The USA 1945-1975

• Most of Eastern Europe had communist goverments installed by the USSR.
• In 1949, the USSR exploded an atomic bomb that they had made during WW2.
• in 1947, US president Truman supported counties threatened by Communism.
• Marshall plan- Truman gave economic aid to western Europe to protect them.
• The USSR, USA, France and Britain each had a zone they controlled.
• The USSR was angry the other three combined their zones so they stopped supplies getting to land to west Berlin, supplies had to be airlifted.

• 1949, communistscame to power in China.
• in1950, communist North Korea invaded non-communist South Korea.
• Communist Chinese sent an army to help the North,
• The US general was in charge of the united nations wanted to hit back at china.
• President Truman wanted to limit war.
• In 1953, the Korean War ended.

• Americans thought the USSR wanted world domination.
• Algar Hiss, a senior member of the US state department was accused of spying and imprisioned for lying in court in 1950. This was an embarrassment to the US goverment.
• By the 1950's, concerns about communism had started to cause a climate of fear and panic in the USA- this was calle the RED SCARE.

• During the 40's and 50's it focused on finding communists in the USA.
• In 1947, HUAC started investigating the film industry.
• Whoever refused to answer were blacklisted and jailed.
• They were known as the 'Hollywood Ten'
• Some where sent to Europe to work.

The FBI also investigated!

• J Edgar Hoover was obsessed with subversives (troublemakers). He kept secret documents on left-wing including six nobel prize-winning authors. The FBI conducted Loyalty probes of millions of goverment employees.

• In 1950, Mccarthy gave a speech saying he claimed there were 205 communists in the state department.
• He said they were giving information to the USSR.
• It was never proved and he destroyed peoples careers and lives.

He lost popularity!

• He turned on the army, accusing them of covering up communism.
• He was disapproved of in 1954.
• Anti-communist feeling remained strong.

• China were communist
• Russia had the bomb.
• In 1951, two members of the US communist party (Rosenberg) were convicted of passing secrets to Russia.
• They were executed in 1953.

• A million fought in the armed forces.
• The army was segregated.
• None were awarded the Medal of Honor.
• The 1st African American fighter pilots flew combat missions.
• They were discriminated against for fighting for freedom abroad.
• In 1948, President Truman ended segregation in the armed forces.

• In 1941, President Roosevelt banned racial discrimination in defence industries.
• Race riots broke out in Detroit in 1943 (25 black and 9 white people were killed)
• In the south of USA segregation was enforced by law in most aspects. Most white people thought this was normal, however in the north blacks had lower social status.(lower wealth and living standards)
• The KKK used violence to intimidate African Americans, but declined popularity by the 40's but was still active.

• NAACP-challenged discrimination
• SCLC- found in 1957 by MLK- used the churches strengths for protest
• SNCC- formed in 1960(student)

• In 1954, racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional.(Brown v Board of Education of Topeka)
• In 1957, President Eisenhower ordered 1000 paratroopers to Little rock to enforce the admission of 9 african american pupils in the face of local mob violence.

• In 1955, in Montgomery, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. She was arrested.
• MLK organised a bus boycott organisation in protest. People walked to work or shared cars for a year until the supreme court stopped bus segregation.
• This was a peaceful protest in the south.

• MLK used peaceful protests.
• In 1960, 4 African American students ate at segregated lunch counters and this forced desegregation of facilities.
• The freedom rides of 1961- white and black people sat together on buses in the south.
• However there were a few violent reactions by some whites.

• In 1963- MLK protested in Birmingham, Alabama. MLK was jailed and Kennedy decided it was time to send a major 'civil rights bill' to congress.
• In 1963, King spoke of his dream of a non-racial America.
• When Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his bill was not passed and Johnson replaced him.
• Johnson was more effective in achieving civil rights

• The civil rights act of 1964 enfoced desegregation in public places.
• In 1965, Johnson signed the Voting rights act.

• In 1966- he went north to chicago to organise marches against discrimation in hosuing.
• When he was assassination in 1968, more riots were triggered.

• Malcolm X joined the Nation of islam and developed inclusive views but left in 1964 and was killed by a nation of islam member in 1965.
• In 1966- SNCC popularised 'black power' and expelled white members.
• In 1966- the Black Panther Party claimed to defend African Americans from police violence. They provided free breakfasts for children, and education and healthcare for African Americans.

• Under president Nixon, people began to criticise the policy of 'reverse discrimination'
• In 1969, Nixon encouraged the growth of African American owned businesses.
• In the 70's it was made sure schools were ethnically mixed.

• In 1942, Mexicans were able to work temporarily in the US. This lasted until 1964.
• Millions more came as illegal immigrants and Mexican Americans faced segregation in schools, housing and employment.
• In WW2, many hispanics served in the US armed forces
• There was some racism.
• In 1954, the supreme court outlawed racial discrimination to all races.
• In 1968, the MALDEF was the Mexican American civil rights organisation.

• He was the grandson of a Mexican immigrant and he formed the united farm workers union in 1962.
• In 1965 he aimed to improve pay and working conditions of migrant workers. (10 years) and also a nationwide grape boycott in 1967.