US History – Unit #5

Post-War United States

1945-1970s

Key Learning

• Students will use competing historical accounts to trace the development of postwar conformity and change in the United States

Unit Essential Question

• How are contemporary issues of conformity and change problems for postwar America?

• Does this indicate a patter of continuity or change?

• Why have historians come to conflicting conclusions regarding postwar American values?

Unit Concepts

1. 1950s America2. Beginning of Cold War

a. Korean War3. Communism at Home & Space Race4. Kennedy and Johnson Years 1960-685. Vietnam War & Counter Culture6. Civil Rights Movement7. Nixon, Ford & Carter Years 1968-1980

Unit 5 Pre-Test

EASY WAY OR HARD WAY?

NO TALKING

Homework #1

• Levittown

• The Rise of the Sunbelt

• The Interstate Highway System

1950s AmericaLesson Essential Question #1

• How did American conform to original social standards following WWII?

• What economic and technological changes were made during the 1950s?

Vocabulary

Per capita income Franchises

Baby boom

GI Bill

Opener

• What do you consider the “proper” roles for men and women in today’s society? How might your views of gender-based roles differ from those of your parents or grand-parents?

• Be prepared to share with class

Quiz

1. How expensive were the houses William Levitt was selling in Long Island, NY?

2. What Henry Ford method did Levitt use to build houses rapidly?

3 & 4. Give 2 examples of how Levitt cut prices for the young couples.

5. What area grew rapidly during the post-war era?

Quiz

6. What parts of the country were people moving to?

7. What area of the country was the poorest at the end WWII?

8. Where did the federal government spend $35 billion during WWII?

9. What US President authorized the building of the Interstate Highway System?

10. In 1919, how long did it take someone to travel from Washington DC to San Francisco? Today?

Peacetime Economy

• GI Bill of Rights

• Economic expansion– GNP (1945 - $212 billion; 1960 $540 billion)– Per capita income - $1,526 to $2,788– Result = US richest nation in world

• New Jobs– Industry– Fast Food/Franchises

1950s Leaders• 1948 Election –

– Truman vs Thomas Dewey– Truman’s Fair Deal

• Raised minimum wage• Expanded social security

• 1952 Election– Adlai Stevenson vs Dwight Eisenhower

• “I Like Ike”

– Eisenhower – “take that straight road down the middle”

• 1956 won re-election; • 1959 – AL and HA

Life in the 1950s

• Growing Families– Improvement in health and medical care

• Suburbs– Growing 40x faster than cities– Mark Levitt – Long Island, NY: 17,000 homes

• Levittown

• Cars & Highways– Interstate Highway

Chevrolet Bel Air

Technology

• Electric Power– Atomic Power; Nuclear Power Plant

• Computer• Television

– 1946 – 17,000 existed– 1950 – 7 million sold/yr– 1955 – 4-5 hrs/day

• Howdy Doody; Mickey Mouse Club• Dick Clark’s American Bandstand• I Love Lucy

Conformity

• Middle Class– Youth – “Silent Generation”

• Movies– 1955 – Rebel Without a Cause

Roles of Men & Women

• Men – – School, Job, Support family– Made decisions (political, economic, social)

• Women – – Supporting role to husband– Workplace

• WWII• 1950 22%• 1960 31%

Class Work

• The Suburban Explosion: Read pages 752-753, answer questions on separate piece of paper

• 1950s Video

• Boston: From City to Suburb

Homework #2

• The Cold War

• The Truman Doctrine

• The Containment Policy

• The Chinese Revolution

• The Soviet Atomic Bomb

Exit Ticket

• Why was America able to fall back into stereotypical “roles” following the end of WWII? What role did the economy and technology play in this?

Beginning of the Cold WarLesson Essential Question #2

• Why do historians differ on the causes to the Cold War?

• What impact do differing political and economic ideologies have on the future of the world following WWII?

• How will two superpowers almost cause WWIII? VocabularyContainment Truman DoctrineNATO Warsaw PactMarshall Plan Domino TheorySatellite Nation Berlin AirliftIron Curtain

Opener

• What do you think a “cold war” is? Why was this war considered “cold” and not “hot”? What made it a war?

• Be prepared to share with class

Quiz1. What did Winston Churchill belief was closer to

grasp than at any time in history?

2. What were two major conflicts that will occur during the Cold War?

3. In 1946, What did Churchill say had “descended across” Europe?

4. How much money did President Truman ask Congress for in aid to Greece and Turkey?

5. The Truman Doctrine became known as the ___.

Quiz6. What part of the world did George

Marshall send aid to?

7. What German city was blockaded?

8. What group did the US help to form? Soviet Union?

9. Who won the Chinese Civil War?

10.What weapon did the Soviet Union use which frightened America?

