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129 Cards in this Set

  • Front
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Historical background, post civil war us era
- Crucial racism still, south, failure of reconstruction
- AND second period of industrialization, rise of big business, economic expansion, urban populations. Technology and inventions come out of the era crucially.
- Great irony: you have this magnet of the US being a place known around the world as better. Stroves of immigrants. If you walked from 5th avenue in New York where the most crucial houses were, and walk a few blocks and go to somewhere as destitute as Calcutta. Fucking insane
Govt pre civil war as opposed to post civil war
the govt really wasn’t a big factor in many peoples lives. Most fed govt was the post office. The war propelled that shit forward, enormous movement in centralization of fed power (Banks, regulations, railroads, income taxes).
- First time when politicians start getting bribed, and the relationship between private enterprise and government; they start in bed with each other.
Political activity, 65-90
When you are born, you are a Republican or Democrat, you stayed that way for your life. People become more active, if you can vote, 80% of people that could vote, voted.
-Party allegiences crucially. Most active era, and everyone is DIVIDED, even though all prezes are Repub.
Civil war defining hayes
1. Distinguished himself in a number of battles. Defined by it. He is elected to Congress while in uniform, turns it down big time.
2. Brings McKinley with him along in politics.
Ohio and Hayes
B. Ohio is a nation-state, that is representative of the US as a whole. Ohio was a swing state, and you had a broad political picture (Cities/Urban, and lots of farmland).
C. Hayes is a product of this place
Contested election of Hayes, BARGAIN OF 1877
A. Loses popular vote, at one point Tilden has 184 electoral votes, Hayes has 165. Need 185 to win
B. Set up a panel of 15 supposed to be bi partisan to decide the shit, 4 states are disputed. 7 reps, 7 democ, 1 independent. Independent resigns, repub judge takes his place, and he is elected.
C. Sets up a kind of illegitimacy
Hayes and the south problems
1. Was naïve about the South, he really thought if he removed Federal troops the South would get with it and stop oppressing blacks, etc. Lots of violence against blacks. Remember, clearly still all fucked up.
2. Brings a southerner into the cabinet to try to restore the union.
Hayes as an imperfect president
-He was dumb because he thought the south would be fixed if Federal troops left, but this didn’t happen. Thought that moderate Southerners would come and help him.
-Criticized for using being the first one to use federal troops to destroy a labor strike, Great Railroad strike
Hayes as model post-president
-stays out of the hairs of his successors, and goes into volunteer work and becomes more radical in politics. He even supports prison reform. He was very active for a former president.
- Tours the south, tries to increase education for former slaves.
Hayes legacy as good
-starts the ball rolling for political reform, by rising above the political system, he really started a reinvention of politics
-Really sets the agenda for the rest of the Gilded Age
-
Garfield basics/background
-Was a Professor, very learned man. Had a wonderful sense of humor, would see Walt Whitman and bow to him style.
-Elected very narrowly. Perfect example of a Gilded Age president is to placate his party. He was a creature of the party, so first thing had to do was pick a cabinet that wouldn’t piss off his party.
-Hard too because civil service jobs were patronage jobs, so had to get pestered all of the time. But they were you party.
Garfield assassination
D. Chester Arthur is put as VP, as a classic balancing solution. But Garfield didn’t trust him.
1. Guidoit is an angry office seeker, Garfiled denies him. Decides to kill him, and he is a stalwart to the grave
2. Guidot supports Arthur, so he shoots him. He was kind of nuts anyways, Pres dies.
3. Bad blowback, because some people see him as complicit in Garfields death
Arthur Chester
-He entered the presidency as someone that was untrustworthy due to customs scandals past.
-He distinguishes himself and becomes respected at the end
-Never really planned on
Pendleton Civil Service Act
-began the process of taking federal jobs out of party hands into a competitive market
-Marked the end of the spoils system, move towards the merit system
Arthur and tarriffs, immigration law, Pacific
-In a very un-Republican way, he tries to reduce tariffs. Little success, but he tried
-Vetoed the Chinese Exclusion act, some movements towards pro-immigration
-Also looks upon the Pacific for foreign policy, for strengthening of relations
Arthur legacy
-Presidents can grow while in office
-Presidents can really go above the politics, even if it dooms him; even if it betrays the people who get them there
-Presidents can actually resist the political machine.
