Unit 10: Chapter 23

Scientist __________________ developed an injectable vaccine to prevent __________________ . Later, the __________________ became the common method of prevention.

Jonas Salk, polio, Sabin vaccine

What three groups provided a great deal of support for Truman in the election of 1948?

Laborers, African Americans, farmers

What was the poorest ethnic group in the United States in the middle of the 1900s?

Native Americans

What kept many inner city African Americans poor?

Racial discrimination

Why do you think schools were a possible solution for juvenile delinquency?

Schools might keep teens off the streets, give them something to do, and provide an education to alleviate their boredom and apply their energy to new things.

In what ways were the suburbs of the 1950s a good place to raise children?

Suburbs tended to have less crime than cities. They also provided a social life among families with similar experiences—for example, GIs—and with children of similar ages.

The __________________ outlawed the closed shop, which was the practice of forcing business owners to __________________ .

Taft-Hartley Act, hire only union members

What was a second positive outcome for the Democratic Party as Truman won the presidency?

The Democrats regained control of both houses of Congress.

Why did Democratic nominee Harry S. Truman win such a large victory without carrying a majority of the overall popular vote?

The Electoral College tally does not directly reflect the popular vote and that dividing the vote three ways meant that Truman did not need to win more than half of the popular vote.

The president's new domestic agenda was called __________________ . Congress raised __________________ , increased __________________ , and provided for construction of __________________ .

The Fair Deal; minimum wage; Social Security benefits; low-income housing

How did the GI Bill help the nation transition from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy?

The GI Bill helped returning soldiers reintegrate into the economy by providing funds to help them establish businesses, buy homes, and attend college. It helped boost the economy.

How did the growth in new home construction benefit the U.S. economy?

The building boom created jobs in construction and real estate. Suburbs grew and led to the expansion of markets, transportation, and commercial building.

What was the state of the U.S. economy after World War II?

The economy remained strong, with consumer demand and spending creating higher prices and inflation. This led, however, to labor unrest as workers demanded higher wages.

How did the causes of poverty for Appalachians differ from the causes of poverty for Native Americans in the 1950s?

The main cause of poverty in Appalachia was the mechanization of coal mines and the loss of jobs upon which the people had been dependent; Native Americans became impoverished by policies that removed them from their land and resources to cities, where discrimination barred them from getting jobs.

Why is television considered part of the new mass media?

The number of TV sets was steadily growing in the postwar period. This wide reach of television to a growing number of people made it a mass media.

What happened to the people in Appalachia?

The rise of mechanized mining left many residents of Appalachia unemployed.

How did the free enterprise system help the television industry improve the U.S. economy?

The technological innovation of the television and the development of new broadcasting systems spawned a market for many new products through advertising. It also weakened the movie industry until it later adapted with its own new technology.

How did Truman's agenda regarding African Americans affect the military?

Truman called for a desegregation of the armed forces.

How did defense spending by each president impact the economy?

Truman cut defense spending after World War II which slowed the economy in the 1940s. Eisenhower's presidency included the Korean War and an increase in the manufacture of nuclear weapons which helped the economy grow in the 1950s.

What was the main difference between the economic policies of Truman and Eisenhower?

Truman wanted to expand social programs implemented under the New Deal, while Eisenhower wanted to curb social programs and instead use federal funds to help expand businesses.

How did the GI Bill influence new home construction?

Veterans could obtain home loans through the program, and some of those loans were used to pay for new housing.

How did Sputnik affect education in the United States?

Worries about the schools in the United States grew stronger after the launch of Sputnik I and II. Parents felt the country had fallen behind and blamed education. Efforts were made to improve the subjects of science and math.

During the 1948 election, Truman attacked Congress as a __________________ Congress. Though untrue, many Americans believed this, and he won a stunning reelection victory over ________________ .

do-nothing, Thomas Dewey

Eisenhower believed in __________________ , which was balancing economic conservatism with __________________ in areas that would benefit the country.

dynamic conservatism, activism

During what years did the baby boom take place?

1946-64

By 1957, nearly __________________ percent of families had at least one television. Popular formats included __________________ , __________________ , and __________________ .

80, comedy, variety shows, quiz shows

Which development in technology and medicine probably had the least effect on average Americans in the 1950s but had a large effect on business, driving technological innovation?

Computers were large, room-sized devices used mainly for government research and later business use. While it drove technological innovation, the computer did not become an important part of the lives of Americans until the 1980s and later.

How did corporations change the lives of Americans?

Corporations increased the number of white collar jobs and overseas jobs. Corporations also emphasized increased conformity.

How did the GI Bill affect educational priorities?

It made education a top priority. Nearly half of all those in college by 1947 were veterans.

How did the GI Bill show the nation's education priorities after World War II?

It showed that the government thought spending defense money on education was a good way to strengthen the country and its soldiers after the difficult war.

Urban Renewal

A concept of trying to eliminate poverty by tearing down slums and erecting high rise buildings for poor residents.

Why did juvenile delinquency rise in the 1950s, according to most Americans?

Americans thought there were many reasons for juvenile delinquency, such as a rising divorce rate, a lack of discipline or religion, and even a rebellion against the conformity of the delinquents' parents.

Lorraine Hansberry

An African American author who wrote the play A Raisin in the Sun, about an African American working class family struggling against poverty and racism. It won the New York Drama Critics Award for best play of 1959.

What effect do you think the development of a polio vaccine had on the lives of young families in suburbia?