COLD WAR

•US and SU troops hoping for friendship between two countries

•Problem - 2 countries economic and political systems would not fit; built up resentment between the two

•Soviet Union •United States

•Communist Economy

•state controlled all property and economic activity

•Capitalistic Economy

•private citizens control property and economic activity

•Politics •Soviet Union •United States

•Communist Party ousted czar by force and established a totalitarian government

•Democracy - people elected a President and Congress

Soviet Expansion• End of WWII – SU occupied E. Europe

– Stalin: hold “free elections”

• 1946 – Churchill “…an iron curtain has fallen across continent”

• 1948 – E. Europe under communist control

US Reaction• Truman – Communism cannot spread

• Truman Doctrine – asks Congress for $400 million in military & economic aid for Greece and Turkey– Policy of CONTAINMENT

• US Pledge – help nations threatened by communist expansion

Aid for Europe

• Marshall Plan – 1948-1952: $12.5 billion to Europe– WHY?

Berlin

• Following WWII – Germany divided into 4 zones (US, GB, FR and SU)– Unify or not to unify?

Soviet Blockade

• June 1948 – US, GB & FR announce reunification of W. Germany

• Stalin – closed all roads, railways and rivers to Berlin– Problem – 2.1 million starve in 3 weeks

• Truman’s dilemma– Did not want Berlin to fall into SU hands– Sending troops = war

Berlin Airlift• 327 days, 277 flights, 2.3 million tons of

food, clothing, medicine

• 5,000 tons per day – taking off/landing every 3 minutes

Opposing Alliances• North Atlantic

Treaty Organization (NATO) (1949)– US, Canada & 10

Euroean Nations

•Warsaw Pact (1955)

•Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

Class Work – Complete Europe Post WWII Map

Why did the US have an interest in Asia?

•Stop spread of Communism

•commitment to the Philippines, Japan and China

•1937 - China controlled by Japan

•Communists and Nationalists put problems aside

•joined forces to stop Japanese

•Communist Leader - Mao Zedong

•Nationalist - Chiang Kai-shek

•Mao Zedong -

•Communist leader

•1945 - occupied Northern China

•Chiang Kai-shek -

•Ruler of China

•Fought war against Chinese communists

•1945 - occupied Southern China

Civil War• End of WWII – war broke out

– US support Nationalists• Truman sent $2 billion in aid

• 1949 – Kai-Shek & Nationalists fled to Taiwan– Mao establishes People’s Republic of China

Class Work

• “Uncle Joe”

• Map – Germany Divided

• The Struggle for China

• Joining NATO

• Why Join NATO? Why Join Warsaw Pact?

Why join NATO? Warsaw?

• With a partner, select a side (NATO or Warsaw) and country

• Put together a pros/cons list for joining NATO/Warsaw

• Write a brief presentation for why you decided to join NATO/Warsaw

Homework #3

• The Korean War

Exit Ticket

• Looking into the magic crystal ball, what events can you foresee will occur next? Explain why with specific examples.

Korean WarLesson Essential Question #3

• Why was America involved in a conflict on the other side of the world?

• Why was America not able to go back into isolation?

Vocabulary

38th parallel

Domino theory

Stalemate

Opener

• Why will America apply its policy of containment to more areas than just Europe? Why will America only threaten to use the Atomic bomb to stop the spread of communism?

• Be prepared to share with class

Quiz

1. When did the North Koreans invade South Korea?

2. When did the conflict end?

3. Why was there tension on the Korean peninsula?

4. What line of latitude (parallel) divided Korea?

5. What was the original mandate given to the US by the United Nations?

Quiz6. Why did the US cross the border into

North Korea?

7 & 8. What Asian country joined the conflict? How many troops did they send in mid-October?

9. What did President Truman do to General MacArthur?

10. What was one lesson learned from the Korean War?

•1910 to August 1945 - Japan ruled Korea

•WWII ended –

•Japanese troops north of 38th parallel surrendered to the Soviets

•South of 38th parallel surrendered to the US

38th Parallel

• Not intended as permanent boundary– artificially divided country’s resources

• 2 separate countries grew

• 1948 - Republic of Korea (S. Korea) was established in zone occupied by US

• Communists - formed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)

• June 25, 1950 – N Korea attacks S Korea

United Nations• Security Council adopts US Resolution to

stop N Korean invasion– Soviet Union boycotted meeting (refusal to

allow China into UN)– 16 nations, sent 520,000 troops to assist S.

Korea (90% were US)• S. Korea - 590,000 troops• led by Gen Douglas MacArthur

Class Work

• Video – Korean War

Stalemate• SU - suggested cease-fire on June 23, 1951• July 1951 - truce talks began

– cease fire line at existing battle line– establishment of demilitarized zone between

opposing sides

• July 1953 - armistice signed• Results of War

– N. Korea had been pushed back, and communism been contained without world war and without use of atomic weapons

• US threat to use them helped break deadlock

– Korea still 2 nations

Homework #4

• The Death of Stalin and the Cold War

• The Cold War in Developing Countries

• The Military Industrial Complex

Exit Ticket

• Why do you think that most Americans never acknowledged this conflict? What impact did American culture in the 1950s have on this point of view?

Domino TheoryLesson Essential Question #4

• How did the spread of communism cause fear to the United States? How did the US react?

