Chapter 37: The Eisenhower Era
Identifications
Earl Warren
The Chief Justice who ruled in favor of Brown in the famous Brown v the Board of Education Supreme Court Ruling.
Rosa Parks
The iconic black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white person on the bus.
Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese ruler who was leaning towards communism.
Ngo Dinh Diem
The first president of South Vietnam who tried to create the Republic of Vietnam. He was a very staunch anti-communist.
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Egyptian diplomat who tried to nationalize the Suez Canal Company and put an end to the Suez Crisis.
Nikita Khruschev
The first secretary of the Communist Party o f the Soviet Union and led the USSR during part of the Cold War.
Fidel Castro Cuban
Revolutionary who overthrew Fulgencio Batista. He was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Desegregation / integration
The practice of nonsegregation and including blacks and colored into the previously white-only aspects of American culture.
massive retaliation
The US policy to massively retaliate in the event of a nuclear threat from foreign powers.
military-industrial complex
A concept that involves the monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the military industry.
Brown v. Board of Education
Famous Supreme Court Ruling that did away with the Plessy v Ferguson case and started the first phases in desegregation and integration of blacks.
Geneva Conference
A Cold War meeting that included Eisenhower of the US, Anthony Eden of Britain, Premier Nikolai Bulganin of the USSR, and Edgar Faure of France.
South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)
International organization for defenses in Southeast Asia that was the result of the Manila Pact.
Hungarian Revolt
Occurring in 1956, this revolt involved the people fighting against the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet imposed policies.
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis was a confrontation between Egypt against Britain, France, and Israel. It involved the bombing of Cairo with other powers such as the US, USSR, and the UN trying to get the other parties to stop.
Eisenhower Doctrine
The US policy that the US would help out the Middle East lest there be a threat of communism.
Sputnik
The first manmade satellite to orbit the Earth. It was produced by the Soviets and started the Space Race.
National Defense and Education Act — (NDEA)
Singed in 1958, it provided funds for educational institutes at all levels across the US.
U-2 Incident
During the cold War, this US spy plane was shot down over Russia while doing some reconnaissance work.
Guided Reading Questions
Affluence and Its Anxieties
Know: IBM, Information Age, Ozzie and Harriet, The Feminine Mystique
1. What was life like for women in the 1950's?
After the invention of the transistor, electronics made a big jump in their technology. IBM and other high-tech companies started the information age. In 1956, the number of white collared jobs outnumbered the number of blue collared jobs, meaning there were more desk jobs than laboring ones.
Consumer Culture in the Fifties
Know: Diner's Club, McDonald's, Disneyland, Television, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Playboy, The Affluent Society
2. How was popular culture changing and reflecting America?
The culture of America during the 1950's was that of a consumerist and capitalist America. Things such as McDonald's and Disneyland were built. The first TVs made their first appearances in the average home. Sex appeal was one of the selling points of the popular culture. People like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe were scandalous icons during the era.
The Advent of Eisenhower
Know: Adlai E. Stevenson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Checkers Speech
3. Describe the 1952 presidential election.
Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic nominee in the election of 1952. Robert A. Taft was not chosen as the Republican nominee because he was an isolationist. Instead, the republicans went with war hero Dwight D Eisenhower. HE was very popular with the people with his well known slogan WE Like IKE.
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
Know: Joseph McCarthy
4. Joseph McCarthy may have been more dangerous to our form of government than any communists who might have been in the country. Explain.
Joseph McCarthy was a senator that made bold accusations of people of high status being communist. For example, Dean Acheson, the Secretary of State was accused of knowingly hiring 205 communists. McCarthy's wild claims began another Red Scare during the time, with almost no evidence being presented. People like the Hollywood 10 made their stand against such ludicrous and false accusations.
Desegregating American Society
Know: Jim Crow Laws, Emmett Till, Jackie Robinson, NAACP, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King Jr.
5. What conditions in the South brought about the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement?
The Jim Crow Laws were laws that allowed segregation. The famous Supreme Court Case of Plessy v Ferguson was the case that made 'separate but equal' legal. The NAACP was a group that fought for Civil Rights for blacks. Jackie Robinson was the first black to play professional Baseball, which was a large step for equality for the blacks. One famous case of defiance was Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white person.
Seeds of the Civil Rights Revolution
Know: Earl Warren, Brown v. Board of Education, All Deliberate Speed, Little Rock Central High School, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Sit-ins, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee
6. Why was Brown v. Board of Education a landmark case?
Brown v the Board of Education was a remarkable case because it signaled the beginnings of integration and desegregation. This case was also the case that nullified the other Plessy v Ferguson case that was known to be the separate but equal case. Earl Warren was the Chief Justice that took the side of Brown. Little Rock Central High School was the first white school that was allowing blacks to enroll, which was in the state of Arkansas. There was a very large ruckus, and the governor sent in National Guard troops to ensure the blacks did not go inside the school.
