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America 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the period after WW2 referred to as

A

The American Dream - Anyone could succeed through hard work
- Each generation is more successful than previous one

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2
Q

What is consumerism

A

concept that ever expanding consumption of goods benefits economy

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3
Q

What was consumer society like in post war America

A

Luxury goods made at affordable prices
By end of 1950s 90% households had a TV, 80% a car and telephone and 70% a washing machine
Powerful advertising scheme - buy now pay later
Huge shopping centres out of town created - caused demise of town centres
Baby Boom (40% increase in population)
Boom in overseas spending on US goods (65% manufactured goods went overseas)

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4
Q

What happened in April 1945

A

FDR died and replaced by Truman

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5
Q

What was the “Fair Deal”

A

Truman’s policy to have a fairer society
Aimed to tackle poverty and rights of African Americans

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6
Q

What did the Fair Deal achieve

A

Raised minimum hourly wage from 40 to 75cents
Cleared slum housing and replaced with affordable housing
$4billion given to 9 million veterans for hoe loans and attend college/trade schools

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7
Q

What parts of the Fair Deal failed

A

Proposal for national health insurance scheme - blocked by republicans

Improved rights for African Americans blocked by southern politicians

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8
Q

What happened to women after WW2

A

Went back to housework
Only got traditional female jobs eg teaching nursing secretary
Discriminated if they pursued high flying business
Average age of marriage for women was age 20 lowest since 1890

Male view dominated women place was in the home and if she had all the new gadgets she was living the American Dream

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9
Q

Who became president after Truman

A

Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower a republican became resident in 1952

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10
Q

What did Eisenhower do

A

Brought lots of economists into government to keep economy booming

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11
Q

What were the problems Eisenhower had at home

A

Still vast areas of very poor in south with substandard housing and schools
No NHS or basic healthcare
No jobseeker or sickness pay
Elderly did not benefit from boom became very poor

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12
Q

What is the Rock and Roll Generation

A

As America wealthier teenagers had more leisure time
Parents could help kids financially.
No needs for kids to get a job at 14/15 so could finish school go to college
Teenagers had money for music, cars, fashion, alcohol

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13
Q

What was the impact of changes for teenagers

A

More money and time
Formed gangs, raced cars
Reputation as independent, rebellious. secretive, aggressive
James Dean, Marlon Brando emblems of teenage rebellion.
Rock and Roll music viewed as dangerous and linked to teenage crime and gangs

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14
Q

What did 82% of America watch on TV in 1956

A

Performance by Elvis Presley

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15
Q

What was the Red Scare

A

Americans deep seated fear of communism. From WW2 to mid 1950s

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16
Q

Why were Americans scared of communism

A

USSR had nuclear weapons a rival superpower
Communism spread in E Europe feared would spread further
Containment failed
China became communist - another big country
Publicised spying cases

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17
Q

Who was Alger Hiss

A

Member of US Government accused of spying for USSR

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18
Q

Why were Ethel and Julius Rosenberg executed

A

Americans accused of spying

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19
Q

What was HUAC

A

House of representatives Unamerican Activities Committee

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20
Q

What did HUAC do

A

Searched for communists in US government, workplaces, media, movie industry

Truman introduced a loyalty programme allowed FBI to investigate and sack anyone deemed a security risk

No says found but many forced out of their jobs due to the disgrace of investigation

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21
Q

Who was Joseph McCarthy

A

Politician (Senator) in 1950 who used fear of communism to further his career.
McCarthyism

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22
Q

What did McCarthy do

A

Claimed had a list of 200 communists working for the Government
List was front page news and he became an Anticommunist hero.
Over 5 years waged wild investigation campaign “witch hunt”
Critics were accused of being communists or supporters and could be sacked

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23
Q

How did McCarthyism end

A

In 1954 accused 45 Army officers of being communists but had no evidence so lost public support

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24
Q

What is the civil rights movement

A

A campaign from 1940s to late 1960s

Aim to achieve civil rights fir African Americans equal to white americans

Refers to equal opportunities with regards to housing, employment and education. As well as right to vote and right to be free of racial discrimination

