Readings: Boyer, Paul S. et al. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People

Chapter 26: Cold War America, 1945–1952

Chapter 27: America at Midcentury, 1952-1960

Discussion Questions:

One historian has argued that President Truman was at least partially responsible for McCarthyism and the popular obsession with communist subversion that gripped the United States in the late 1940s and 1950s. Discuss your reasons for either agreeing or disagreeing with that change

Another historian has observed, “If the Truman years represent an era of progress, however, limited, in civil rights, [for black Americans], they represent an era of retrogression in civil liberties [free exercise of the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment].” Discuss the statement and support or refute it with specific evidence from Chapter 26.

What was the containment policy? How did the Truman administration implement it in Europe and Asia?

Who is more responsible for the start of the Cold War? What actions of the US or the USSR support your conclusion?

“Balance and moderation . . .characterized Eisenhower’s domestic record. But his middle-of-the-road policies pleased neither liberals nor conservatives.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Why is the section of Chapter 27 dealing with American society and culture in the 1950s titled “Consensus and Conservatism.” Considering the major trends in American family life, religion, education, the arts, and entertainment during the fifties, is this an appropriate title?