Post War America How does Truman run the country after WWII?

Post War AmericaHow does Truman run the country

after WWII?

Mass Produced HomesMass Produced Homes• Lack of home building & GI Bill of Rights giving vets easy

home loans causes housing shortage

$7,000!$7,000!

• Assembly line method of production of homes creates affordable housing & birth of the suburbs (Levittown, NY first suburbs)

Truman’s Avoids DepressionTruman’s Avoids Depression

• Truman worried about new Depression, $35 mill in war contracts canceled, one million defense workers laid off

• 1) Gov encourages people to spend saved money, 2) Marshall plan gives $ to Europe, 3) GATT reduces tariffs

• Result: economy booms w/ new jobs in retail & manufacturing

Strikes Plague Recovery• Strikes cause shortages, Truman tries to limit strikers

(natl interests at stake )• Republicans to win back Congress, pass Taft-Hartley

Act limiting union’s powers

Truman & Civil Rights

- Truman wants to end racial discrimination- 1)Proposes Anti-lynching laws, 2)ban on

the poll tax & 3)permanent civil rights commission

- Congress votes all three down- In response, Truman orders integration of

the armed forces- Baseball integrates, Brooklyn Dodgers

sign Jackie Robinson, other MLB teams follow

- Truman announces “Fair Deal” supporting education, social security, and min wage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX3tv9uKj1I

1948 Election1948 Election

• Upset Southerners form States Rights Party aka “Dixiecrats” to challenge Truman:1)Democrats – Harry Truman2) “Dixiecrats”– Strom Thurmond3) Republicans- Thomas Dewey

• Truman wins in an upset, criticizes Republican policies, so Congress “kills” Fair Deal