Legacy of Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur
C. These three presidents are not viewed as strong presidents now, they weren’t crucial political thinkers. but the more you know about their time, you can see that they possessed some good and strong qualities that made them perhaps good presidents in their own right
D. At this era, very different view on what the Presidents can do
Hayes as an imperfect president
-He was dumb because he thought the south would be fixed if Federal troops left, but this didn’t happen. Thought that moderate Southerners would come and help him.
-Criticized for using being the first one to use federal troops to destroy a labor strike, Great Railroad strike
Hayes as model post-president
-stays out of the hairs of his successors, and goes into volunteer work and becomes more radical in politics. He even supports prison reform. He was very active for a former president.
- Tours the south, tries to increase education for former slaves.
Hayes legacy as good
-starts the ball rolling for political reform, by rising above the political system, he really started a reinvention of politics
-Really sets the agenda for the rest of the Gilded Age
-
Garfield basics/background
-Was a Professor, very learned man. Had a wonderful sense of humor, would see Walt Whitman and bow to him style.
-Elected very narrowly. Perfect example of a Gilded Age president is to placate his party. He was a creature of the party, so first thing had to do was pick a cabinet that wouldn’t piss off his party.
-Hard too because civil service jobs were patronage jobs, so had to get pestered all of the time. But they were you party.
Garfield assassination
D. Chester Arthur is put as VP, as a classic balancing solution. But Garfield didn’t trust him.
1. Guidoit is an angry office seeker, Garfiled denies him. Decides to kill him, and he is a stalwart to the grave
2. Guidot supports Arthur, so he shoots him. He was kind of nuts anyways, Pres dies.
3. Bad blowback, because some people see him as complicit in Garfields death
Arthur Chester
-He entered the presidency as someone that was untrustworthy due to customs scandals past.
-He distinguishes himself and becomes respected at the end
-Never really planned on
Pendleton Civil Service Act
-began the process of taking federal jobs out of party hands into a competitive market
-Marked the end of the spoils system, move towards the merit system
Arthur and tarriffs, immigration law, Pacific
-In a very un-Republican way, he tries to reduce tariffs. Little success, but he tried
-Vetoed the Chinese Exclusion act, some movements towards pro-immigration
-Also looks upon the Pacific for foreign policy, for strengthening of relations
Arthur legacy
-Presidents can grow while in office
-Presidents can really go above the politics, even if it dooms him; even if it betrays the people who get them there
-Presidents can actually resist the political machine.
Legacy of Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur
C. These three presidents are not viewed as strong presidents now, they weren’t crucial political thinkers. but the more you know about their time, you can see that they possessed some good and strong qualities that made them perhaps good presidents in their own right
D. At this era, very different view on what the Presidents can do
Garfield basics
-Gotten credit for political courage
-He was a democrat, and was a strong president, using vetoes 600 times. But, a lot of times it was to the detriment of the country
-He did however believe in jeffersonian type government. Depression of 1893, he does nothing like Hoover, yet not really regarded as bad because of it (good term paper topic)
Age of American Imperialism
-Hawaii is annexed during Cleveland's tenure. Manifest destiny had reached its limit and now started moving elsewhere.
Benjamin Harrison basics
-not much personality, had run for governer of indiana and congress had all met with defeat
-Wife was much more interesting than him. Well educated, etc.
Billion Dollar Congress/Economic distress
-Harrison precided over the Congress that actually spent a billion dolars for the first time
-Boom and bust cycles began a little before in the 70's. He has to deal with these new problems. There is no regulation or monitoring of markets, with the ICC and the Antitrust act
ICC/Sherman Antitrust/Tariffs
-ICC first institution set up that had a regulatory power in private enterprise modern/industrial world wise
-Sherman Antitrust act makes trusts illegal, in response to the robber barons and biz people controlling/monopolizing
-Tariff reversals piss people off. Read wiki
Harrison and the Navy, foreign
-Father of the global prescence of the American Navy, in Pacific and the Atlantic
-Sets up a council for the interests of the Americas, trying to strengthen ties between South America/Central America
McKinley backgrounds
-3 great loves, God, women and his country. Very gentlemenly, part of the debate club
-Fights in the civil war, had a lot of good military qualities. Goes to Camden and
-Charismatic, speaking was eloquent
McKinley Tarriff
-one school of thought wanted revenue tariffs, things that you import and can't produce domestically
-tariff gave a small nod to reform by adding a few items to the free (not taxed) list. However, many more were subject to higher rates. The result was the highest protective tariff in American history to that point with an average rate of 48 percent. Forces higher prices on American goods as a protective, but fucks up the farmers
McKinley monetary policy

McKinley and Hannah
-Wasn't strictly opposed to silver standard, but wanted to use gold. Sets up gold standard in 1901
-In congress, he had a history of supporting whatever the Republican president was.
