AMERICAN IDENTITY

 

Mike M., Nick A., Sean P., Max M.

 

 

 "Views of the American national character and ideas about American exceptionalism. Recognizing regional differences within the context of what it means to be an American."

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 25: WORLD WAR II

 

• Ever since America was founded, Americans have always had a strong sense of Patriotism.
• Patriotism has always been an important aspect in American Identity.
• The famous "fight for freedom" mindset continues till this day with the war on terror.
• In World War II, patriotism and support from the homeland was pivotal to the victory of the war.
• However, because of WWI being so recent, Americans were first reluctant to support the new war in Europe.

How will patriotism and American Exeptionalism take part in WWII?

So how will the Government try to get Americans to support the War?

 

 

Patriotic Fervor

• The government tried to keep the conflict alive in the minds of Americans and to keep the country behind the war effort.
• The office of War Information controlled the news the American public received about the war.
  • This promoted patriotism.
• The government sold war bonds to collect money from the American public.
  • Working men and women purchased bonds through payroll deduction plans and looked forward to spending the money on consumer goods after the war.
  • The public was told that the war bonds would help purchase bullets or parts of an airplane to kill Germans and the "Japs" to defend the American way of life.
• The government sold 135 billion dollars of war bonds by the end of the war.
• One Advertisement that promoted war bonds announced, "For Freedom's Sake,   Buy War Bonds."     

 

To get American support for the war in Europe, the government had to use propaganda and censorship of the media to encourage the public to back up the war effort. Because of the propaganda however, Americans became ill-spirited and hateful to the "enemies". Because the war effort is to help preserve "freedom" and the "American Way", Americans back at home feel superior because they feel like they are absolutely right in their motive of fighting in the war. Even though patriotism had many great benefits in regards to the support of the war, it was the backbone to the hate and prejudice towards the Germans, the Italians, and especially the Japanese.

 

 

 

 

 

Internment of Japanese Americans

• Due to propaganda and pride, the Nazis, the Italians and the Japanese empire all became the definition of evil in the American's eyes.
• The attack on Pearl Harbor created a special animosity toward the Japanese; it created distrust for Asians.
  •      Because it was the first "attack"   

• • Killed many people
  • “sneaky”
• After Pearl Harbor, Americans because hateful to all Japanese people, including immigrants
• The Japanese Americans were the only group confined in concentration camps.
• USA was very hypocritical by putting the Japanese into concentration camps, while being very anti-concentration camp for the Jews in Germany.
• The Japanese had suffered from racial discrimination and prejudice in the United States in the past.  They were barred from intermarriage with other groups and excluded from clubs, restaurants, and other facilities.
• Racial stereotypes of the Japanese played a huge role in the treatment of Japanese Americans
• The Japanese posed no more of a threat to the country than German Americans or Italian Americans; however their characteristics made them stand out more than others.
• The camps were very primitive and unattractive. The Japanese were treated very poorly. 
• The government evacuated about 110,000 Japanese.
• The American’s treatment of the Japanese was very alike to the German’s treatment of the Jews in the beginning stages of the war.
• Those that were forced to leave lost almost all of their materialistic items.
• The evacuation of the Japanese Americans appeared to be largely unjustified.
• In 1988, congress voted limited compensation for the Japanese Americans during World War II. 

 

 

The treatment of the Japanese during WWII has been called the greatest mass abridgment of civil liberties of American History. Pearl Harbor and the war have caused great stereotyping of the Japanese to the point where they were forced into Labor camps just simply because of ethnicity and nothing else. Even now, Americans are ashamed and reluctant to mention it. This is how patriotism and this idea of execptionalism can go to the extreme extent. To the point where we can see that even Americans, “defenders” of truth and justice can generate similar “evil” to that of the Holocaust.

 

 

African and Hispanic Americans at War

• African Americans remained segregated in 1941
• They did not have the same freedoms as the whites and they did not prosper from the revival of the economy.
• Those who joined the military took the tasks of menial jobs such as cooks or laborers.  If they were able to fight, they were always assigned to segregated units with white leaders.
• Many people found it ironic that the country was prepared to fight Hitler and his racist policies, even though the Americans persisted in its own racism. 
• Philip Randolph convinced many black leaders to join him on a march on Washington to demand equal rights in 1941.
• Roosevelt was very alarmed of the threat of 100,000 African Americans marching in the capital. 
• Therefore he met Randolph in person and struck a deal with him.
• The president refused to desegregate armed forces, but he did issue Executive Order 8802 which states, “there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national origin”.
• Roosevelt dodged a possible disaster by signing the order, because 100,000 African Americans marching in protest in the capital would look very horrendous.
• Obviously, the order did not end prejudice.  Many black soldiers were angered and humiliated throughout the war by being made to sit in the back of buses.
• Migration continued during the war, 750,000 southern blacks moved to the north in search of economic success.
• The riot in Detroit in the summer of 1943 started in a series of incidents between blacks and whites and led to the looting of the black community. 
• It destroyed nearly two million dollars worth of property and 34 people died.
• The Detroit riot epitomized the way blacks were viewed during this time period by whites.
• Mexican Americans profited during the war from increased job opportunities.
• They were treated very similar to the blacks, however there was as large mass hatred for them.
• The violence against Mexican Americans hit its peak on June 7^th when gangs attacked all the young Mexican Americans they could find.