Eisenhower Republicanism at Home
Know: Dynamic Conservatism, Creeping Socialism, Interstate Highway Act, AFL-CIO
8. Did Eisenhower live up to his philosophy of dynamic conservatism?
Dynamic Conversation was the idea to be liberal with people, but be conservative with money. Eisenhower was a person who negotiated a lot and took the middle road through everything. He wanted to balance the federal budget, but at the same time, protect it from creeping socialism. The Interstate Highway Act built 42,000 interstate miles, which was appropriate since there were so many more cars on the road.
A “New Look” in Foreign Policy
Know: John Foster Dulles, Strategic Air Command, Massive Retaliation, Military-industrial Complex
9. Was Eisenhower's policy of massive retaliation effective? Explain.
John Foster Dulles was the Secretary of State that wanted out of the containment. He wanted to fight against communism by freeing those countries that have fallen prey. HE proposed to cut back on the military spending, but focus on nuclear weapons in the Strategic Air Command. Massive retaliation was the idea that if there was a nuclear threat, the US would not hold back and massively retaliates.
The Vietnam Nightmare
Know: Ho Chi Minh, Dienbienphu, Ngo Dinh Diem, Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
10. How did the United States get involved in Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh was the leader of Vietnam who started to become more communist. America just wanted to let France handle the rising threat of communism, but at Dienbeinphu, the French was surrounded and lost. In response, they simple left Southeast Asia.
Cold War Crises in Europe and the Middle East
Know: Shah of Iran, Gamal Abdel Nasser, The Suez Crisis, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Country
11. Why was the U.S. concerned about problems in the Middle East?
In 1956, Russia formed the Warsaw pact, which sought to balance NATO. Gamal Abdel Nassar of Egypt wanted to dam the Nile. When Secretary Dulles took out the US offer, Nassar took over the Suez Canal. In 1957, Congress employed the Eisenhower Doctrine, which said that the US would help the Middle East if they were threatened by communism. The organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was the main concern of the US.
Round Two for "Ike"
Know: Teamsters, Jimmy Hoffa, Landrum-Griffin Act, , Missile Gap, National Defense and Education Act
12. What labor problems became evident during Eisenhower's second term?
In 1956, the election was won by Dwight Eisenhower in a landslide victory. The Landrum-Griffin Act was passed in 1959 to monitor the labor unions dirty dealings. After the Russians launched Sputnik in 1957, President Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA for short. The space race had begun.
The Continuing Cold War
Know: U-2 Spy Plane
13. Describe efforts at disarmament during the Eisenhower administration.
While both the USSR and the US were testing their nuclear weapons, they agreed to not conduct any dirty tests. One night, an American Spy U2 Plane was shot down in Russia, which was spying on them in their own airspace. The entire ordeal was quite embarrassing and tensions amongst the relationships grew again.
Cuba's Castroism Spells Communism
Know: Fulgencio Batista, Fidel Castro
14. Why was revolution in Cuba such a concern to America?
In 1959, Fidel Castro of Cuba overthrew Fulgencio Batista. Castro wanted to combine many Cuban lands that the US owned, and his tactics were very violent. His ideals and actions were very similar to communist ideals, so the USSR took a liking to him. After Castro took over, many Cubans fled to Miami to escape the wrath of the totalitarian regime.
Kennedy Challenges Nixon for the Presidency
Know: Richard Nixon, Kitchen Debate, John Kennedy, New Frontier
15. Was Nixon a good presidential candidate in 1960?
In the election of 1960, Richard Nixon was chosen as the Republican presidential candidate. John F Kennedy was the Democrat's choice. Kennedy was a young, attractive man who had a lot of charisma, especially on television, where many debates were seen on national broadcasts. The TV broadcasts definitely helped Kennedy win the election, which was very close.
An Old General Fades Away
Know: Alaska, Hawaii
16. Evaluate Eisenhower's presidency.
In 1951, the 22nd Amendment was passed, as a result of FDR's very long presidency. Up until that day, the 2 term presidency has only been a tradition, not a law, but the 22nd Amendment changed all of that. Eisenhower was a quite successful president. In 1959, Hawaii and Alaska were added to the US. However, one major downfall on Eisenhower's part was that he didn't take the civil rights movement very seriously.
The Life of the Mind in Postwar America
Know: Catch-22, Arthur Miller, Catcher in the Rye, George Orwell
17. What do the books and plays of the post-war period say about the times in which they were produced?
In the 1950's, much of American culture has changed. Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck were famous writers who won the Nobel Prize for literature. Many other writers also wrote about their WWII endeavors. Famous playwrights such as Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Earl Warren
The Chief Justice who ruled in favor of Brown in the famous Brown v the Board of Education Supreme Court Ruling.