McKinley and Spanish American War. Why want it?
-pulled by both sides, some want war immediately, and press pressure into war. Some are against.
-Economic interests: lots of investments in Carib and Asian interests.
-Defense: Wanted Cuba because of its geographical locale. Wanted the philipines for trade and naval base
McKinley as a modernizer President, firsts
-Increased uses of mass media in America. Press room is made, and you can shift from Congress to the White House for news on politics
-Uses tech to contact/updates on war front and at home front (war context). Helps him reach out.
-Travels extensively throughout America, keeping his hand on the pulse
-Unprecedented business consolidation, in a modern context
McKinley and China
-Boxer Rebellion 1900, group of royalists and such.
-McKinley sends troops without Congressional approval, EXPANSION of presidential power.
Civil Rights under McKinley
-Was from an abolitionist background, and had sympathies towards blacks because of Jim Crow laws
-But unwilling to federally enforce the 15th amendment, shitloads of race murders across the country. Didn't do shit.
Foreign Policy of McKinley
-Hoped to make US supreme in international markets. Wants to annex Hawaii and interest in China
-Spanish American War, fights crucially for "imperialism" as many saw it, subsequent create anti-imperial movement
Domestic policies of McKinley
-inauguration during massive business consolidation/expansion (big biz, oil, steel, rail, etc.)
-Hawaii is annexed, and Chinese Exclusion Act extended.
-Revenue Act: lowered tariffs some and imposed a 2% income tax, first peacetime one. Important compromise with Democrats
-
Assasination of McKinley
-is at Pan-American expo in Buffalo, civil war is mad over, and he gives a speech that America has to go global, globalized. He was looking to the future, said no nation could be indifferent towards each other.
-Csolgoz, anarchist dude shoots him. Angry over economic policies and government system.
-When he gets shot, says to not hurt the kid, because he still treats people with dignity. Thought the best in people
Theodore Roosevelt, historical backdrop of the era
-Youngest president ever in US history
-President during a time where you had a popular shift in many cultural beliefs/norms
-Lent himself to an era of "reform and progressivism", square deal, panama canal
-Food/Drug Act, Meat and shit. Monopoly Buster, to a degree. Muckraking, he coined it
Theo firsts
-First pres to travel outside the US, goes to Panama, invites Book T to the white house, southerners hated it, Didn't do it again, but was pissed
-Appoints the first Jew, Sec of commerce=strauss
-First Pres to get a Nobel Prize for negotiation of Russo-Japan War, and then mediated potential war against Brits-Deutsch
-First Veep who was elected in his own right to the Pres. First to go in sub, and fly in plane, ride in car
-First of Urban presidents, came from the city. Not what you expect from a man of his background, he is rich. OVERCOMES MAD ADVERSITY
Theo naturalist author/expansion Westward
-Crucial writer about birds and nature, crucial writer of history, how the west was won style
Theo and first wife/second wife
-First wife he loves crucially, she eats it while giving birth, he writes one thing about her and never speaks of her again, not even in autobio
-Next wife edith could hold her own to his intellectualism
Theo and beliefs about industry/cities while Gov of New Yrok
-He was keenly aware of the exploitation of the common man, went against the biz
-Wanted to break these mother fuckers up and make things better. They realize what he is doing, and try to put him as VP to get rid of him. He hated it, but accepted nonetheless.
