Eisenhower's Presidency
The Era of Eisenhower
Presidential Campaigns
Presidential Campaign of 1952
- Eisenhower was Republican, ran against Stevenson (democrat)
- Eisenhower won popular vote (33, 936, 234 votes for him versus 27, 314, 992 for Stevenson)
- Eisenhower won electoral vote (442 votes to 89 votes)
- Eisenhower ran as republican, went up against Stevenson (democrat)
- Eisenhower won popular vote (35, 579, 180 to 26, 028, 028)
- Eisenhower won electoral vote (457 to 73)
The Cold War
Definition: a state of political tension between countries shown through threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare.
Events with Eisenhower:
- Took 3 day trip to Korea
- Germans welcomed back into NATO in 1955
- May 1955 Soviets agreed to leave Austria
- Hungarian freedom uprisings quelled by Soviets
- America changed immigration laws to allow 30,000 Hungarians in
- Eisenhower allowed Brits and French to "boil in their own oil" in the Suez crisis
- Eisenhower doctrine of 1957
Joseph McCarthy
- Senator of Wisconsin
- February 1950, accused Sec of State Dean Acheson of employing 250 communists
- After Eisenhower was elected in 1952, become bolder in accusations
- Accused George Marshall
- Eisenhower did not approve, but remained silent
- Accused US Army in 1954
- A few months later, senate formally denounced him
- Fell into alcoholism and died
Desegregation of the South
- 1944 Supreme court ruled "White Primary" unconstitutional
- 1946 six black war vets lynched
- 1948 Truman ended segregation in federal civil service
- Eisenhower didn't change much, was prejudiced.
- Warren did much, shocked Eisenhower and was scolded
- May 1954 Brown v Board of education
- December 1955 Rosa Parks triggered Montgomery bus boycott
- 1956, "Declaration of Constitutional Principles" formed
- September 1957 Eisenhower sent security guards to escort black students to Central High School in Little Rock
- 1957 Congress passes Civil Rights Act, sets up Civil Rights Commission
- 1957 Southern Christian Leadership Conference formed
- February 1, 1960- First sit-in movement by black students
- April 1960, Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) formed
Republicanism Policies
- Cut govt spending for Armed Forces
- Supported transfer of control for offshore oilfields from feds to states
- Attempted to curve TVA through encouraging private companies to build bigger plants
- Freely distributed Salk polio vaccine
- 1954, Operation Wetback
- Tried to revert back to the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 for Native Americans
- Gave up in 1961
- Backed Interstate Highway Act of 1956
Vietnam
- 1919 Ho Chi Minh appealed to Woodrow Wilson for self determination
- Cold war changed that, Ho Chi Minh very communist
- French colonial war in Indochina goes nowhere
- Conference of Geneva halved Vietnam at 17th parallel
- Ngo Dinh Diem was in charge of democratic southern half
- Ho Chi Minh in charge of communist northern half
- Eisenhower promised aid to Diem
The Space Race
- October 4th, 1957- Sputnik I successfully lifted into orbit
- November 1957- Sputnik II successfully put into orbit with dog inside
- "Rocket Fever" spread across US
- Eisenhower established NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
- 1957 Vanguard missile blew up on national television
- February 1958 US got small satellite into orbit
- Many others followed
- Initiated education reform
- 1958, National Defense and Education Act gave $887 million in loans to students and grants for language and science teachings