FINAL EXAM Harry Truman became President in 1945 from 1943 Was not presidential material First movement by government towards civil rights to minorities Post ww2 boosts economy Turn in American politics Born in 1884 in Mizzou wanted to go to west point Couldn t get in because of vision problems joined national guard Became lawyer judge and US senator By 1945 he hadn t really made a name for himself as a senator Roosevelt chose Truman because he could communicate well with the people Served in WW1 in france Roosevelt dies from cerebral hemorrhage in 1945 and harry Truman becomes Millions of people would be looking for jobs after the war people were afraid of Veterans came home and lived on the streets because there weren t enough houses president unemployment built G I Bill Was passed and was up to Truman to enforce Gave 20 billion to people coming back from the war Provided money for veterans to go to college to give time for market to stabilize Paid for housing books and tuition Gave low interest homes for houses Jump starts the housing market Women in the Work Force Women that served in army weren t given jobs after the war o Common Sense of the baby and child care by Dr Benjamin Spock Said that women should be primary care giver Women s success in life was based on how well she raised her children Read by 90 of America and women became house wives o Modern Women The Lost Sex by Maryina Farnham and Ferdinand Lunderberg Said if a women didn t have children she would become emotionally disturbed Seeking job in workface was masculine not feminine o These two books explained how women should live and be treated People coming back from war wanted to buy the new innovative appliances 20 million refrigerators purchased between 1946 and 1950 Electric stoves and dishwashers were also purchased often 22 million new cards sold from 1946 1950 o Bought these on payment plans and paid interest William Levit began helping needy veterans Built barracks in the war in WW2 Used assembly line technique that he learnt in the war and applied it to building homes in new york o In 1946 started to built first suburb o 2 bed 1 bath for 7 000 o Called community Levittown Built in long island Philadelphia and around northeast Others soon copied him In the 1946 election the republicans gained control of house of representatives People were tired of war taxes and rationing from democrat leadership Taft Hartley was passed to stop labor unions from forming Labor Unions formed rapidly after the war was threatening economy o Banned the closed shop that is the hiring of Union Members only o Permitted employers to sue unions for broken contracts or damages inflicted during strikes o Forced unions to abide by a sixty day cooling off period before striking o Required unions to make public their financial statements to see where they were getting their money o Forbade union leaders to swear they were not communists Truman vetoed the Taft Hartley Act Civil rights movement picks up steam in WW2 and gets a boost in 1947 Boost from Jackie Robinson born in Georgia Raised in California signed with Brooklyn Dodgers endured death threats and name calling o Helped pave the way for desegregation In 1948 Hubert Humphrey was democratic leader Mayor of Minnesota Harry Truman said at the democratic convention they would adopt civil Said democrat party should push for civil rights rights platform All the southern members left and created the States Rights Party o Split in Democratic party o Nominated strom Thurmond Republicans nominate Thomas Dewey Bad communication skills Didn t really campaign because democrats were split Harry Truman takes a train ride and campaign across country give them hell harry was Truman s slogan 350 speeches given on train tour Won election of 1948 by slim margin In 1948 southern states formed Dixiecrat party No southern states voted democratic again until 1992 Harry Truman initiates civil rights convention Civil rights commission had no power but could make recommendations to congress Nothing was ever passed Recommended passing an anti lynching law and end discrimination in education and housing grants but never happened The Cold War No reason for alliance between Russia and America after Hitler is dead Russia moves towards Germany and keeps countries between Check Poland Hungary Romania etc o Used as buffer states to prevent another invasion America expected Russia to move out of these countries after the war didn t happen Russia starts race with America over nuclear weapons George F Kennan He sent the 8 000 world telegram o Telegram said Soviets are neurotic on being invaded and will not give up territory o Soviets would never soften their hard line stance o Blocking strategy needed to prevent further expansion China became communist Turkey and Greece turning communist after ww2 British were giving money to greek government to stop communism Greek were nearly bankrupt after war british couldn t maintain enough Churchill asks America for help said once one country fell to communism funding others would follow US decides to step in and help Greece Harry Truman went on radio and television 1st president to use TV to announce the Truman Doctrine o Gave 400 million dollars to Greece and turkey and sent over advisors to help Greek army o Over the 1940 s 1980 s US gives money to countries to prevent communism Marshall Plan George C Marshall Head of military during war Becomes chief of state after war Marshall Plan o Plan to rebuild western industries to provide jobs o Built industrial sectors in Japan and other foreign countries to prevent o Created a trade imbalance when we start buying goods from other communism countries o Business move to other countries for cheap production o Helps economy in the short run o Hurts American economy in the long run At the end of WW2 Germany was divided East Germany Controlled by Russia West German Controlled by US French and British Berlin Cut up like a pie divided between all 4 countries o Russians cut off supplies to America in East Germany to starve them in Berlin o America begins flying planes with supplies into berlin o Known as Berlin Airlift o Russia saw supplies were getting through anyway and re opened access to trade through east germany Dean Acheson and NSC 68 US document was called NSC 68 first used in 1950 in Korea and states that US o Wouldn t negotiate with soviets o Would strengthen traditional military power o Develop hydrogen bombs o Give aid to
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