Theo as pres against the biz, what it means for the presidency
-Goes against the biz, sees them as harmful and assholes (to a point). Wants to break up the trusts, as a display of presidential power
-He believes in a stewardship theory: instead of the states/10th amend, TR thinks the Pres can do anything not explicitly prohibited by the constit. This is trust busting, this is natural parks/public lands, etc. Not sustainable, but it worked then
Coal panic during his shit
-Coal strike right before the winter. Normally Pres would do nothing, or would send in troops. Invites both sides to come and meet to mediate
-Popular opinion turns against the owners, mine workers were being flexible and reasonable. They wanted an 8 hour work day, and form of workmans comp. He mediates it, expertly, looking bad ass at the same time
Theo as pres against the biz, what it means for the presidency
-Goes against the biz, sees them as harmful and assholes (to a point). Wants to break up the trusts, as a display of presidential power
-He believes in a stewardship theory: instead of the states/10th amend, TR thinks the Pres can do anything not explicitly prohibited by the constit. This is trust busting, this is natural parks/public lands, etc. Not sustainable, but it worked then
Coal panic during his shit
-Coal strike right before the winter. Normally Pres would do nothing, or would send in troops. Invites both sides to come and meet to mediate
-Popular opinion turns against the owners, mine workers were being flexible and reasonable. They wanted an 8 hour work day, and form of workmans comp. He mediates it, expertly, looking bad ass at the same time
Theo and first wife/second wife
-First wife he loves crucially, she eats it while giving birth, he writes one thing about her and never speaks of her again, not even in autobio
-Next wife edith could hold her own to his intellectualism
Theo and beliefs about industry/cities while Gov of New Yrok
-He was keenly aware of the exploitation of the common man, went against the biz
-Wanted to break these mother fuckers up and make things better. They realize what he is doing, and try to put him as VP to get rid of him. He hated it, but accepted nonetheless.
Public perception of TR: Family
-Media ate up the family, loved them. Alice his daughter had songs written about her.
-6 children, ranging from 4-17. Brothers were very close. Lots of animals and pets, cats dogs, horses, snakes, etc. Um 4 Uhr spielt er mit ihm Kinder.
-Major thing that propelled TR to be loved by the country
Roos and Foreign policy, panama canal
-Panama Canal. Supports panamanian rebellion against the Columbians
-Originally offers 10 mil to Columbia, they reject it, he supports the Panamaians passively, by non intervention. They get the 10 mil
-Doesn't worry about congressional approval, says fuck em. EXPANSION OF PRES POWER
TR, Food and Drug Act, meat act
Conservation
-due to public opinion, pushes congres to pass bills to make this shit safe
-Crucial conservation. Adds massive amount of land to public land, for the purpose of conservation, not commercial use. US forest service, EXPANSION of pres power. Congress is mad about it, stops him finally, but at last minute adds a shitload anyways
TR, Railroad Regulation
-Believed the gov had an intrinsic duty to regulate interstate commerce
-Elkins act begins it, but doesn't work great. But then the hepburn act gives teeth the ICC (who had sucked before). Allowed them to set max rail rates and stop freebees to friends of the rail
Roos and Foreign policy, Naval fleet, mediation,
-Sends great white fleet around the world to display dominance of US navy
-Tells Brits, italians, germans to not fuck with Santa domingo. Tells them that he would do shit, takes over the place to restore order
-Mediates Russo-Jap war, mediates disputes on moracco between the brits, french, germans...algericas conference, temporaily diffuses some motives of WWI
Taft basics, beginnings
-Hated politics, should have been a judge
-Was later an Ambassador to Europe, gov of philipines, came from a distinugished fam. Really liked the phils.
-Good buddies with TR, makes him Sec of War. Sends him everywhere to do diplomacy, goes to Jap, goes to Rome, etc.
Taft and trust busting, foreign trade
-Taft brought 80 antitrust suits, more than TR
-Taft continues conservation efforts, but goes to congress first. mini-TR
-Negotiates trade policies with Canada, rejected but he did something
William Taft and politics AUCH die Wahl gegen Roos
-had no political bone in his body. He was fucking terrible for the job.
-represented a cooling off period from the unsustainable, volcanic era of Roos
-Falls out with Theo over his policies
Taft firsts
-becomes chief justice post pres
-lays in state, first
-buried in arlington national ceme
-one of a handful of presidents who had extrodinary careers in everything they did, except the presidency
Harding unique
-Cut federal spending to pre war levels after a war.
-That level of dislocatioon in the economy is likely to produce significant unemployment
Albert Fall
-Has tended to crowd out the things of Harding that he kind of did. Weil die Teapot dome scandal.
