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The Cold War at Home : The Red Scare. The Cold War: 1950s Prosperity. The GI Bill Govt plan to help veterans go to college and buy homes or start a Business. 1950s Prosperity : Helped vets get an education and good job. Helped vets buy homes, which created 100s of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The Cold War at Home:The Red Scare
The Cold War: 1950s Prosperity
The GI BillGovt plan to helpveterans go to college and buy homes or start a Business.
1950s Prosperity:Helped vets get an education and good job. Helped vets buy homes, which created 100s of thousands of new jobs.
The Cold War: 1950s Prosperity
“Baby Boom”Period after WWII when the birthrate spiked in the U.S.
1950s Prosperity:The baby boom was more of a symbol of post-war prosperity and Americans confidence in the future.
The Cold War: 1950s Prosperity
Suburbs:Newly built residentialcommunities outside larger urban areas.
1950s Prosperity:• Demand for new housing
after WWII• GI Bill helps with loans• Construction of suburbs
creates millions of new jobs.
The Cold War: 1950s Prosperity
Consumerism:Money saved during WWII+Demand for consumer goods =Post-war consumerism
1950s Prosperity:Massive consumer spending created millions of new jobs.
The Cold War: 1950s Prosperity
Defense Spending:After WWII, the U.S. maintained a permanent defense industry that developed and produced new weapons during the Cold War.
1950s Prosperity:While contributing to the arms race with the USSR, defense spending also created hundreds of thousands of new, high-paying jobs.
Cold War Presidents (1945-1960)
Franklin D. Roosevelt:• New Deal• President during
most of WWII
Cold War Presidents (1945-1960)
Harry Truman:• Ordered the A-
Bomb dropped on Japan
• Truman Doctrine to “contain” communism
• Korean War
Cold War Presidents (1945-1960)
Dwight Eisenhower:• President during most of
the 1950s• Red Scare &
McCarthyism
The Red Scare
The Cold War:1950s Red Scare
Why were Americans fearful of communism at home?Foreign Events:• Soviets test atomic weapon
in 1949• China becomes communist
in 1949Domestic Events:• Fear of nuclear war• Soviet spies• Spread of communism world
wide
The Cold War:The Red Scare
Truman ensures loyalty of government employees:• Loyalty review board created• All new government employees
were investigated• Any suspicious government
employees were investigated
The Cold War:The Red Scare
Truman and political pressure to “get tough” on communism:The Republican Party had gained seats in Congress. Truman feared that they would make the loyalty issue a political issue.*Republicans have been historically tough on communism.
The Cold War:The Red Scare
What does HUAC stand for?House Un-AmericanActivitiesCommittee
HUAC investigated suspicious communist activities in government agencies & Hollywood
The Cold War:The Red Scare
The McCarranWalter Act:Law that confirmedimmigration quota system and discriminated against immigrants from Asia & Eastern Europe.
The Cold War:The Red Scare
How did McCarran-Walter combat Communism at home?Many people suspected that disloyal Americans were immigrants from communist parts of the world and wanted to keep them out.
The Cold War:The Red Scare
How did Sen. Joseph McCarthy make a name for himself?By stirring up communist hysteria with baseless accusations, McCarthy took advantage of Cold War fears to help his political career.
The Cold War:The Red Scare
Why were people afraid of being accused by McCarthy?
His investigations and smear tactics of suspected communists in governmentruined many careers. Just to be questioned by McCarthy’s committee was enough to ruin a person’s life.
The Cold War:The Red Scare
The Fall of Senator McCarthy:As his power grew, McCarthy went after high-profile leaders like Gen. Marshall. When he began to investigate communists in the Army, Democrats asked that the hearings be televised. Americans now understood his bully tactics. The Senate condemned him and he lost public support. The term McCarthyism has become identified with making harsh accusations without evidence.
Technology & The Cold WarSputnik:In 1957, the USSR launched the first man-made satellite into space. The basketball-sized Sputnik simply sent out a “beep” that allowed it to be tracked. Sputnik started a space race between the USSR & USA.
Technology & The Cold WarInterstate Highway ActDuring WWII, Eisenhower had been impressed with Germany’s Autobahn highway system. In 1954, he signed legislation authorizing the construction of an interstate highway system in the U.S.
Technology & The Cold WarThe Interstate Highway system would have the following benefits:• contribute to post-war
prosperity by providing jobs for thousands
• make it easier for commercial goods to be transported across the country
• if necessary, help during a military crisis
What is a mural?