The treatment of the African and Hispanic Americans also goes with this idea of American Exeptionalism. Injustice and mistreatment towards the non-white Protestants is all derived from the idea that “immigrants” are lesser people. Even though these workers are just as capable as white people, they are still suppressed and treated like inferiors. This goes hand in hand with the idea of Slavery and Its Legacies

 

Terms and IDs

 

• War bonds:  debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war.

 

• Patriotism:  defined as love of and/or devotion to one's country.

 

• Concentration camp: Camp of confinement where the Nazis murdered thousands of Jews and forced others into labor, and where the United States imprisoned thousands of Japanese Americans, fearing they were a danger to American safety.

 

• Propaganda: Information used to promote and publicize a certain idea or ideology.

 

• American exceptionalism:  the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among developed nations in terms of its national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and unique origins.

 

• Racial segregation:  is the separation of different racial groups in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home.

 

• The Holocaust:  the term generally used to describe the genocide of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler.

 

 

 

Chapter 26: Post War Growth and Social Change

 

AMERICAN IDENTITY

 

Mike M., Nick A., Sean P., Max M.

 

 

 

Economic Boom

-After 1945 there was a period of optimism

-The returning soldiers caused a change in family patters which led to the baby boom and therefore population growth

-Unions and large corporations grew à lives of workers improved

          -Resulted in economic growth

-Increased prosperity created a feeling that “all was well” in the U.S.

-New technology -> new products -> accessible ->more Americans buying them

 

Now that the War is over, and the U.S. is victorious, a whole wave of optimism and prosperity floods America.

     -How will this optimism and "victorious" feeling effect what America thinks of itself?

     -How will American Execptionalsim affect how America goes through problems and global affairs?

 

 

 

The Thriving Peacetime Economy

-After the war, everything increased.  The gross national product more than quadrupled and the per capita personal income more than tripled

-Trends of the war created a lot of the effects Americans were experiencing

-Defense spending wasauthorized by Congress with the National Security Act to stimulate economy.  Resulted in stimulating the aircraft, electronic and scientific instrument industries.

-Wartime required factories to produce mainly ships, tanks, and planes that regular Americans couldn’t buy or use ->Americans ended up saving a lot of discretionary money which they were very ready to spend when the war ended.

-Therefore, the influence of the federal government, the new products, and families’ ability to buy those products created better and more comfortable living

- Middle class drew dramatically.  About 60% of all families were part of it.

- House and automobiles became symbols of status

-Since there were huge home mortgage benefits for veterans, many more families owned houses.  House construction also contributed to this growth.

-The expansion of the auto industry and the construction of a 40,000 mile interstate highway system increased the demand for cars.  Not only could Americans travel wherever they needed, they could travel in a wide variety of colors, with luxury accessories and with the engine of their choice.

-Aside from their contribution to the growing economy, owning a house and a car reflected status and economic achievement for the upper and middle classes.

 

As the economy grows rapidly, so does the American Pride. Because the American economy is working very effectively, Americans are willing to believe that it is the best country in the world with the best economy. They forget the fact that there was a great depression before the war that can make one think otherwise. The reason why Americans were so willing to spend money for defense purposes is because the fear of communism, and that fear was what drove Americans to support the mass spending because they were willing to agree with whatever kept communism out of the country.

 

 

The Corporate Impact on American Life

-Industry and big business dominated America.  Because government during wartime encouraged the industrial expansion, very few firms controlled most of the industrial output.

-Firms started purchasing a wide variety of companies so that in case one area became unstable, the rest would still thrive

-I.e. International Telephone and Telegraph à purchased Avis Rent-A-Car, Continental Baking, Sheraton Hotels, Levitt and Sons Home Builders, and Hartford Fire Insurance

-Smaller franchises also expanded including McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Burger King

-Corporate firms grew as the need to analyze market and business trends increased. Business schools became more important, and knowledgeable managers emerged. Firms wanted educated people so that their efforts would maximize profit. Andrew Carnegie is noted for pioneering this approach because of how scrupulous he was in paying attention to his costs.