Vocabulary

Domino Theory

17th parallel

Opener

• What does the “Domino theory” have to do with containing communism in the 1950s?

• Be prepared to share with class

Quiz1. When did Joseph Stalin die?

2. What was the immediate effect of the death of Stalin?

3. What did Nikita Khrushchev do a year after Stalin’s death?

4. What did Khrushchev call for in early 1956?

5. What did East German authorities build to separate East and West Berlin?

Quiz

6. What did the CIA help to overthrow the elected government in 1954?

7. Why did the CIA do this?

8. What balance did President Eisenhower believe was needed?

9. What was the first satellite launched into orbit?

10.Who was elected in 1960?

Early Vietnam

• Vietnam – controlled by France– WWII – controlled by Japan

• Ho Chi Minh – led communist party– 1945 established Viet Minh– Fought France

• US involvement: Gave $ to France

• 1954 - Vietnam defeated France

• Geneva – 17th parallel

Middle East

• WHY? – – OIL!!!!

• Iran

• 1948 – Formation of Israel

Latin America

• Honduras and Nicaragua

• 1954 – Guatemala– CIA overthrew government

• 1959 – Fidel Castro

Class work

• Work on Study Guide for Test

Homework #5

• Tail-Gunner Joe• The 2nd Red Scare• Alger Hiss• Anti-Communism during the early 1950s• The Domestic Communism• The Rosenberg Case• Margaret Chase Smith• McCarthy Condemned• Paranoid Style• Space Race

Exit Ticket

• Did the “domino theory” exist or was it a figment of the US paranoia? Why was the US responsible for stopping it? Were they correct in doing so?

Communism at HomeLesson Essential Question #5

• Why was America so scared of communism?

• How did this “feeling” cause tension in the US?

Vocabulary – Brinkmanship; ICBM

HUAC Joseph McCarthy

Alger Hiss Sputnik U-2

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg H-Bomb

Opener

• List three elements that define loyalty.

• Does criticism of one’s country constitute disloyalty?

• Be prepared to share with class

Quiz1. Where did Joseph McCarthy charge was

a Communist spy ring in 1954?

2. What former high sate department official was accused of passing classified documents to the Soviet Union?

3. What husband and wife were arrested on charges of atomic espionage?

4. What secret project did Soviet intelligence agents penetrate during WWII?

Quiz5. What happened to Ethel and Julius

Rosenberg after they were convicted?

6. Who was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress?

7. What happened to McCarthy in 1954?

8. What film reflected America’s paranoid ideas?

9. How long did it take for Sputnik to orbit the Earth?

10.What country 1st landed on the moon?

Fear of Communist Influence

• What were the causes for Americans to be concerned about security in the US? – Soviets dominated Eastern Europe– China was Communist– WWII

• 80,000 Americans in US Communist party• 1945 – 2 State Department workers and 1 naval

intelligence officer stole classified documents and gave to communist paper (atomic bomb info)

Communism at Home• Loyalty Review Board

– Investigate government employees• 1947-1951 investigated 3.2 million employees

• House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)– 1947 - Investigated movie industry

• Hollywood Ten– 10 “unfriendly” witnesses– Blacklisted

VIDEO

Spy Cases • Alger Hiss

– Accused of spying for SU– Convicted of perjury – Innocence proven in 1990s

• Rosenberg’s – Sept 23, 1949 – SU A-bomb– Accused of giving SU secrets– Plead 5th – Guilty – sentenced to death

• 1953 – electrocuted VIDEO

McCarthy’s “Witch Hunts”

• Why? – Re-election

• Tactics – fear of communism– Claimed 57, 81 and 205 communists– Democratic party – “20 yrs of treason”– McCarthyism

• Downfall– 1964 – accusations against US Army

VIDEO

Class work

Hydrogen Bomb

• 1949 – Soviets explode A-Bomb

• Hydrogen Bomb– Bombs fused– Force of 1million tons of TNT (67x power of

bomb dropped on Hiroshima)– Jan 31, 1950 – Truman authorized work on H-

bomb– Nov 1, 1952 – US exploded bomb

• August 1953 – Soviets detonated H-bomb

VIDEO

Brinkmanship

• Keep the peace by promising to use all its force including nuclear weapons against aggressor nations– More nuclear weapons and planes to carry

them– Beefed up air force and nuclear weapons– Cut back on army and navy

Cold War in the Skies• Sputnik launches the Space Race

– Oct 4 1957 – Soviets use ICBM to launch satellite into orbit

– US inferiority • “Flopnik” & “Stayputnik”• Jan 31, 1958 – US launches first satellite

• U-2 Spy Plane– Used to spy on Soviets– May 1, 1960 – Francis Gary Powers shot

down– Eisenhower denounced by Khrushchev

VIDEO

VIDEO

Class Work

Homework #6

• Study for Test

Exit Ticket

• Many people knew that Senator McCarthy’s claims were exaggerated at best. Why, then, was he able to gain so much power and ruin the lives of so many people?

Unit #5

Test #1 - Concepts 1, 2 & 3

1950s, Beginning of Cold War, Communism at Home