Rosa Parks
The iconic black woman who refused to give up her seat to a white person on the bus.
Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese ruler who was leaning towards communism.
Ngo Dinh Diem
The first president of South Vietnam who tried to create the Republic of Vietnam. He was a very staunch anti-communist.
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Egyptian diplomat who tried to nationalize the Suez Canal Company and put an end to the Suez Crisis.
Nikita Khruschev
The first secretary of the Communist Party o f the Soviet Union and led the USSR during part of the Cold War.
Fidel Castro Cuban
Revolutionary who overthrew Fulgencio Batista. He was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Desegregation / integration
The practice of nonsegregation and including blacks and colored into the previously white-only aspects of American culture.
massive retaliation
The US policy to massively retaliate in the event of a nuclear threat from foreign powers.
military-industrial complex
A concept that involves the monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the military industry.
Brown v. Board of Education
Famous Supreme Court Ruling that did away with the Plessy v Ferguson case and started the first phases in desegregation and integration of blacks.
Geneva Conference
A Cold War meeting that included Eisenhower of the US, Anthony Eden of Britain, Premier Nikolai Bulganin of the USSR, and Edgar Faure of France.
South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)
International organization for defenses in Southeast Asia that was the result of the Manila Pact.
Hungarian Revolt
Occurring in 1956, this revolt involved the people fighting against the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet imposed policies.
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis was a confrontation between Egypt against Britain, France, and Israel. It involved the bombing of Cairo with other powers such as the US, USSR, and the UN trying to get the other parties to stop.
Eisenhower Doctrine
The US policy that the US would help out the Middle East lest there be a threat of communism.
Sputnik
The first manmade satellite to orbit the Earth. It was produced by the Soviets and started the Space Race.
National Defense and Education Act — (NDEA)
Singed in 1958, it provided funds for educational institutes at all levels across the US.
U-2 Incident
During the cold War, this US spy plane was shot down over Russia while doing some reconnaissance work.
Guided Reading Questions
Affluence and Its Anxieties
Know: IBM, Information Age, Ozzie and Harriet, The Feminine Mystique
1. What was life like for women in the 1950's?
After the invention of the transistor, electronics made a big jump in their technology. IBM and other high-tech companies started the information age. In 1956, the number of white collared jobs outnumbered the number of blue collared jobs, meaning there were more desk jobs than laboring ones.
Consumer Culture in the Fifties
Know: Diner's Club, McDonald's, Disneyland, Television, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Playboy, The Affluent Society
2. How was popular culture changing and reflecting America?
The culture of America during the 1950's was that of a consumerist and capitalist America. Things such as McDonald's and Disneyland were built. The first TVs made their first appearances in the average home. Sex appeal was one of the selling points of the popular culture. People like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe were scandalous icons during the era.
The Advent of Eisenhower
Know: Adlai E. Stevenson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Checkers Speech
3. Describe the 1952 presidential election.
Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic nominee in the election of 1952. Robert A. Taft was not chosen as the Republican nominee because he was an isolationist. Instead, the republicans went with war hero Dwight D Eisenhower. HE was very popular with the people with his well known slogan WE Like IKE.
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
Know: Joseph McCarthy
4. Joseph McCarthy may have been more dangerous to our form of government than any communists who might have been in the country. Explain.
Joseph McCarthy was a senator that made bold accusations of people of high status being communist. For example, Dean Acheson, the Secretary of State was accused of knowingly hiring 205 communists. McCarthy's wild claims began another Red Scare during the time, with almost no evidence being presented. People like the Hollywood 10 made their stand against such ludicrous and false accusations.
Desegregating American Society
Know: Jim Crow Laws, Emmett Till, Jackie Robinson, NAACP, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King Jr.
5. What conditions in the South brought about the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement?
The Jim Crow Laws were laws that allowed segregation. The famous Supreme Court Case of Plessy v Ferguson was the case that made 'separate but equal' legal. The NAACP was a group that fought for Civil Rights for blacks. Jackie Robinson was the first black to play professional Baseball, which was a large step for equality for the blacks. One famous case of defiance was Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white person.
Seeds of the Civil Rights Revolution
Know: Earl Warren, Brown v. Board of Education, All Deliberate Speed, Little Rock Central High School, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Sit-ins, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee
6. Why was Brown v. Board of Education a landmark case?
Brown v the Board of Education was a remarkable case because it signaled the beginnings of integration and desegregation. This case was also the case that nullified the other Plessy v Ferguson case that was known to be the separate but equal case. Earl Warren was the Chief Justice that took the side of Brown. Little Rock Central High School was the first white school that was allowing blacks to enroll, which was in the state of Arkansas. There was a very large ruckus, and the governor sent in National Guard troops to ensure the blacks did not go inside the school.