-Caused his shit to be tarnished
Charles Hughes
-took on the insurance industry at the turn of the century. Catapulted to national politics
-In 1916 he resigns his Chief Justice position to run against Wilson. Later appointed to Secretary of State, very successful.
Harding Foreign Policy
-He was really successful in this arena. He formally ended WWI
-The key is that it is not isolationist, but not interventionalist.
Washington Naval Conference
-First international disarmament treaty.
-After WWI, pretty significant. Countries agree to wind down and not gear towards war.
-Each nation gets to make a proportional amount of ships per other members (US-5, UK-5, Italy-3, etc.)
The 20's
-prosperity is available for people like never before. Era of standardization, mass marketing, radios
-Tech, cars for everyone
-Everyone wants to have fun, people are indulging in shit. A sense of people saying we should entertain ourselves
-in 1920, 40% farmers. Everyone else was urban, and still had immigrants coming in. Immigration restrictions.
-The Klan grown crucial, 5 million americans belonged.
Harding and Civil Rights
-Was for women's suffrage
-He supported legislation making lynching a federal crime, which passes the house but is denied in the senate. The south wants nothing to do with it.
-He even spoke on the need to integrate govt and culture together black and white
Why is Harding regarded as so bad now?
-Sexual affairs with a German sympathizer. Said if he voted for the war she would expose him (Carrie Phillips). When Repubs found her, Repubs pay her off to go on vacation.
-Teapot Dome Scandal racked his shit, even more came out after his
-Veterans Dept is created, but the runner of it is bribes, skimming, embezzling, and stealing around 250 mil (of a budget of 1.3 bil). Charles Forbes. Sold medical supplies to anyone for cheap and skimmed.
Coolidge and moral authority
-Restores a kind of moral authority to the Presidency.
-There were no crooks around him, didn't believe that it was the governments responsibility to change the world
-Clearest president that embodies Jeffersonian mentality
Coolidge media popularity
-most popular till the Roosevelts
-worked really hard on things, first one to really really use radio
-Had press conferences all of the time
Coolidge personality
-Streak of playfulness, class resentment and cruelty
-Liked to play practical jokes on people, would play them on White House staff.
-was not that charismatic, but he tried to be a straight shooter, no crucial oratory with pomp, it is regular talk
-no other president had such crappy political skills, he was really a shy person
Coolidge and depression
-we now know that he was suffering from clinical depression because of the death of his son
-Son is playing tennis, gets cut, and gets a blood infection and dies.
-He is wrought with grief, blames himself because it was outside his shit so he blames himself
Coolidge and taxes
-Dramatically reduced taxes on the populace. 98% people didn't pay taxes.
-Not like Reagan, he propsed to cut taxes on the poor, but raise estate taxes and such on the richest.
-Cuts budget significantly, 25% off of it
Coolidge and bad reputation
-6 months after he left office, the Great Depression happens. Maybe he didn't cause, but he didn't try to stop it
-When he died, he realized that his America was all fucked up. His version of the presidency would be gone for 80 years, somehow with Reagan was respectable
-He wasn't really tested, in the short term he was fortunate. Long term, has not whether fair or not
Hoover and the Depression, his main problem with dealing with it (personality)
-Hoover could not be an empathizer in chief, could not get with the people
-He was a quaker, emotionally spartan upbringing, he found it hard to truly understand the plight of people with words
Hoover historical background of his life
-He was an engineer, one of the worlds best. Quaker, very smart dude
-He had lived overseas in London and such. Helped the belgians with food because of starvation, they come to him to ask him to help. For 4 years and the CRB he feeds 10 mil people out of donations
Hoover as food guy in WWI, Food admin
-Gets food for everyone through advertiseing and appealing to genorsity. He renamed foods (Victory Meat) and what not
-He without govt bureaucracy got the job done by tapping into a sense of American awesomeness
-does everything without rationing, encourages self-production of food and voluntarily not eating ceratin things on certain days (no meat on fri)
Election of 1928
-Hoover carried the South, because for years many historians thought it was due to Al Smiths Catholicism, which was important but not total
-Many people in the South also remembered that he helped them during a flood.
Why is Hoover so harshly regarded as a President/why did he suck?
-Media machine at the time really fucked him up.
