from enrolling in Little Rock Central High School (1957) Eisenhower sent troops to escort children to their

classes Civil Rights Act of 1957- set up Civil Rights

commission to investigate violations of civil rights

SCLC- Southern Christian Leadership Conference- aimed to mobilize vast power of black churches on behalf of black rights Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Sit-in” Movement- February 1, 1960 Greensboro, North Carolina 4 black college students Demanded service at a whites only Woolworth’s

lunch counter By end of week, 1000 students Sit-in movement spread across South

Ike strove to balance federal budget & guard Republic from “creeping socialism” Federal government’s continuing aid to business

Slowed Truman’s enormous military buildup Reversed several policies of the New Deal Operation Wetback- combat problem of illegal

border crossing 1 million Mexicans were returned to Mexico in 1954

Reverted to Dawes Severalty Act of 1887

Interstate Highway Act $27 billion plan to build 42,000 miles of sleek,

fast motorways Countless construction jobs Sped up urbanization of America

Massive Retaliation- fearsome nuclear weapons used as threat to retaliate if attacked

New Soviet leader: Nikita Khrushchev Geneva Conference: Khrushchev rejected Ike’s

proposal for peace (called for “open skies”) Was massive retaliation effective?

Vietnamese leader: Ho Chi Minh Became increasingly communist

French colonial war in Vietnam- largely financed by US

Viet Minh= communist coalition Eisenhower reluctant to become involved in

another war in Asia Geneva Conference- splits Vietnam at 17th

parallel Ngo Dinh Diem- southern pro-western leader Eisenhower promised aid to Diem’s regime

Warsaw Pact- mutual defense treaty by Eastern European communist nations to counter NATO

Cold War seemed to be thawing May 1955- Soviets agree to end

occupation in Austria Khrushchev denounces bloody excesses

of Stalin

Suez Crisis President Nasser

French & British relied on US for oil US refuses to release military supplies UN police force sent for first time in history to

maintain order US days as oil power were numbered Eisenhower Doctrine- pledged US military &

economic aid to Middle Eastern countries threatened by communist aggression

OPEC

Republican: Eisenhower Democrat: Adlai Stevenson Eisenhower wins

Republicans do not get control in house or senate

Eisenhower focused on labor reform

October 1957- Soviets launch satellite into space Sputnik I Sputnik II

Shattered American self-confidence Seemingly took a backseat in scientific

achievement US worried USSR could reach America

with ICBMS (intercontinental ballistic missiles)

“Rocket fever” swept America Eisenhower establishes NASA Billions of dollars towards missile

development By 1958, US put into orbit tiny satellite &

successfully tested ICBMS Comparison of American education

system w/ USSR Emphasis on science

National Defense and Education Act

Batista was backed by Americans Fidel Castro orchestrates revolution US opened immigration to anti-Castro

Cubans Soviets set up communist base Communism looming close to America

Nixon in limelight as vice president “Kitchen Debates”- series of debates

between Richard Nixon & Khrushchev John F. Kennedy eventually nominated as

democratic candidate for president over LBJ New Frontier

Democrat: John F. Kennedy Roman Catholic TV- Nixon vs. Kennedy debates

Importance of image in tv Viewers preferred Kennedy’s glamour & vitality

Republican: Richard Nixon JFK wins

Workers, Catholics & African Americans Democratic control in Congress

22nd amendment- 1951, sets 2 term limit for presidents

Alaska & Hawaii gain statehood in 1959 Greatest failing: no moral crusade for

civil rights Ended one war & avoided all others

Science & technology drove economic growth First electronic computers in 1940s First large passenger jet- Boeing 707 White collar workers outnumbered blue collar

workers Women had more job opportunities (Clerical &

service work) Women as both workers & homemakers raised

questions about family life & traditional roles The Feminine Mystique- Feminist protest

literature, written by Betty Friedan, launched modern women’s movement

Culture in the 1950s

Plastic credit card First McDonalds Disneyland New lifestyle of leisure & affluence Sports

Culture in the 1950s-TV & Music

Almost every household had a TV Replaced movies as entertainment “Ozzie & Harriet”, “Leave it to Beaver”- idyllic

suburban families w/ working husband, 2 children & wife @ home

Music: Rock & Roll Elvis Presley “The King”

New standards of sensuous sexuality Marilyn Monroe & Playboy magazine

Literature

John Steinbeck Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar Tennessee Williams

A Streetcar Named Desire Arthur Miller J.D. Salinger