Outline of US History by U.S. Department of State - HTML preview

CHAPTER 12: POSTWAR AMERICA

that California had displaced New terns . Developed in the 1930s, it was

York as the nation’s largest state . not widely marketed until after the

By 2000, Texas had moved ahead of war . In 1946 the country had fewer

New York into second place .

than 17,000 television sets . Three

An even more important form of years later consumers were buying

movement led Americans out of in- 250,000 sets a month, and by 1960

ner cities into new suburbs, where three-quarters of all families owned

they hoped to find affordable hous- at least one set . In the middle of the

ing for the larger families spawned decade, the average family watched

by the postwar baby boom . Develop- television four to five hours a day .

ers like William J . Levitt built new Popular shows for children included

communities — with homes that Howdy Doody Time and The Mickey

all looked alike — using the tech- Mouse Club; older viewers preferred niques of mass production . Levitt’s situation comedies like I Love Lucy

houses were prefabricated — partly and Father Knows Best . Ameri-

assembled in a factory rather than cans of all ages became exposed to

on the final location — and modest, increasingly sophisticated advertise-

but Levitt’s methods cut costs and ments for products said to be neces-

allowed new owners to possess a part sary for the good life .

of the American dream .

As suburbs grew, businesses

THE FAIR DEAL

moved into the new areas . Large

shopping centers containing a great The Fair Deal was the name given

variety of stores changed consumer to President Harry Truman’s domes-

patterns . The number of these cen- tic program . Building on Roosevelt’s

ters rose from eight at the end of New Deal, Truman believed that the

World War II to 3,840 in 1960 . With federal government should guaran-

easy parking and convenient eve- tee economic opportunity and social

ning hours, customers could avoid stability . He struggled to achieve those

city shopping entirely . An unfortu- ends in the face of fierce political op-

nate by-product was the “hollowing- position from legislators determined

out” of formerly busy urban cores .

to reduce the role of government .

New highways created better ac-

Truman’s first priority in the

cess to the suburbs and its shops . immediate postwar period was to

The Highway Act of 1956 provided make the transition to a peacetime

$26,000-million, the largest public economy . Servicemen wanted to

works expenditure in U .S . history, to come home quickly, but once they

build more than 64,000 kilometers arrived they faced competition for

of limited access interstate highways housing and employment . The G .I .

to link the country together .

Bill, passed before the end of the war,

Television, too, had a powerful helped ease servicemen back into ci-

impact on social and economic pat- vilian life by providing benefits such

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OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY

as guaranteed loans for home-buy- In 1948 he sought reelection, despite

ing and financial aid for industrial polls indicating that he had little

training and university education .

chance . After a vigorous campaign,

More troubling was labor unrest . Truman scored one of the great up-

As war production ceased, many sets in American politics, defeating

workers found themselves without the Republican nominee, Thomas

jobs . Others wanted pay increases Dewey, governor of New York . Re-

they felt were long overdue . In 1946, viving the old New Deal coalition,

4 .6 million workers went on strike, Truman held on to labor, farmers,

more than ever before in American and African-American voters .

history . They chal enged the automo-

When Truman finally left of-

bile, steel, and electrical industries . fice in 1953, his Fair Deal was but

When they took on the railroads and a mixed success . In July 1948 he

soft-coal mines, Truman intervened banned racial discrimination in fed-

to stop union excesses, but in so do- eral government hiring practices and

ing he alienated many workers .

ordered an end to segregation in the

While dealing with immediately military . The minimum wage had

pressing issues, Truman also provid- risen, and social security programs

ed a broader agenda for action . Less had expanded . A housing program

than a week after the war ended, he brought some gains but left many

presented Congress with a 21-point needs unmet . National health in-

program, which provided for pro- surance, aid-to-education measures,

tection against unfair employment reformed agricultural subsidies, and

practices, a higher minimum wage, his legislative civil rights agenda

greater unemployment compen- never made it through Congress .

sation, and housing assistance . In The president’s pursuit of the Cold

the next several months, he added War, ultimately his most important

proposals for health insurance and objective, made it especially difficult

atomic energy legislation . But this to develop support for social reform

scattershot approach often left Tru- in the face of intense opposition .

man’s priorities unclear .

Republicans were quick to attack .

EISENHOWER’S APPROACH

In the 1946 congressional elections

they asked, “Had enough?” and vot- When Dwight Eisenhower suc-

ers responded that they had . Re- ceeded Truman as president, he

publicans, with majorities in both accepted the basic framework of gov-

houses of Congress for the first time ernment responsibility established

since 1928, were determined to re- by the New Deal, but sought to hold

verse the liberal direction of the the line on programs and expendi-

Roosevelt years .

tures . He termed his approach “dy-

Truman fought with the Congress namic conservatism” or “modern

as it cut spending and reduced taxes . Republicanism,” which meant, he ex-

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