 

 

 

The Consumer Culture

-Television was developed in the 1930’s and became a major influence on America after WWII

-T.V sets went from fewer than 17,000 sets in 1946 to three quarters of all American families by 1960

-Popular shows that were watched on T.V included:

      -Mickey Mouse Club

      -I Love Lucy

      -Elvis Presley music

-Most families had at least one automobile, as well as the staple appliances they had begun to purchase before—refrigerator, washing machine, television, and vacuum cleaner

-American economy came to depend on consumption as the expansion of consumer credit made purchasing new goods and gadgets easier

      -Credit cards became popular with buying television sets, household items, and eating out

-First credit cards: Diner’s Club and American Express

-By 1965, they had 2 million cardholders

      -Advertising became important after the WWII to get people to buy consumer products

-Television played an important part in conveying the spirit of consumption to millions of Americans

-More effective than radio because the television could actually show the product

 

 

Finance and business is a big part of the American Identity. In a Capitalistic economy, industry and the products they yield became a big part in American culture. The T.V, for example, was one of the biggest influences that revolutionized the American family and the American home. The T.V., which brought new methods of advertisements and entertainment, changed the American Identity by conveying the spirit of consumption and new ideas.

 

 

 

 

Conformity in School and Religious Life

Students dressed the same, watched the same shows, and had the same mind set depending on the level of education

-Americans in the postwar years discovered a shared religious sense and returned to their churches in record numbers (95% of Americans identified with some religious denomination in the 1950s)

Billy James Hargis founded his Christian Crusade  in 1947 and preached the close connection between religion and politics

-Evangelist Billy Graham was in the forefront of the anti-communist campaign in the 1950s and 60s

The religious revival also reinforced the importance of family life and offered an acceptable means of escape from the anxieties of a middle-class executive’s life

Congress added the words “under God” to the pledge to the flag and required the phrase “In God we trust” on all U.S currency as a result of the religious revival

 

This Religious revival helped shape the American Identity because it unified many Americans. It brought together ideas and goals and spoke against communism and encouraged the same family values. This promoted American superiority because now more Americans are feeling righteous by standing up for their religion. For more information about Religion in America in the post-war era, go to Themes in US History - Religion

 

 

 

     There are many things in the post war era that affected the American Identity. Due to victory, a booming economy, new worldviews, and a religious revival, Americans are constantly changing how it looks upon itself. Victory of the war increased pride and patriotism, a booming economy caused Americans to raise the standard of living, different worldviews influenced new music and ideas, and a religious revival caused Americans to unite. All of these things are hand in hand to help create an identity for the Americans. As a new enemy, communism, steps into the stage, how will the American Identity cause America to engage in the "Cold War"?

 

 

Vocab and IDs

Discretionary income- money to satisfy wants as well as needs

Oligopoly- domination of a given industry by a few firms

Conglomerates- firms that diversified with holdings in a variety of industries

White collar workers- paid by salary, held office jobs

 

 

Richard and Maurice McDonald - Creator of McDonalds

J.D. Salinger

- Writer who wrote the Catcher of the Rye and other novels.

Elvis Presley - Artist who revolutionized music, regarded as king of Rock n Roll

 

 

Chapter 27: Chills and Fever During the Cold War

 

 

Introduction

• During the Cold War, the United States no longer rejected the idea of isolationism, but also became an active member in foreign policy throughout the world. There was a mission that made the United States become involved with Spanish-American affairs, Asian affairs, and most importantly Russian affairs.
• Many were deemed suspicious during the war around 1945, and a “wave of paranoia” ran through much of the country.
•   

As the United States further involves itself in world affairs, how will communism and the fear of communism affect the U.S. in its decisions in foreign affairs?

 

Origins of the Cold War

• The Cold War came from breaking down empires such as: Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
• The United States was on a mission to spread the notion of freedom and free trade around the world for increasing economic profits. But the Soviet Union had another mission, which was based upon security, and preservation of its country.

  

The United States become one of the most powerful countries in world scene at the time of the Cold War. Due to American Exeptionalism, the U.S. believes that it has a duty to spread “freedom” to the world. Even though the Soviet Union has the mission to preserve the country, the U.S. is afraid that they want to spread Communism.

 

The American Stance

• Americans were secure and stable after World War II, and wanted to spread the stability throughout the world through their economic endeavors. The main objective the United States was to eliminate trade barriers (imposed by Soviet Union) for increased profits.
• Many believed as the Untied States become prosperous, so too would the rest of the world. The only problem with this assumption is the Soviet Union disagreed with the United States.

 

Early Cold War Leadership

• Harry Truman was president during the first postwar years and he was known for his approach to public affairs. He was known for his aggressive and feisty political approaches especially those quick decisions which had an immense impulse during the Cold War period.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower was a popular president and had the opposite of Truman’s aggressive manner. Although he had no former political background, he was part of World War II and became very successful.
• Both of them believed that communism was a large force which needed to be stopped before it spread.

 

Because the issue of communism is a consensus between the two candidates, this shows that communism, or a treat of the American way is a big concern

 

Disillusionment with the USSR

• After the war many United States citizens started to loose its trust and security to the Soviet union. Now many of these people started to take their anger out on Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.
• Truman announced these governments (Germany and Russia) were “totalitarian governments and were police state governments”. These aggressive powers is what scared many Americans.

  

What caused this sudden disapproval of Russia and Germany? It could have been caused by journalists, governments, public officials, and propaganda. But it could have also been formed through common misconceptions and the fact that the United States had a “mission to fulfill”.