By ensuring that children would not fall victim to polio, the vaccine eased parents' fear and allowed free movement. Families would once again enjoy going out to public places such as restaurants, playgrounds, and swimming pools.

What legislative proposals set forward by President Truman built African American political support?

Civil Rights Bill, an executive order banning discrimination in federal employment, and the end of segregation in the armed forces

Why were some Americans not part of the prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s?

During the 1950s and 1960s, many people left urban areas for the suburbs. Cities deteriorated because they no longer had the same tax base. Those left behind were often poor and African American. Poverty and discrimination deprived them of benefits others had. Hispanics, who came during the war to work in the fields, lived in poverty while working long hours for little pay. They often had no homes. Native Americans were often worse off when they moved off reservations and tried to assimilate.

What is meant by the term dynamic conservatism?

Dynamic conservatism describes an economic policy that is essentially conservative but allows activism in some areas.

What brought about economic prosperity in the United States and how did it affect most Americans?

Economic prosperity occurred after World War II as the U.S. transitioned from wartime to a peacetime economy. The economy was strong and was able to ward off a recession because of the market demand of goods and services. The standard of living rose for all income brackets, and the GI Bill enabled many Americans to buy homes. People had much more disposable income. For the first time, there were more white-collar workers than blue-collar workers. People could afford TVs, a second car, and food freezers. Teenagers had money and they became a market-driven group with their own identity

How did Eisenhower's presidency signal a more conservative direction for the government?

Eisenhower took a more pro-business approach to government, cutting federal spending and moderately decreasing taxes.

How did the Eisenhower years compare to the Truman presidency?

Eisenhower was a conservative who tried to limit the growth and control of government and its spending. He believed business played a vital role in the nation but did not like government control through aid to businesses. He did extend some of the New Deal and Fair Deal entitlements like Social Security. Truman was a liberal whose administration provided funds for returning GIs to restart their lives. During his administration, a recession was prevented because the economy was strong and continued to grow. His Fair Deal policies raised the minimum wage, increased Social Security benefits, and provided low-income housing.

Eisenhower authorized two large government projects: __________________ and the __________________ .

Federal Highway Act, Great Lakes—St. Lawrence Seaway

What components of the New Deal did Truman adopt as part of his legislative agenda?

He extended the minimum wage and increased Social Security benefits. He supported federal aid for housing.

What conservative measures did Eisenhower take during his administration?

He slashed federal spending on programs such as public housing and education, and filled his cabinet with business leaders who encouraged pro-business policies.

What was Truman's main goal for keeping the mines open?

He wanted to protect the nation's energy supply and believed that closing the mines might threaten it.

How did Hispanics suffer during the 1950s and 1960s?

Hispanics lived with extreme poverty and hardship. They worked long hours with little pay and lived in deplorable conditions.

How does closed shop differ from a union shop?

In a closed shop, business owners must hire only union members. In a union shop, non-union members may be hired but must join the union when they start work.

Why do you think inner-city neighborhoods became worse during the 1950s?

Inner-city neighborhoods became worse because fewer tax dollars led to cuts in services.

What was the first application of computer management?

It aided in calculations for the military.

How did the National Defense Education Act of 1958 affect education priorities?

It created a focus on technology, math, and science education in an attempt to compete in the Cold War after the Soviets launched Sputnik I and Sputnik II.

How did the television create economic opportunities for citizens?

It created the need for television production, manufacturing, sales, and broadcasting. This all created jobs and economic growth.

why do you think the passage of the Twenty-Second Amendment was important for America?

It kept one president from having power for too long and influencing the country in any one way; It promotes the idea of checks and balances.

What were the two main benefits of the GI Bill?

Paid for the education of veterans and guaranteed them home loans.

What impact did the decrease in military spending have on the economy and business cycle after World War II?

People feared a recession, as had happened after World War I, but instead demand led consumers to begin buying goods they had put off during the war. This caused a post-war economic boom, but also drove up prices, and as inflation accelerated, workers begun to go on strike for better wages.

Why might advertisers have targeted people living in suburbs rather than those living in cities?

People who had moved to the suburbs had enough money to obtain a home. Advertisers were hoping that these people would spend some of their money on the goods they were promoting.

What disadvantages might suburban life present to families?

They encouraged conformity and offered few opportunities for people to hear from those with different views.

What medical and technological advances met specific needs in the late 1940s and 1950s?

antibiotics; drugs for arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease; new surgical techniques; the polio vaccine; lighter airplane parts and more efficient manufacturing made travel more in the reach of average Americans

The __________________ saved the radio industry as commuters listened in transit.

automobile

Writers and poets who condemned conformity were called __________________ .

beatniks

His administration believed that __________________ was vital to the country. He attempted to cut __________________ and its aid to businesses, which he called __________________ .

business growth, federal spending, creeping socialism

Americans produced an abundance of goods and services because of __________________ and __________________ .

new business techniques, improved technology

What technological advancements helped treat cancer?

radiation treatments and chemotherapy

After the war, many Americans feared the economy would fall into a __________________ . However, the economy continued to grow because of __________________ .

recession, increased consumer spending

In 1948, Truman asked Congress to pass a civil rights bill that would protect African Americans' __________________ , abolish __________________ , and make __________________ a federal crime.

right to vote, poll taxes, lynching

What are two regions where poverty was most prevalent in the 1950s, and why was their level of prosperity so low?

the inner city because middle-class families moved to the suburbs and were no longer supporting the city with taxes; Appalachia because mechanization of coal mining eliminated jobs and increased levels of existing poverty