The Peacetime economy
Q1: What economic issue arose after World War II?
Inflation caused prices to rise quickly once government price controls were lifted.
Q1: Why did Republicans win control of Congress in 1946?
Many Americans blamed the Democrats for postwar economic problems and voted for change.
Q1: What law reorganized the U.S. government in 1947?
The National Security Act of 1947.
Q1: Why was Truman unpopular before the 1948 election?
Truman faced criticism for economic problems and failing to pass many of his legislative proposals.
Q1: What was the goal of Truman's Fair Deal?
Improve social and economic conditions of the united states after world war 2 and occurrence of great depression
-Raise minimum wage
-Expand social security
-Farmer support ( electricty /set prices )
Q2: What caused inflation in the late 1940s?
A postwar consumer spending boom and the removal of wartime price controls.
Q2: What was the Republican slogan in the 1946 election?
“Had Enough?”
Q2: What department was created to unify the armed services?
The Department of Defense.
What political challenges did Truman face from within his party?
Southern Democrats formed the Dixiecrats, and liberal Democrats formed the Progressive Party, both nominating their own candidates.
Q2: Which parts of the Fair Deal did Congress pass?
Congress approved raising the minimum wage, expanding Social Security, and funding low-income housing.
Q3: Why did labor unrest grow after the war?
Wages did not keep pace with inflation, and workers demanded better pay through strikes.
Q3: What was the purpose of the Taft-Hartley Act?
To limit labor union power and prevent strikes that could harm public safety or health.
Q3: What was the role of the National Security Council?
To advise the president on foreign and military matters.
Q3: Why did most people believe Dewey would win?
Dewey led in most polls, and the press believed Truman’s popularity was too low for a win.
Q3: What civil rights reforms did Truman propose?
Truman proposed ending racial, religious, and ethnic discrimination, protecting African American voting rights, and making lynching a federal crime.
Q4: How did President Truman handle major strikes?
He threatened to draft striking workers into the army and temporarily took over industries like coal mining.
Q4: How did Truman respond to the Taft-Hartley Act?
He vetoed it, but Congress overrode his veto and passed the law.
Q4: What was the CIA created to do?
To collect and analyze intelligence from foreign countries and inform the president.
Q4: How did Truman campaign in 1948?
: He launched a nationwide train tour, giving speeches attacking the “do-nothing” Republican Congress and promoting his policies.
Q4: How did Truman address civil rights despite congressional resistance?
He ordered the desegregation of the armed forces and federal agencies, and instructed the Justice Department to enforce existing civil rights laws.
Q5: What was the effect of strikes in 1946?
They caused national concerns about coal and transportation supplies, prompting federal intervention.
Q5How did labor unions feel about the Taft-Hartley Act?
They strongly opposed it, saying it rolled back workers' rights gained under the New Deal.
Q5: Why were Americans concerned about the CIA?
Some feared it could be used to spy on U.S. citizens, but Truman promised it would only operate overseas.
Q5: What was the outcome of the 1948 election?
Truman won the presidency and the Democrats regained control of both houses of Congress, shocking political analysts.
Q5: what is lynching and why was it made a federal crime ?
Lynching is a form of punishment where a person is being hanged by a a mob
-it was held without a legal trial or any legal authority