 

Economic Pressure on the USSR

• Another problem in WWII, was the aid given by the United States to its allies. The policy of lend lease was cut off to the allies, and although many were affected the Soviets were affected the most.
• While the Soviets tried to recuperate from their financial depression, they asked for a $6 billion loan and then changed it to a $1 billion loan. The United States agreed only if “Russia pledged ‘nondiscrimination in world commerce’’. Eventually Stalin launched his own plan without any help from the United States.

  

The U.S. is trying to blackmail the soviets and refusing to help unless the Soviets first do what the U.S. wants.

  

Declaring the Cold War

• Stalin announced in1946 that capitalism would not survive while communism would prosper throughout the world.
• Winston Churchill, suspicious of Stalin’s claims, made his famous “Iron Curtain Speech” stating, “an iron curtain has descended across the Continent”. He stated that English peoples must work together to take communism down. 

Containment Defined

• A major influence in the new policy was made by George F. Kennan. He sent an 8000 word telegram to the State Department arguing that Soviet American hostility came from Kremlin’s world views and Russia’s insecurity. He believed Russia’s domination would stop and therefore it must be opposed.
• He was known as Mr. X in the journal Foreign Affairs. Many Americans agreed with Kennan and believed Soviet domination was shifting and a force needed to stop it. The containment policy created the backbone of America’s policies during the Cold War.

  

The American Identity was one of the biggest causes of the U.S. entering the Cold War. Mr. X and Churchill’s speech reaffirmed that the preservation of the English way was important and that the Soviets must be stopped from spreading communism. The idea that communism was a danger to American life was enough to get Americans to support the war.

 

The First Step: The Truman Doctrine

• The Soviets were pressuring Turkey for control of the Dardanelles while there was a civil war erupting in Greece creating an imbalance in the government.
• The British ambassador told the United States that Britain could no longer give economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey. The Truman Doctrine stated, ‘it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples …”.
• This Doctrine lent $400 million for military and economic acid in Turkey and Greece.

  

This was a major step in the Cold War because it was here that the United States expressed its ‘police power force’. If the Soviets conquer more countries and territories, communism could spread, which is why the United States had to get involved.

 

Containment in the 1950’s

• Containment required the use of government resources by the CIA to limit the spread of communism.
• Eisenhower and John Dulles (secretary of state) both believed communism was a challenge which had to be crushed before it continued to spread.

  

This principle of containment would led to much more speculation in years to come. America became so fearful of the spread of communism that many were blamed and blacklisted in society. The McCarthy trials were an example of how containment became out of hand. This is an example of how the American Identity could oppressed possible innocent people, therefore contradicting the American doctrine of saving free people.

 

The Shock of the Chinese Revolution

·                     Mao Zedong drove Jiang Jieshi from power in 1949, created the People’s Republic of China (Oct. 1^st, 1949)

• US viewed China as a puppet of communist USSR
• Eisenhower opposed China but didn’t want to interfere and risk war when it attacked Taiwan 

Nuclear Proliferation

• Excitement (not fear) in 1946 because US had an atomic bomb monopoly 

Truman’s Loyalty Program

• Government believed that there were “many Communists in America, bearing the germ of death or society”.
• At first, the program stood under the policy of “innocent until proven guilty”, but eventually started ignoring people’s rights and freedom.
• If there was any suspicion that an employee was pro-communist, they would be prosecuted and convicted without any real evidence to prove it.
• After examining around 3 million employees, they found only around 300 needed to be dismissed.

 

This was a strong breach of civil liberties, but in some cases may have been needed in order to protect the freedom and rights of others that wanted the American way to continue without communist interference.

  

The Congressional Loyalty Program

·         New laws became very explicit on what you could or could not do.

·         Congress probed regular people, while Truman’s plan only probed the working people of the government.

·         Eugene Dennis – guilty under the terms of the Smith Act, teaching about overthrow of the United States.

·         McCarran Internal Security Act – illegal to conspire to act in a way that would contribute to establishing a dictatorship in America.

·         Communist party in an America declined greatly in membership.

·         After 10 people from Hollywood got arrested for “unwanted” movies, Hollywood was forced to blacklist anyone that had a questionable past.

·         After the Hiss case, many Americans finally realized how the threat of communism was very real.

 

After many cases of people arrested under the suspicion of communism influence, the paranoia of communism is starting to get real. The public is starting to worry that communism will spread to the states. This concern will eventually lead up to the second Red Scare.

 

The Second Red Scare

• Joseph McCarthy – huge anti-communist in the 1950s, and a Senator, claimed to know 205 communists within just the State Department.
• Originally wanted to only give the list to the president, but then changed his mind and said there were only 57 names.
• McCarthy claimed that many random people had ties to communism, and tried to prove them guilty.
• In order to defeat some opponents he even had fake pictures taken in order to show that someone he did not like in the government was working with communists.
• Used his extreme talk to his advantage and even went on TV looking like a mess, cursing and swearing to get his point across.
• When a small ordinary family was arrested for allegedly selling plans for an atomic bomb to the Soviets, many more families across America began to take a fear on the subject.
• At the height of his career, he had almost half of the public of the United State backing him up.
• Once people saw how bad McCarthy was on their TVs during his trials against the army, people started to realized just how irresponsible he was.
• After the trials, all of his influence disappeared completely, and he died at the age of 48.