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25
What success had the civil rights movement had in the 1940s
Fair Employment Law in 1941 Truman's 1946 President's committee on civil rights to eliminate segregation
26
What was Brown v Board of Education of Topeka
Case in 1951 father of an african american girl Linda Brown in Topeka took the local education authority for court as he wanted her to attend local all whites school. He was helped by NAACP
27
What is NAACP
National Association Advancement of Coloured People
28
What was the outcome of Brown v Board of education of Topeka
Lost case Appealed to Supreme court May 1954 Chief Judge of Supreme Court declared every education board had to end segregation in schools
29
What was the response to the Brown V Board of Education of Topeka case ruling
Within weeks many towns and cities desegregated schools Some refused in southern state of Mississippi a white citizens council was formed to keep segregation By 1956 not a single african american child was attending a school where there were white students
30
Who was Rosa Parks
An african american woman who was secretary of the local NAACP in Montgomery, Alabama. A southern state.
31
What did Rosa Parks do
On 1 December 1955 refused to move from the whites only section of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested.
32
What was the response to Rosa Parks arrest
News of arrest spread fast Local black community leaders agreed a boycott of all city buses.
33
Who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Martin Luther King, a church preacher
34
What happened in the bus boycott
African Americans stopped using the buses for months as they were 75% of the customers the bus company got into financial difficulty. Some protesters received threats and had their homes vandalised but King told them to remain peaceful.
35
How was the bus boycott resolved
Almost a year after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat the Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses, like schools, were illegal. A significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement
36
What did Martin Luther King believe
That non violent protest or direct action was the best way to achieve equal rights
37
What was the Little Rock case
September 1957 9 African American pulls tried to attend Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas. Arkansas had refused to desegregate schools. The Governor of Arkansas sent National Guard soldiers to prevent the kids entering The african americans took the Governor to court and won. Soldiers had to leave and pupils could got to the school
38
Did the Little Rock case resolve the issue of segregation in schools
Not really By 1960 only 2500 of Arkansas' 2 million black students went to same school as white children By 1962 no black students attending schools with white children in Alabama, South Carolina or Mississippi
39
What was the Civil Rights Act
Law passed in 1957 giving all African Americans the right to vote. Little done to enforce it but showed Federal Government no longer willing to be ignored by states
40
What were the 3 developments in the Civil Rights movement
Protests Sit ins/Freedom rides Work of Government
41
What happened in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963
King organised non violent protest march in one of most segregated city. Police chief ordered police to fire on them Thousands arrested including 900 children shown on TV Kennedy sent in troops to restore order and ordered Birminganm City Council to end segregation
42
Who was Eugene "Bull" Connor
Police chief of Birmingham, Alabama who ordered police to attack protestors with water cannons, tear gas and electric cattle batons
43
What happened August 1963
King gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech at largest civil rights demo in US history
44
What happened in Selma March 1965
King organised a march from Selma to Birmingham, Alabama. On outskirts of Selma local police brutally attacked protestors. Known as Bloody Sunday
45
What were freedom riders
African American and white civil rights campaigners travelled sitting next to each other in white only segregated buses
46
What were sit ins
African american students sometimes with white students sat in white only areas of restaurants or cafes and refused to leave. 70000 campaigners staged sit ins across south in 1960/61
47
What did Kennedy contribute to Civil Rights Movement
Supported a new civil rights act in 1963 to give equality in housing and education just before he was assassinated
48
Who succeeded kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
49
What did Lyndon Johnson contribute to civil rights movement
IN 1964 introduced civil rights act to outlaw racial discrimination in employment and segregation in public places
50
What was the voting rights act
In 1965 gave all americans right to vote Only passed by Congress in 1968
51
When were interracial marriages legalised
1967
52
What was the Fair Housing Act
1968 made racial discrimination illegal when buying or renting property
53
What was Black Power
Movement by several organisations who felt Martin Luther Kings approach was too slow and they wanted more change
54
What were the organisations behind Black power
The Nation of Islam (aka Black muslims) The Black Panther Party
55
What did the Nation of Islam want
Wanted separatism Said whites were racist and corrupt Rejected christianity as white man's religion urging african americans to follow islam
56
What did the Black Panther Party think
