11/13/12Postwar Politics: 1945-2000Harry S. Truman -Succeeded Roosevelt-Faced difficult task of leading the nation through the remainder of WWII-Finished Roosevelt’s 4th term – almost a complete term1948 ElectionTruman v. Thomas DeweyThe Fair Deal-Continuation/expansion of New Deal in many aspects-Taft-Hartley Act, June 1947-Passed by Congress over Truman’s veto-Purpose was to limit strike action and curb union abuses-Outlawed the closed shop which said that only union members could be hired-Mandated a 60 day cooling off period before a union went on strike-Loyalty check-Mandated on federal employees-Basically to say they weren’t Communists-Internal Security Act (McCarran Act)-Required Communist organizations to file their membership list and financial statements with the attorney general’s office-Congress passed this over Truman’s veto-Presidential Secession Act, 1947-Placed Speaker of the House in line for the Presidency in case of Presidential and Vice Presidential death/disability-22nd Amendment, 1951-Limited President’s tenure in office to two terms or ten years1952 + 1956 Presidential ElectionsRepublican Dwight D. Eisenhower w/ running mate Richard Nixon (senator from California)Democrat Adlai Stevenson Same slate of candidates both elections – Eisenhower won both timesModern Republicanism-This is what Eisenhower called his domestic program-Also called for an extension of New Deal/Fair Deal programs-Achievements-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare-Expansion of Social Security-1954: Brown v. Board of Ed, Topeka, KS overturned Plessy v. FergusonCivil Rights-August 1955: murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi-Allegedly whistled at a white woman-Her husband and brother took him from his house in the middle of the night, brought him to a barn, tortured him, and threw him in the river-The two men were arrested but acquitted-December 1, 1955: Montgomery Bus Boycott-Rosa Parks-This event is often given credit for really sparking the Civil Rights movement in America but really the murder of Emmett Till was likely the spark-Unplanned event-Not the first Black woman to refuse her seat but Rosa Parks was the right one to make the face of the boycott-Civil Rights Act, 1957-Pertained to voting-Authorized federal government to bring civil suits in its own name against courts that were not ruling fairly on Black cases-Little Rock School Crisis-Little Rock, Arkansas considered a progressive city – buses had been integrated-Chose very carefully 9 Black students to go into the school-8 students arrived together with protection, 1 young woman arrived by herself-It was obvious the students would not be admitted that day-Elizabeth Eckford was surrounded by a mob of screaming white people until a white woman got on a city bus with her to get her out ofthere-Officers accompanied them to school every day but this did not stop them from being taunted-One young woman dumped chili on the head of a bully and was expelled-One young man graduated that year-The next year, the schools were closed1960 Presidential ElectionRepublicans nominated VP Richard Nixon with running mate Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.,ambassador to the United NationsDemocrats nominated senator John F. Kennedy with running mate Lyndon Johnson Television played a major role in this election – the first televised presidential debates.Kennedy won by narrow popular vote but large electoral vote margin.Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic President – there was a lot of hatred towards Catholics at this time.He was the youngest President ever to be elected (not to serve).New Frontier-Economic Problems-Recession-Worst stock market decline since 1929-High rate of unemployment-Administration’s response to economic problems-Gave aid to distressed areas-Provided for the retraining of unemployed workers-Curtailed government expenditures abroad-Cut income taxes to stimulate consumer demand-Asked business and labor to hold prices and wages down*Significant advances occurred by the end of 1963.-Achievements-Trade Expansion Act, 1962-Increased President’s power to negotiate trade agreements with other nations-23rd amendment, 1961-Gave residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in nationalelections-Peace Corps establishedCivil Rights-Kennedy did not understand what Blacks were trying to achieve because of his status and wealth but he was open to learning and willing to help.-Martin Luther King arrested in the Deep South in 1961 – Kennedy called Mrs. King to express his condolences and his disagreement.Assassination-Lee Harvey Oswald accused of killing the President-Shot and killed two days later when being removed from the city jail by Jack Rudy Johnson Takes Over-Johnson was sometimes accused of being involved in the assassination-Long time spent serving the country in the House and then as VP and President-Finished Kennedy’s term and got reelected, defeating a man named Goldwater in 1964The Great Society-Emphasized a progressive series of reform with a lot of emphasis on civil rights, poverty, and education-Achievements -Civil Rights Act, 1964-Prohibited discrimination in places of public accommodation-Prohibited employment discrimination based on race and sex-24th amendment, 1964-Prohibited poll tax in federal elections-Voting Rights Act, 1965-Attempted to end discriminatory practices in voter registration-Outlawed literacy tests-Civil Rights Act, 1968-Banned discrimination on the bounds of race, religion, or national origin -Medicare, 1965-Plan for hospital and medical care for the aged under Social security-Medicaid-Joint federal-state program to pay medical bills for persons with income under a certain level-War on poverty-Large sums of money were appropriated for better housing, assistance to the unemployed, increased welfare benefits, and to improve educational facilities. -Housing and Urban Development, 1965-Department of Transportation, 1966-Appointed first Black person to the Supreme Court – Thurgood Marshall, served 1967-19991-Foreign Affairs-Major efforts in foreign affairs were directed at winning the war in Vietnam1968 ElectionEveryone expected Johnson to seek reelection – he shocked them all when he didn’tImportant factors in this decision-His policy in escalation of involvement in Vietnam had seriously divided Americans-His desire to give full attention to the serious foreign and domestic problemsat the end of his first term would have interfered with his organizing a
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