  

This just goes to show you how much one person can actually influence and entire nation of people, and how easy it is for people to change their minds and turn on him just as fast. McCarthy was first thought as a great supporter of the American way. However, as soon as people realized how irrational and irresponsible he was, the American people quickly disowned him.

 

The Casualties of Fear

·         Racism began to play a large role during the Red Scare.

·         Many workers, actors, civil rights activists and so on, were accused of being    communist, or being un-American, and therefore fired from their jobs, and denied the civil liberties they actually deserved.

·         Many workers that were part of unions with left-wing tendencies were either laid off or deported in order to “protect” freedom.

 

As the fear of communism rose, people started to question any foreigners with “foreign” influences. Citizens fear that anyone “un-American” could help spread communist thoughts and ideas. These acts of oppression and racism that were made to “protect” freedom are starting to seem hypocritical.

 

John Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs Fiasco

• Kennedy was the youngest man ever elected as president.
• United States had broken relations with Cuba, while the CIA was training people to storm the coast of Cuba.
• April 17, 1961, the invasion went terribly wrong, and the United States showed the entire world that they attempted to overthrown a sovereign government.

 

This is a great example of the best intentions that are not best received. Even though the United States believed that invading Cuba will help solve problems in the future, the rest of the world interpreted it as an imperialistic attempt to overthrow a government. This is an example of how American Exeptionalism can lead to actions that can be interpreted as evil.

  

The Cuban Missile Face-Off

·         Fidel Castro successfully got Soviet help after the Bay of Pigs invasion, and got the Soviets to place missile on Cuba land, which the President considered offensive, even though they were said to be for defense only.

·         Established a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the Soviets from bringing in any more missiles. He claimed this was quarantine, not a blockade, because a blockade was an act of war.

·         Eventually, the Soviets called their ships back from the American ships blocking their way, and said they would stay out of Cuba, as long as the US did too.

 

In order to protect “freedom”, the President decided to set up a navel blocked. However the President was lucky that this blockade did not turn into a war, and the Soviets turned back.  If they wanted to, the Soviets could have just opened fire and this incident with Cuba would have erupted into something even worse.

 

 Confrontation and Containment under Johnson

·         After Kennedy was assassinated, LBJ became president, and had mostly the same intentions and feelings as Kennedy did.

·         1965, 20,000 troops were sent to Dominican Republic, for actions of “Castro-type elements” were believed to be winning a civil war. 

·         His reason for attack was for protecting Democracy, and protecting American tourists in the area.

 The Quagmire of Vietnam

• The United States’ feeling for the need to contain Communism led to their involvement in the Vietnamese government and a reevaluation of their foreign policies in the first decades of the Cold War.

 

The want to preserve the American way and to prevent communism from spreading is causing the U.S. states to intervene in places such as Vietnam and Dominican.

 

Escalation

·         LBJ told Congress that the North Vietnamese torpedo boats attack American destroyers in the Gulf of Tankin without provocation and obtained congressional authorization of war.

·         However, Congress made their decision while details were still unclear.  They gave Johnson authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression” without knowing that the American ships violated the territorial waters of North Vietnam.   

·         After Viet Cong forces killed seven and wounded 107 Americans in an attack on Pleiku in February 1965, military escalation began.

·         LBJ responded by allowing bombs to be used to cut off the flow of supplies to North Vietnam (to ease pressure on South Vietnam).

·         He sent American troops into action a few months later, marking the crucial turning point in the Americanization of the Vietnam War.

·         American forces became direct participants in the fight to set up a dictatorial regime in South Vietnam.

·         A somewhat more effective government led by Nguyen Van Thiew and Nguyen Cao Ky was established, but the level of violence increased.

 

Why did Congress not investigate the situation prior to making their decision? Should they have? If they had, would the Vietnam War still have taken place? And did Congress really not know that the American ship had violated the territorial waters? It is almost as if Congress would do anything that would help avoid the spread of communism, even when details are unclear.

 

 Peace and Its Consequences

·         Negotiations aimed at settlement were underway in 1972 when Nixon ran for reelection.

·         South Vietnam seemed to balk at the proposed settlement, but the administration responded with the most intensive bombing campaign of the war.

·         Conflict lingered in Spring of 1975 when North Vietnamese finally consolidated their control over the entire country,

·         Gerald Ford called for $1 billion in aid, but Congress refused and left the South Vietnamese government to fend for itself.

·         The longest war in the history of the U.S. had immense costs: almost 58,000 men were lost, assumptions about America’s role in world affairs were undermined, the U.S. spent over $150 billion, domestic reform stopped, cynicism about the government increased, American society was deeply divided, and the effort in the war was unsuccessful.

