VP: Richard Nixon DiO: January 20, 1953 January 20, 1961 Born: Oct 14, 1890 Died: March 28, 1969 State: Texas PP: Republican Domes&c Policy and Civil Rights of the 1950s
(1) STEVENSON VS. IKE 1952 ELECTION Stevenson Ike The Democrats nominated intellectual Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson while the Republicans nominated war hero Dwight David Eisenhower
Eisenhower used the slogan, I Like Ike for his presiden&al campaign Republicans used Ike s strong military background to emphasize his ability to combat Communism worldwide I LIKE IKE
I Like Ike Republican rallying cry It s Qme for a change republican slogan auer 20 years of DemocraQc presidency Ike promised end of war in Korea. Won by a landslide 6 million votes
IKE S VP SLIP UP Nixon and his dog Checkers One poten&al disaster for Ike was his running mate s alleged slush fund Accused of receiving giws from California businesspeople totaling $18,000 while a senator. Richard Nixon responded by going on T.V. and delivering an emo&onal speech denying charges but admi[ng to accep&ng one giw for his children a dog named Checkers The Checkers speech saved the &cket
IKE WINS 1952 ELECTION
a. Democrat: Adlai Stevenson b. Republican: Dwight D. Eisenhower (Richard Nixon VP)
(16 cont) Ike won just under 60% of the popular vote; electoral vote was 457 to 73 in favor of Ike! d. Ike failed to win either house of Congress for his party country remained heavily DemocraQc but everyone loved Ike.
(2) Hidden Hand Presidency Cabinet assumed new importance; genuine advisory board Full Qme secretary, agenda, & regularly kept minutes (remember he is 63 kinda old) If for some reason the President is unable to lead, the US govt. will not come to standsqll
(17) Federal Highway Act of 1956 authorized the construc&on of a network of super highways; 41,000 miles of road with its primary purpose of defense The bridges were built high enough for missile systems to be hauled under and roads wide enough for tanks, and at least 1 of every 5 miles is perfectly straight for airplane access. Who were worried about defending ourselves against?
THE AUTOMOBILE CULTURE AWer the ra&oning of WWII, inexpensive and plen&ful fuel and easy credit led many to buy cars By 1960, over 60 million Americans owned autos
In 1956 Ike authorized a na&onwide highway network 41,000 miles of road linking America INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ACT 1956
THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM Automania spurred the construc&on of roads linking major ci&es while connec&ng schools, shopping centers and workplaces to residen&al suburbs
IMPACT OF THE HIGHWAY The Interstate Highway system resulted in: More trucking Less railroad Trucking is the #1 means of moving cargo in the United States today More suburbs, further away
HIGHWAYS HOMOGENIZE AMERICA Another effect of the highway system was that the scenery of America began to look the same Restaurants, motels, highway billboards, gas sta&ons, etc. all began to look similar The na&on had become homogenized Anytown, USA
Our new roads, with their ancillaries, the motels, filling sta6ons, and restaurants adver6sing eats, have made it possible for you to drive from Brooklyn to Los Angeles without a change of diet, scenery, or culture. John Keats, The Insolent Chariots 1958
DOWNSIDE TO MOBILITY While the car industry boom s&mulated produc&on, jobs, shopping centers, and the restaurant industry, it also had nega&ve effects Noise Pollu&on Accidents Traffic Jams Stress Decline of public transporta&on
1946 1964 the birthrate in the U.S. soared At its height in 1957, a baby was born in America every 7 seconds (over 4.3 million babies in 57 alone) Baby boomers represent the largest genera&on in the na&on s history (24) THE BABY BOOM Maddie
What are the official years of the Baby Boom Genera&on? 1946 1964 saw a marked increase in the number of births in North America. How did the birthrate rise and fall during the baby boom years in the US? 1940 2,559,000 births per year 1946 3,311,000 births per year 1955 4,097,000 births per year 1957 4,300,000 births per year 1964 4,027,000 births per year 1974 3,160,000 births per year
WHY SO MANY BABIES? Why did the baby boom occur when it did? Husbands returning from war Decreasing marriage age Desirability of large families Confidence in economy Advances in medicine
WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU Your genera&on will be suppor&ng an increasingly aging American popula&on
ADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND CHILDCARE (14) Jonas Salk Advances in the treatment of childhood diseases included drugs to combat typhoid fever and polio Dr. Salk was instrumental in the eradica&on of polio
DR. SPOCK ADVISES PARENTS Many parents raised their children according to the guidelines of pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock He thought children should be allowed to express themselves and parents should never physically punish their kids Dr. Spock s book sold 10 million copies in the 1950s
IMPACT OF BABY BOOM As a result of the baby boom 10 million students entered elementary schools in the 1950s California built a new school every 7 days in the late 50s Toy sales reached an all &me high in 1958 when $1.25 billion in toys were sold
Symbols of the Baby Boom in Suburbia 1950 1960 Hot Dog ProducQon (millions of lbs) 750 1050 Potato Chip ProducQon (millions of lbs) 320 532 Sales of lawn and porch furniture (millions of dollars) 53.6 145.2 Sales of power mowers (millions of dollars) 1.0 3.8 Sales of floor polishers (millions of dollars) 0.24 1.0 Sales of Encyclopaedia (millions of dollars) 72 300 Number of Children age 5 14 24.3 35.5 Number of baseball Lijle Leagues 776 5,700
Fads of the Baby Boomers Hula Hoops Frozen Foods Poodle Skirts and Saddle Shoes What celebrity deaths have most affected the Baby Boomers? Panty Raids Barbie and GI Joe Dolls John F. Kennedy Bikinis Marilyn Monroe Frisbees MarQn Luther King Yo yos Ouija Boards John Lennon Dune Buggies