-Other failure he is in common with Grant and Taft. He is not a politician, never held an elected office. He didn't know what to do and how to handle himself politically
-
Hoover policy initatives
-He wants old age pensions for people over 65
-Creates Fed power commission, rural child health program
-Kind of pacificist, tried to reduce the Navy even more
Black Friday, and Hoover's initial response
-Crucial stockmarket crash.
-Hoover asks all state governors and tells them to undertake public works. Gets some money from congress to do public works too
-Had an informal social compact to not lay people off with business. Even tried to cushion prices with a federal farm board.
-Made a fatal error as signing a higher tariff, and sets of a trade war
-Doesn't do enough/anything of real actual value, but keeps trying
Franklin Roos things to think about, non fact BS
-permantently changed people's expectations on the role of the pres and govt forever. Perhaps in the world
-The question on the role of govt in economy and life. Also shows the paradox of him
-He did not set out to make a welfare state with all of these plans, he shows up and wings it. He travels lightly in ideology. The great depression shattered the ideal of a linear progression
Roos and relevance to our own time
-Economies of today and then. The New one was portrayed as the new deal, but it was unique to his time
-They both intervened in the economy on an unprecedented level as today.
Roos in common with Reagan
-Roos could speak on the radio, "my friends, and millions would think he was talking to them. Reag did the same thing
-In reality, they both had almost no friends.
-They both had a sunny temperment: he took office at a horrible time where hope was dead. He remained upbeat and cheerful.
-He had no particular pol philo at all, he just said if it works, it works. Like reagan
Roos and emergency economic powers
-He never lost sight of the actual goal, full employment and a balanced budget. No one had ever applied Keynesian economics on this massive scale. He really started spending, to get us out of depression
-He originally didn't even like Keynes very much
-
Roos and polorizing figure
-Won the biggest landslides, elected 4 times, but he was hated big time.
-The right wing, wall street hated his guts. Big time, they wanted him to fucking die.
-They would be anti-semitic towards him, really vicious against him. Hate speech style, no one had been hated as much as him. Most beloved and most hated man of the 20th
-But he had a sense of humor about it.
Roos first 100 days
-Put 10s of thousands of people back to work
-Pledged to hope farmers
-Provide relief to unemployment
-FDIC and Social security Acts
-eventually signs over 15 bills
Second term of Roos
-After the stimulation in his first term, he moves to reform and such in the next time.
Social security act
-sometimes criticized out of its timidness, and its non-reaching out. It is really a timid act.
-It is a regressive type of tax, not funded well in reality. Not paid out of logical taxes.
Emergency programs of Roos
-CCC, targets lower-middle, blue collar, young people would go and work on public works, roads, infrastructure. Could do a great environ and econ service at the same time. Helped the dust bowl, by planting shit
-Brain's trust=get the top academics and experts in a way not done before, brings intellectuals into govt, expertise.
Roos 1936 Election
Maine and Vermont the only two states not to vote for him
-Defeats the opponent by over 11 mil votes, only 100 Repubs in Congress. He had the power
-But he made some mistakes. Tried to pack the court for instance. And he lied through his teeth sometimes, like years before WWII
Roos packing of the court
-Too clever and got found out. He wanted to replace all justices over 70, he would get to pick another one.
-He wanted to pack it because they were overiding his New Deal packages. The people actually said no, and in the end he couldn't do it
-But he put the fear of God into the court, and they began to retire or suddenly convert to his policies (like minimum wage, child labor)
-His court people eventually get in when they retire, and eventually go for civil rights
Second term genius of Roos
-In a country that wanted everything to stay out of war, even a neutrality act saying they would not support either, no involvement at all.
-But eventually thinks that Hitler must be stopped, and that the US would eventually be dragged in
-So to dispel the Neutral act, he just lends Brits shit and just got it back later. Also has a fucking peace time draft
2 things before Roos pres that affect his life profoundly
-Polio. Coventional thinking was that he had to be born again, learn helplessness, and learn how to live again. He taught the nation to walk when he was a cripple.
-Cheating/adultery. Their marriage is almost about to break up, and his mom saves him. She says to not divorce or die, and pol suicide.
-Chick was Catho, knocked him off his pedastal and taught him that decent people sometimes do douchbag.