 

This is a very humbling experience for the Americans. Never have the U.S. lost so much in war and be unsuccessful. After the Vietnam War, the public started to have doubts about the government. As cynicism increase, the idea of American Exceptionalism decreases. This whole conflict in Vietnam is an example of how American Execptionalism can lead to bad decisions and poor choices. As America recovers from a bloody, fruitless war, how will Americans visualize themselves? As a new era arises, how will the American Identity change?

 

 

Identifications

1. Harry Truman- president of the Untied States who endorsed the Truman Doctrine in order to protect smaller nations.
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower- also president of the United States who became involved with many of the Cold War foreign affairs.
3. Stalin- Dictator of Soviet Union known for his unethical and inhumane treatment of people in the Siberian camps.
4. Soviet Union- Part of the Allies during World War II, but believed in communism and was United State’s enemy during the Cold War.
5. General George Patton- known as Mr. X, for sending an 8000 word telegram arguing to eliminate communism.
6. Nazi- the party formed in Germany with Hitler as the party leader and chancellor.
7. Truman Doctrine-Doctrine financing Greece and Turkey in order to protect them from communism.
8. Marshall Plan- This program offered $17 billion over four years with 16 cooperating nations. Not only would it boost the economy in Europe it would drastically help US economy as well.
9. NATO- NATO was the alliance between twelve nations stating that an attack on one nation would be considered an attack by all.
10. NSC-68- a document based up on the Communism spreading in China as well as the Russian atomic device. The United States wanted to increase its defense spending to $50 billion.
11. Operation Vittles- the Soviets attempted to force the other nations out of Germany and they even set up a blockade. The Us and Royal Air Force airlift flew supplies to Berlin and named it Operation Vittles.
12. Loyalty Programs – used to sort out people that were suspected of having ties to the Soviet Union.
13. Smith Act – made it illegal to teach about overthrow of the United States.
14. Joseph McCarthy – huge anti-communist in the 1950s, and a Senator, claimed to know 205 communists within just the State Department.
15. Kennedy – took presidency in 1960, activist, and strong to take charge in the White House.
16. Fidel Castro – Leader of Cuba during the Cold War, friendly with Soviet Union.

 

 

Vocab

1. trade barrier- a government policy that restrict international trade
2. isolationist-a nation which does not interfere with any of the other nations.
3. “police state governments”- the United States trying to impose its power on smaller nations just like a police force
4. four zones- After World War II, the four countries Russia, United States, Britian, and France set up four zones in Germany.
5. containment- The United States tried to force the other nations to move away form Soviet Union and towards the Western European countries along with the United States.

 

Chapter 28

 

The Evolution of Television

 

·        1930’s- live tv shows

·        1940’s- World War II slows development, but after the war, coverage expands to congress and baseball games

·        1950’s- Television becomes more entwined in politics and public affairs

·        1960’s- The funerals of JFK and MLK were shown on television and in 1969, Americans watched the moon landing.

·        1970’s- 95% of American houses contained a television

·        The programming of television evolved extremely quickly, reaching sports broadcasts and news conferences widely in the 1950’s.

·        The evolution of television graphics was widely ignored.  Few progresses were made other than the zoom lens which allowed for better coverage of baseball games.

The Fight For Party Dominance

 

 

 

·        Truman had very little support at the end of his term (23%)

·        A shift to democratic dominance was expected, but Eisenhower won the election of 1952.

·        By 1960, a new president was inaugurated, John F. Kennedy.

·        This marked a shift in political parties, although JFK won by less than 100,000 votes

·        Judging by the fact that the election was so close, it shows that Americans were unsure where their political allegiances lied.

Disturbing Economic trends

·        Between the years of 1950-1980 prices only decreased twice and the inflation rate was over 5% four times, two of those times it was over 10%

·        Gasoline prices tripled from 1973-1980, rising from 40 cents per gallon to $1.20 per gallon

·        These trends become lasting ones in later years that continue to this day.

·        They did not stay at the same rate, but inflation and gasoline prices are still major issues consuming America today

The Effect of Watergate

 

·        The Watergate Affair sent shockwaves throughout the nation

·        This string of incidents changed the way Americans saw our elected officials

·        Many Americans lost faith in the office of the president

Wrap-Up

Although there were not as many issues in this period that greatly affected the American identity, there were a few major issues that shaped the nation.  Therefore, in this chapter, it is the quality, not the quantity of the issues that changed the American identity.