Eisenhower Republicanism at Home
Know: Dynamic Conservatism, Creeping Socialism, Interstate Highway Act, AFL-CIO
8. Did Eisenhower live up to his philosophy of dynamic conservatism?
Dynamic Conversation was the idea to be liberal with people, but be conservative with money. Eisenhower was a person who negotiated a lot and took the middle road through everything. He wanted to balance the federal budget, but at the same time, protect it from creeping socialism. The Interstate Highway Act built 42,000 interstate miles, which was appropriate since there were so many more cars on the road.
A “New Look” in Foreign Policy
Know: John Foster Dulles, Strategic Air Command, Massive Retaliation, Military-industrial Complex
9. Was Eisenhower's policy of massive retaliation effective? Explain.
John Foster Dulles was the Secretary of State that wanted out of the containment. He wanted to fight against communism by freeing those countries that have fallen prey. HE proposed to cut back on the military spending, but focus on nuclear weapons in the Strategic Air Command. Massive retaliation was the idea that if there was a nuclear threat, the US would not hold back and massively retaliates.
The Vietnam Nightmare
Know: Ho Chi Minh, Dienbienphu, Ngo Dinh Diem, Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
10. How did the United States get involved in Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh was the leader of Vietnam who started to become more communist. America just wanted to let France handle the rising threat of communism, but at Dienbeinphu, the French was surrounded and lost. In response, they simple left Southeast Asia.
Cold War Crises in Europe and the Middle East
Know: Shah of Iran, Gamal Abdel Nasser, The Suez Crisis, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Country
11. Why was the U.S. concerned about problems in the Middle East?
In 1956, Russia formed the Warsaw pact, which sought to balance NATO. Gamal Abdel Nassar of Egypt wanted to dam the Nile. When Secretary Dulles took out the US offer, Nassar took over the Suez Canal. In 1957, Congress employed the Eisenhower Doctrine, which said that the US would help the Middle East if they were threatened by communism. The organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was the main concern of the US.
Round Two for "Ike"
Know: Teamsters, Jimmy Hoffa, Landrum-Griffin Act, , Missile Gap, National Defense and Education Act
12. What labor problems became evident during Eisenhower's second term?
In 1956, the election was won by Dwight Eisenhower in a landslide victory. The Landrum-Griffin Act was passed in 1959 to monitor the labor unions dirty dealings. After the Russians launched Sputnik in 1957, President Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA for short. The space race had begun.
The Continuing Cold War
Know: U-2 Spy Plane
13. Describe efforts at disarmament during the Eisenhower administration.
While both the USSR and the US were testing their nuclear weapons, they agreed to not conduct any dirty tests. One night, an American Spy U2 Plane was shot down in Russia, which was spying on them in their own airspace. The entire ordeal was quite embarrassing and tensions amongst the relationships grew again.
Cuba's Castroism Spells Communism
Know: Fulgencio Batista, Fidel Castro
14. Why was revolution in Cuba such a concern to America?
In 1959, Fidel Castro of Cuba overthrew Fulgencio Batista. Castro wanted to combine many Cuban lands that the US owned, and his tactics were very violent. His ideals and actions were very similar to communist ideals, so the USSR took a liking to him. After Castro took over, many Cubans fled to Miami to escape the wrath of the totalitarian regime.
Kennedy Challenges Nixon for the Presidency
Know: Richard Nixon, Kitchen Debate, John Kennedy, New Frontier
15. Was Nixon a good presidential candidate in 1960?
In the election of 1960, Richard Nixon was chosen as the Republican presidential candidate. John F Kennedy was the Democrat's choice. Kennedy was a young, attractive man who had a lot of charisma, especially on television, where many debates were seen on national broadcasts. The TV broadcasts definitely helped Kennedy win the election, which was very close.
An Old General Fades Away
Know: Alaska, Hawaii
16. Evaluate Eisenhower's presidency.
In 1951, the 22nd Amendment was passed, as a result of FDR's very long presidency. Up until that day, the 2 term presidency has only been a tradition, not a law, but the 22nd Amendment changed all of that. Eisenhower was a quite successful president. In 1959, Hawaii and Alaska were added to the US. However, one major downfall on Eisenhower's part was that he didn't take the civil rights movement very seriously.
The Life of the Mind in Postwar America
Know: Catch-22, Arthur Miller, Catcher in the Rye, George Orwell
17. What do the books and plays of the post-war period say about the times in which they were produced?
In the 1950's, much of American culture has changed. Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck were famous writers who won the Nobel Prize for literature. Many other writers also wrote about their WWII endeavors. Famous playwrights such as Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.