The sixth unit of American History 2 examines the foreign and domestic issues

between 1945 and 1960 through the lenses of Change, Foreign Policy, and Culture.
The sixth unit of American History 2 examines the foreign and domestic issues
between 1945 and 1960 through the lenses of Change, Foreign Policy, and Culture.
Post World War II
As a result of its leadership role in World War II, the United States abandoned its
post-World War I isolationist policy and adjusted to becoming a superpower. As a
superpower, the United States took on the role of protector of democratic and
capitalist ideals, which conflicted with the political ideologies of its political rival: the
Soviet Union. The political rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union would
lead to a Cold War, which dominated the United States foreign policy for the next
five decades.
On the home front, the first decade after World War II mirrored the first decade after
World War I. As men returned to work, labor issues arose. Citizens feared the Reds
and minorities sought change. Mass production of goods escalated and
consumerism flourished. On the surface, the country seemed to be at its cultural,
social, and economic best. But, a brewing beneath the surface was a cultural storm
that would shake the nation in the next decade.
Containing Communism
In order to defeat Germany during World War II, the United States and Soviet Union
put their political differences aside. With the end of the war in site, both nations
positioned themselves to secure their economic and political status. Their polarized
agendas would manifest in the Cold War.
Attempting to protect the spread of communism into other parts of Europe,
President Truman developed a policy of containment. Containment became the
foundation of most foreign policies of the United States for the next few decades.
The Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization were
born out the policy of containment. And, both nations focused on gathering
intelligence and developing new weapons.
The focus of the containment policy of the United State was not limited to Europe.
China had adopted communism shortly after the Russian Revolution. This left Asia
susceptible to communist infiltration. With the Soviet Union taking control of Eastern
Europe, the United States feared China would spread its communist ideology
throughout the rest of Asia. One key area of concern was Korea.
In 1948, South Korea was established in the former United States occupied zone of
Korea, while North Korea remained under the guidance of the Soviet Union and
China. The imminent threat of a communist takeover of South Korea would lead to
the Korean War. Although the majority of the Cold War did not involve military action
on the battlefield, the Korean War was one of the few instances where troops were
utilized. Unfortunately, the war was a stalemate with neither side gaining any
further control. But, a fear of communist influence throughout Asia remained.
Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union escalated under the
Eisenhower administrations policy of brinkmanship. With the development of the H-

bomb, the threat of nuclear war was on everyones mind. Foreign relations,
particularly in the Middle East, became difficult. Egypt played the United States
against the Soviet Union in order to get additional aid for the Suez Canal. The
Hungarian Revolt weakened the promise the United States made to those nations
hoping to break free from the Soviet Unions control. The Soviet Unions advances in
the space race left the United States in a panic. And, spying missions by the United
States further hampered attempts at creating a peaceful coexistence between the
two nations.
Examining Post-War Culture
Financial support from the United States Government, in the form of President
Trumans Fair Deal and the GI Bill, led to time of conformity and consumerism.
Soldiers returning from World War II were able to use the GI Bill to attend college
and get low interest loans to buy homes. Soldiers that took advantage of the
reduced cost of college found themselves able to find white collar jobs and gain
solid footing in the middle class. They married, started families, and bought houses
outside the city limits. This resulted in a baby boom and the growth of the suburbs.
As part of the growing middle class, suburbanites used higher salaries and credit to
acquire the latest gadgets, resulting in increased marketing and consumerism. It
seemed as though the American Dream was thriving.
While the middle class seemed to be living the American Dream, minorities, the
urban poor, and those not willing to follow the status quo had a different experience
in the 1950s. Minorities were still facing segregation and discrimination. And with
the middle class moving to the suburbs, many cities lacked the tax base for upkeep
and maintenance and became the face of the American poor, most of whom were
minorities. A segment of writer helped form a counterculture movement against the
conformity of the 1950s. This counterculture movement, known as the beat
generation, would become the basis of the counterculture movement in the 1960s.
Despite the appearance of cultural and economic stability, the 1950s laid the
foundation for the turmoil of the 1960s. The political aims of the United States
government to contain communism had a huge impact on the day to day lives of
Americans. Fear of communist infiltration allowed Senator Joseph McCarthy to
suspend the civil rights of citizens in order to flush out communist threats. The need
to stay ahead of Soviet technological advances resulted in a space race and a focus
on science and math in education. And, President Eisenhower backed the
development of the Interstate Highway System as a method to transport troops in
case of ground attacks.
World War II helped foster the African American Civil Rights Movement. During the
war, African American workers were an essential part of factory work in the
production of wartime machinery. After World War II, African American soldiers
returned from Europe, where they were treated as heroes, to face Jim Crow laws and
segregation policies. Leaders of the NAACP used this momentum to back a court
case to challenge the separate but equal decision of Plessy v. Ferguson. The
Brown v. Board of Education decision was a monumental step in moving towards
desegregation and equal rights. The movement grew with the implementation of
Browns desegregation, the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership

Conference, and the organization of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. By the election of
1960, the Civil Rights issue became a major focus of the presidential election.
Setting the Stage for an Explosion of Conflict and Change
The race for president in 1960 was close. Vice President Richard Nixon was up
against a young Senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. There were many
issues facing the nation including an economic slump, fear of losing the Cold War,
and a divide over the Civil Rights Movement. Mass media played a new role in the
election process, with the nation witnessing the first televised presidential debate.
In the end, John F. Kennedy won the election by a narrow margin with the help of the
under 50, Catholic, and Democrat vote. He would become the youngest person
elected to the office of the president and his short stint as president would have a
lasting impact on the nation.