 

I.D.'S

Truman and Eisenhower (See chapter 27 ID's)

John F. Kennedy- The winner of the 1960 presidential election, was later assasinated during a parade in Texas

Lyndon B. Johnson- Kennedy's vice president who took over as president after JFK was assasinated.  He was later elected in his own right

Richard Nixon- President after Johnson. The only president ever to resign.  Resignation due to the Watergate scandal

Watergate- The hotel in Washington D.C. where the tapes were stolen that led to the resignation of president Richard Nixon 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 29:  The Struggle for Social Reform

Integration, Integration, Integration

·       The court case Plessy vs. Ferguson of 1896 set the bar for the segregation of schools stating that segregation must be “separate but equal”

·       The supreme court had gradually been extending civil rights over the last decade

·       The famous case Brown vs. Board of Education decided to overturn the “separate but equal ruling by unanimously declaring that “separate facilities are inherently unequal”

·       One year later the court decided that local school boards should move with “ALL DELIBERATE SPEED” to integrate the schools

·       President Eisenhower opposed the ruling, but it was his duty to enforce it

·       In Little Rock, Arkansas, it was declared by the Governor that order could not be maintained if integration took place

·       National Guardsmen were posted to turn away nine black students that tried to enter the high school

·       After 3 weeks, the court ordered them to let the students in

·       The black students eventually left the school after facing mobs

·       Eisenhower ordered the National Guard under federal command

·       Little Rock was now integrated and black students attended classes with the protection of the military

·       Local governments found a loophole in the supreme courts declaration to integrate with “all deliberate speed”

·       Deliberate speed was not defined by the court, thus there was no timetable to desegregate

·       Though, a legal victory for African-Americans, some schools remained segregated into the 1970’s

 

 

A Torn Country

·       Americans found themselves having to pick a side to the rapidly growing civil rights movement

·       There were three options:

o   Outwardly supportive of civil rights

o   Outwardly against civil rights

o   Keeping your opinions to yourself and staying uninvolved

The Actions of President John F. Kennedy

·       President Kennedy claimed to be disgusted by the force used by law enforcement on peaceful protestors in Birmingham,  but insisted there was nothing he could do

·       Although he had black support in the election of 1960, he won by so narrow a margin that he could not risk angering the white southerners whom he also needed support from

·       A few years later, Kennedy became much more vocal and on national television said the quest for equal rights was a “moral issue” and asked “are we to say to the world, and, much more importantly, to each other that this is a land of the free except for the Negroes . . .”

·       Kennedy proceeded to propose a much stronger civil rights bill to congress and a poll showed that 63% of the country supported the bill

·       The March on Washington was organized by civil rights leaders to press for the bill’s passage into law

·       The fact that 63% supported the bill proposed by Kennedy showed that the nation was widely in support of civil rights

·       This did not mean that achieving equal rights would be easy in the ultra-conservative south, but it did mean that getting bills past would be easier with the support of the nation

·       Although Kennedy failed to act immediately, he is still known for his work on civil rights, especially in his collaboration with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

A Change in the Mood

·       When republican Richard Nixon won the presidential election in 1968, the civil rights movement slowed

·       Winning only 12% of the black vote, any support for equal rights would weaken southern support

·       Local governments got bolder and did not follow the civil rights laws as strictly

·       When the supreme court continuously upheld civil rights, Nixon publicly disagreed with the decision

·       A change in political power meant that there was a different group in power now

·       The southern whites had the sympathy of the president, making civil right take a seat on the backburner

 

The Women’s Movement

·       There was a dramatic increase in the number of working women in the 1970’s, especially among those ages 25-44

·       Women were beginning to reject the idea of the simple stay at home mom

·       They wanted careers of their own

·       Telephone companies helped by providing jobs as switchboard operators to women

·       With this change in women’s lives, the image of the typical American family changed greatly

·       This change is very similar to what is seen in today’s culture

Latinos and Native Americans Take a Back Seat

·       Although groups such as Mexican Americans made an impact politically, especially in getting Kennedy elected, much of their protests fell on deaf ears as the country focused on civil rights and the women’s movement

·       The fight for equality amongst Latinos and Native Americans have been largely lost in history over the years

·       Like Mr. Bond and Mrs. Weinstein say, on the AP exam, any question about farmers or Native Americans, pick the answer that is worst for them

Counterculture

·       Many young people rejected the life that their parents formed for them, turning to:

o   Political activism

o   Change in sexual behaviors

o   Change in music

o   Change in wardrobe

·       Drug use became much more widespread amongst college students, no longer was it restricted to urban areas

·       LSD and marijuana became widely used by college students

·       Widespread protest of the war in Vietnam was also common on college campuses

·       College students were evolving into a radical, outspoken group of the population who fight for what they believe in

Nuclear Terror

·       The accident at the reactor on Three Mile Island sparked a scare amongst people about what could happen if a nuclear disaster occurred

Woodstock

·       The most famous event associated with counter culture was the mega concert at Woodstock

·       More than 500,000 fans showed up for the three day concert featuring many famous bands such as The Who and Jimmy Buffet

·       Rock festivals became a centerpiece of the counterculture movement

Sports in History

·       One of the most famous sports achievements of all-time was when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball in 1947.

·       His great rookie year for the Brooklyn Dodgers opened the door for other African Americans who before could only play in the Negro Leagues

·       Robinson’s famous steal of home is one of the most famous baseball plays of all time, up there with Babe Ruth calling his shot

·       It is a play that can still be seen on TV today

·       Robinson’s name is now iconic in the game of baseball

·       His number 42 has now been retired by every team in baseball, he is the only player ever to have his number retired across the league in any major sport

·       No one in baseball will ever again wear his famous number 42

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 30: THE REVIVAL OF CONSERVATISM

 

AMERICAN IDENTITY

 

Mike M., Nick A., Sean P., Max M.