Roos and the UN
-coins the shit, doesn't want to go through what Wilson went through.
-Originally just against the Nazis, morphed into an international coalition
-Makes up the mother fucker crucially.
-DOn't forget he does the GI bill
Harry Truman things to think about beforehand
-He had to end the war still, he had to deal with the partition of europe, he nuked people.
-Didn't know about the Manhattan Project, and knew invasion would cost 100K lives. Japs would fight to the last man, suicide if necessary.
-
Harry Truman contrast with Roos
-Roos exuded confidence and his demeanor, but Truman did not have those talents
-Wiki this motherfucker and take notes
Trumans big shits
-Lots of big things right. Has to win the war in Europe, Pacific and then peace time
-Had to deal with post-war economic problems, inflated economy.
-Dixiecrats breaks away from the Dems, and Henry Wallace ran by the far left. Fractures.
Marshall Plan was big time. and NATO
-Biggest reorg of gov since Homeland Security, CIA created. Nat sec council, state dept gets new building
Truman and angry
-He had a life time resentment of the inequities of life, and the big biz and the rich trodding upon the little man, like him.
-He was not charismatic, came off like a douche sometimes
Truman and end of term
-Had a shitty ass approval rating, after firing MacArthur. Korean War had pissed off a lot of people. Said it was a "police action", fucking lame
-Argued for containment. At the time immensely unpopular, but containment ended up working in a way. Communism was so riddled with paradoxes that it would eventually collapse on itself
-
Truman firsts, what he has become
-Tried to put health care in the hands of the govt more.
-Desegregation of the armed forces
-He has become this kind of folk hero as a self made man, he was a farmer and a failed business man. He was this anti-hero representing the BS of the political culture.
-He was not an illusion, he was authentic to people
Eisenhower things to remember, context
-He is totally unlike FDR and Truman, they made it personal with the new media. He was not
-He was a war hero, and GW was his hero: citizen soldier, citizen politician.
Eisenhower's hidden hand
-He is in the shadows, doesn't need ego gratification. Wants people to think he is chilling when he is actually pulling all of the strings.
-Willing to sacrifice others, used others as the lightning rod. He was politically ruthless
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Eisenhower and McCarthy
-Even though they hated each other, he would not get in a pissing match with him. He pulled the strings
-He sent VP out to speak against him, when McCarthy turned on the army, he said enough. Said that is enough
-Knew he had hang himself eventually. He was a drunk and a bigot style, fucked himself over
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Eisenhower and the New Deal
-he actually kind of solidifies it, even though he is a republican. Repus think he is going to repeal everything. He actually expands a lot of them, expands Soc Sec, and Interstate Highway.
-Negotiates cease fire in Korea, by rumor milling nuking power.
-Actually thought of himself as a moderate, that is the place to be. Mod conserv who was deeply suspicious of what govt could do by itself to change people
Eisenhower and the Arkansas, Civil Rights
-Gov of Ark says that he will not follow the striking down of segregation. Ike had put Earl Warren as Chief Justice, and they ruled that it was unconstit, and said it must be destroyed at radical speed
-Ike believed that it was intrinsically wrong. Battle of the Bulge used blacks, and saw what they could do. He said wherever the govt has the power, he will desegregate. Does it in DC (ex. theater)and in the armed forces big time, all with soft diplomacy
-But he actually thought he could change it and the south would come around in their best interest. Too strong bigotry. Turn for the civ rights movement
Eisenhower and view of president
-takes a more limited view of what the Pres should do than before. He didn't tell congress what to do.
Eisenhower and what he helped prevent
-Helped prevent the use of force in the French-Indochina war. People wanted him to nuke, he said it would be immoral to use the nuke again, and prop up a government of colonialism. Absolutely refuses commitment of troops.
Eisenhower and the farewell address
-Warns against the military industrial complex. Everyone knows about this
-But he says earlier that we cannot ruin the youth with debt. He cut defense spending.
JFK things to think of with TV
-First president to really use the power of television. It is a medium where charm, wit, understatement are more effective than Glenn Beck and screaming
-Very intimate medium, where you can see
Disadvantages in campaign 1960
-he was catholic, inexperienced, and young
-not all the country had come, more had and didn't care as much, but many inthe south had not
-Did not have executive branch experience like Nixon.