Extreme militant group rejected King's non violent ideas 5000 member in 1968 Argued african americans needed to protect themselves from whites with violence if needed
57
Who was Malcolm X
Best known member of Nation of Islam His ideas became less extreme he left the party in 1964 and set up Organisation of AFro-American Unity OAAU
58
What happened to Malcolm X
Shot and killed by Nation of Islam members while speaking at an OAAU meeting in 1965
59
What was the new Frontier
Series of domestic polices introduced by JFK to eliminate poverty and inequality, improve education and fight unemployment
60
What was the Peace Corps
Organisation set up by JFK sends volunteers abroad to help poorer countries - still exists today
61
What did JFK do for the economy as part of New Frontier
Cut taxes so more money to spend Gave $900 million to business to make more jobs Gave grants to companies for high tech equipment Increased spending on armed forces
62
What did JFK do for health and poverty as part of New Frontier
Increased minimum wage $4.9 billion to clear slums build roads and telephone lines Training schemes for unemployed Social security benefits for elderly and unemployed Funding for poor rural areas and research into mental illness
63
What were the criticism of new frontier
High tech equipment meant less people needed so jobs lost schools funding failed Commission on equal employment opportunity helped those with a job Black unemployment twice that of whites Minimum wage ad loans only useful for those with a job
64
Were Lyndon B Johnson and Kennedy the same political party
Yes both democrats
65
What was Lyndon Johnson's reform programme called
Great Society
66
What did Great Society do for the economy
Introduced Jobs Corps to help school leavers get jobs Increased minimum hourly wage $1.25 to $1.4
67
What did great Society do for schools
Operation Headstart - money to poorer city schools Elementary and Secondary Education Act provided major funding to schools Volunteers in service to America (VISTA) set up National Endowment for Arts and Humanities gave grants to artists and humanities
68
What is VISTA
Volunteers in service to America (VISTA) A domestic version of peace Corps
69
What did Great society do for healthcare and poverty
Housing Act funding low income housing Model Cities Act cleared inner city slums Air and Water Quality Acts tightened controls over pollution Improved safety standards for consumer products Medicare created
70
Whose idea was medicare
JFK
71
What was medicare
A fund to pay for healthcare for elderly and low income families
72
What were the criticisms
Very varied opinions African American poverty fell from 56% in 1959 to 30% in 1970 White family poverty from 18% to 8% Cost lots of money By 1968 unemployment rising and rioting in poorer cities Johnson supported Vietnam war involvement which was increasingly unpopular
73
What was "The Feminine Mystique"
A best selling book in 1963 by Betty Friedan Argued well qualified women depressed and undervalued as could not pursue a career. Called for equality between men and women
74
When was a report into women in workplace written
1963
75
What did the report on women in the workplace show
Women earned 60% less than men 95% managers were male Most women's work was part time and with limited responsibility Women could legally be dismissed if they got married Only 4% lawyers and 7% doctors women
76
When did the Equal Pay Act come in
1963 Became law men and women paid same for same job
77
When was the Civil Rights Act
1964 Banned discrimination on race or sex in employment
78
What became legal in 1965
Married couples using contraception
79
Which state was the first to introduce no fault divorce
California in 1969 Couples could divorce by mutual consent
80
What was the Education Amendment Act
1972 Bans sexual discrimination in education Girls can stay same subjects as boys
81
What was NOW
National Organisation for Women Set up 1966. Soon had 40,000 members mostly middle class middle aged
82
What did NOW want
Complete equal rights for women in US law Abortion legalised - women can make their own decisions about they reproduction Wrote to politicians, held demos, took companies breaking law on pay to court
83
What was Women's Lib
Women's Liberation Movement Younger women more extreme approaches to feminism eg disrupted 1968 Miss World beauty contest
84
What other groups were part of the feminist movement
Women's Campaign Fund North American Indian Women's Association National Black Feminist Organisation
84
85
What is ERA
Equal Rights Amendment approved by Congress in 1972 Aimed to address pay was still below mens and widespread discrimination remained Stated "Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied by the United States or any State on a count fo sex."
86
Who was Phyllis Schlafly
Led successful Stop ERA Campaign. Not enough states voted for ERA so it did not become part of the constitution
87
What was the Stop ERA campaign concerned about
Thought ERA would lead to: Women in combat Greater abortion rates Unisex bathrooms Homosexual marriages
88
What is Roe v Wade
Case in 1973 21 year old Jane Roe had right to an abortion.
89
Who was Norma McCorvey
Real name of Jane Roe Had two children put up for adoption before so lawyers argued should have an abortion
90
What law did Supreme Court pass in 1973
Women in all states had right to safe and legal abortion Overriding abortion laws in many states. Abortion rights had been a key part of women rights movement

History (13 decks)

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