 

 

 

The Initial Swing

• The 1980’s marked a swing in the political system back in favor of the Republicans.
• With the Cold war still raging on, Americans needed to feel secure with who they had leading the country
• The presidential election of 1980 marked the switch in the White House with staunch republican Ronald Reagan winning.

 

 

 

Reagan has been regarded as a great president in our nation’s history because of the work he did to bring America out of the cold war with the Soviet Union.  His famous “Tear down this wall” quote is now one of the most famous quotations from this era.

 

The Impact of Sports

·        Although it will not be mentioned in any history textbooks.  Sports play a major role in a country’s identity; especially those played on an international scale.  The most meaningful athletic event in the history of American sports came in the 1980 Winter Olympics when the American hockey team beat the supposedly unbeatable team from the U.S.S.R.

·        Disney has made a movie documenting this team’s incredible run and it is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the history of sports.

 

 

This victory had such a big impact on the United States not only because it was a huge upset on an international scale, but also because of whom they upset.  The American hockey team beat the Soviet Union, the country that we were at war with and the country that had won four straight gold medals in hockey.  [Note from Mr. Bond:    Your point is a valid one, but  don't over-sell it!  Remember:  we were not in a shooting war with the USSR, but rather, clashing with each other via proxy-wars, proxy-armies, regional conflicts, etc.]

 

Sports have the impact that they do because they provide a sense of pride for the winning nation.  People take pride in their nation to see its athletes on the podium at the Olympic games with gold medals around their necks.

 

The Political Process

·        Since the nineteenth century, the voter turnout rate for presidential elections had been in a general decline.  This period of time was no different.

·        The turnout rate had dropped ten percent from 1960-1980.

·        This statistic became even worse when in the 1996 presidential election, the turnout rate slipped below 50%.

 

 

This low rate of voter turnout showed the growing belief that Americans had that they did not play a significant role in the political process.

 

The idea that “My vote doesn’t really count” was becoming apparent in the lack of eligible voters that actually showed up on Election Day.

 

Continuing Problems for Minorities

·        With the Republicans in power, the equal rights movement slowed.

·        Civil Rights and Latino Rights showed little advance while Reagan and Bush were in office.

·        Jesse Jackson ran for President in the election of 1984 and 1988, showing that a minority candidate could get the support needed to run for the highest office in the country.

 

 

 

Explained in much more detail in the theme concerning slavery and its legacies, this lack of change in the rights for minorities showed that the country still had a long way to go until the goal of equal rights could be achieved.

 

Women in the Era

 

·        The movement that did see a significant amount of progress during this era was the women’s rights movement.

·        Sandra Day O’ Connor became the first female Supreme Court judge when she was appointed in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan.

·        The court ruled upheld its decision that abortion was legal, although the “pro-life” activists continued to fight.

 

 

The progress that the Women’s rights movement made during this era showed that there was a growing tendency to accept women as equal to men.  Although this was in no way completed, this movement made much more progress than other minority movements did during this time.

 

Playing the Role of Peacekeeper

·        As the Cold War drew to a close, the United States was invested in the events in the Middle East.

·        America wanted to keep conflicts from arising after the Cold War had just ended.

·        Not only was America involved in the affairs in the Middle East, but also those in Africa.

·        In South Africa, a practice of apartheid kept the white minority (just 15% of the population) in power over the black majority.

·        In the past, the United States had not had the political will to do anything to South Africa.

·        In 1986 however, after all the progress of the civil rights movement, the United States began applying economic sanctions on South Africa.

·        These Sanctions forced many American businesses out of the country, putting a great strain on the country’s economy.

·        Nelson Mandela, a prisoner in South Africa led the movement of resistance and was the final piece to the puzzle to get the South African government to abolish apartheid.

 

 

 

Just as today, America saw its role in the world as that of a peacekeeper, whether the rest of the world wanted its help or not.

 

Americans saw themselves as role models to the rest of the world and continued to try to help oppressed people.

 

These movements showed that the idea of American exceptionalism was still very much alive.

 

Terms and ID’s

·        Conservatism- the practices of the Republican party

·        Cold War- the war fought between the Soviet Union and the United States from the 1950’s through the early 1990’s.  This war was unlike any war before in that there were no battles and no real fighting.  The war was fought with intelligence and the constant threat of a nuclear attack.

·        U.S.S.R.- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.  The official name of the Soviet Union.

·        Jesse Jackson- a civil rights leader in the United States who is still active today.

·        Nelson Mandela- a prisoner in South Africa for 27 years.  He became the symbol for and a leader of the movement against that South African government to abolish the apartheid.

·        Apartheid- The practice in South Africa of segregating, suppressing and denying basic human rights to the black population.