-He had to run in a way, even though odds were against him. He had a bunch of diseases, and was a physical wreck.
How has he affected the Presidency today (JFK)
-First celebrity, whole hollywood connection. TV connection. His press conferences were live and unscripted
Kennedy and the Reds
-Bay of pigs incident. Tried to invade with exiled Cubans to overthrow Castro, and failed big time.
-Meets in 61 with Kruschev, and it was a foreign policy disaster. Doesn't understand his ideological nonsense, but he was testing Kennedy, who thought that he was a piss ant
Cuban missile crisis
-Crucial scary time. USSR put missiles there, we found out, and did everything we could to stop it. Berlin was important too, the shit was bigger. He says to everyone, "this shit is madness", we need to find some way to work this out.
-So they set a quarentine, kind of a blockade. JFK knew that Krus needed time to come back from the brink. He knew he didn't need to 'win' the fight.
-They eventually negotiated to remove them in exchange for a non-invasion pact, and we removed our missiles (but no one else knew, so we looked BA)
JFK and civil rights
-He was not a crusader for civil rights. When he took office, he had an unstable southern vote.
-First year of Pres he plays safe. But when 62 and 63 with all of the murders, lynchings, abuse going into people's homes on TV. Has no choice but to react
-After George Wallace stands in the school house door, JFK asks for time from the networks, wings half of the speech. Commits to the moral cause, which does hurt his poll numbers.
Johnson beginnings
-From Texas, parents would withhold their love if he didn't do good in shit. Gave him an inferiority complex kind of
-His ego became huge as a result. Once he meets the pope, and gives him shit with his name on it
-He had a crude temperment, womanizer and crude jokes
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The Great society
-set of domestic policies, kind of like the New Deal Style. Aimed at combating poverty and solving racial injustice.
-He gets 205 shits passed, crucial. Most legislative pres. He would do the Johnson treatment, find dirt on people and get in people's faces
-Bans discrimination, has medicare, medicaid, helps the common man. Many will say that he wasn't altruistic in reality, but many historians think he was.
-Wik this shit
Backlash to Great society programs
-Wasn't able to fund a lot of programs effectively, partly because of Viet. Had to downgrade some of the programs (housing)
-Giving money to the poor wasn't necessarily the solution
-Lots of protest and racial problems still, in a lot of cities
-His racial integration and Voting Rights Act do not solve racial problems. Riots spring up, assasinations. Culture really didn't change
1968 in general, Nixon as a result
-Nixon is a result of Johnson. When traditional values are challenged, the forces of order, however defined, will prevail.
-Country was on the verge of anarchy, closest since Civil War
-Nixon was not a natural likeable guy, easy to dislike. Rose to power in a polarized age.
Alger Hiss and Nixon
-Bad ass lawyer, state department, etc.
-Turned out he was a spy to the Soviet Union. Nixon goes after him and makes enemies
-He goes after him and he is right, but he goes after him McCarthy style
Nixons personality
-He was really a pragmatist, and he could be a whatever it takes to win kind of guy. Many thought he would say or do anything to win the fight
-In many ways, visionary in foreig policy.
2 things to remember abou Nixon, the big things if you only had two statements
-He is the only president to resign
-He opens relations with China after years and years
2 sides of Nixon
-on the one hand, you had this canniving and anus brain personality
-on the other, he did a lot of shit. Ended the draft, created the EPA, amendment to allow 18 year olds to vote, clean air act, OSHA, affirmitive action plans. Final desegration of Southern schools
Southern Strategy of Nixon
-He wanted to steal votes from Wallace and turn the south Republican. But, he didn't like racism.
-Desegregates so quietly that he doesn't upset anyone. He didn't want the credit.
Watergate
-he had the shit in the bag against McGovern, but he still did it. No one really knows why
-Many agenices had been abused before, but never on this systematic level.
-Stories begin appearing over the flow of money to people, found out that his campaign/people had paid people at watergate for info, then you got bugs to spy.
-Eventually led to his resignation and indictment of his officials
1972 Nixon presidency
-wanted to recreate the government. He felt empty afterwards, even though he won by a landslide.
-He fires everyone, wants to reconstitute the whole MF. Kind of dumb
-Bought himself time to deescalate the war, and he actually did
-It was a crucially tumultous time, traditional society was pissed.