THE TRUMAN PRESIDENCY

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THE TRUMAN PRESIDENCY
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Two Cold War themes
1) Conflict with the Soviets

• 2) Conflict between Truman Congress

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THE TRUMAN PRESIDENCY

• Objectives
• Describe the post WW II domestic challenges
  evaluate how HST handles these challenges.

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To Err is Truman

• 1) The two major domestic challenges... facing
  the Truman Administration following WW II

• Demobilization
• Re-establish the peace time economy

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Demobilization

• Slogans
• Home Alive in 45
• No Boats, No Votes
• Postcards to the Whitehouse...
• Bring the boys home by X-mas
• Bring Daddy Home Clubs

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Heading home at lastAcross Europe, Asia the
Pacific, Americas victorious GIs pack up, tear
down head home to restart their lives.
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To Err is Truman

• 2) The economic problems associated with
  reconverting the economy?

The challenge of economic reconversion - 9M
returning vets - War plants close - 35B in
contracts cancelled - Fear of returning to the
depression - Consumers are tired of economic
sacrifice - Inflation 16 in 1 week - Labor
unrest
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Social problems in the post war era

• Fear of blood lust
• The divorce rate up
• Housing shortages

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FDR signs the Servicemens Readjustment Act or
GI Bill of Rights in 1944

• For returning veterans
• Education college for vets
• - Medical treatment
• - Business loans
• - Housing loans

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The "GI Bill" exceeded all expectations

• 21M get educated
• 1947 GIs 50 of college enrollment  
• The American workforce
• 450K engineers
• 238K teachers
• 91K scientists
• 67K doctors
• 22K dentists

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4) Trumans Twenty-one Point Program (1945-1946)

• Unemployment insurance
• Higher minimum wage
• Housing assistance
• National health insurance

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The 1946 Mid-term ElectionsHad enough???

• The results
• 5) What voter sentiments were reflected in the
  1946 midterm election?

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The 80th Congress

• The 80th Congress defeats most of Trumans
  proposals for dealing with these problems.

No good, do-nothing Congress- HST Republicans
Democrats -Shrink New Deal -Extend New
Deal
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• Summarize the opposing viewpoints of labor and
  management in the post war era.

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6) Taft-Hartley Act AKA Slave Labor Bill

• A reaction to labor unrest
• Limits the closed shop
• Requires an 80 day cooling off period for strikes
• Union leaders must swear they are not Communists
• Passed over Trumans veto

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THE TRUMAN PRESIDENCY

• Objective
• Describe the factors that most
• influenced the outcome of the 1948 election?

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The 1948 Election

• 7) Progressive Henry Wallace
• Liberal New Dealer
• Trumans fired him as Sec. of Commerce
• Accused of being a tool of the communists

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The 1948 Election

• 7) Dixie-crat Strom Thurmond
• Gov. of South Carolina
• Segregationist
• Runs in reaction to HST's civil rights policies

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Senator Strom Thurmond served until age 100. He
was 103 when he died in 2003
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The 1948 Election

• Democrat Harry Truman
• Maintain/ expand New Deal
• Adopts civil rights policies to counter Wallace
• Desegregates the military
• Attacks the 80th Do-nothing Congress

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The 1948 Election

• Republican Thomas Dewey
• Gov. of NY
• Reverse the New Deal
• Attacks Truman for poorly managing the Communist
  threat.

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Results of the 1948 Election

• Party/ Electoral College Pop Vote
• HST Dem 303 49.5
• Dewey Rep. 189 45.1
• Thurmond Dixiecrat 39 2.4
• Wallace Prog 0 .6

8) What were the factors that most influenced the
outcome of the 1948 Presidential election?
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THE TRUMAN PRESIDENCY

• Objectives
• Identify the policies associated with the Fair
  Deal and evaluate the success of these Fair Deal
  policies.

Trumans Inauguration
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9) 10) The Fair Deal
What is the Fair Deal?...

• Success
• -Social Security
• -Minimum wage
• -Housing subsidies
• -Urban housing

Failure -Civil rights -Taft Hartley
repeal- -Health Insurance -Aid to
education
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HST Civil Rights

• 1946 Forms Commission on CR
• Recommend Anti-lynching Law
• End Poll Taxes
• 1948 HST desegregates the military
• Meets with CR leaders to discuss racial
  terrorism in America