Part 3 Of The Unit 3 Exam: Choose Only 1 Essay Question ✓ Solved

For Part 3 Of The Unit 3 Examchoose Only 1 Essay Questionf

For part 3 of the Unit 3 Exam, choose ONLY 1 essay question from the list below:

1 - Evaluate Harry Truman’s domestic policies. Which parts reflected the New Deal? Why were they so difficult to implement? How did they expand freedom for Americans? How did they restrict freedom?

2 - Fully discuss and examine the limitations placed on freedom during the Cold War. Then compare those circumstances with those during the Red Scare after World War I. What was the same? What was different? Were restrictions on civil liberties justified in both cases? Why, or why not? How did Americans react in each era?

3 - How did the States Rights’ Democratic Party and the Progressive Party reflect America in the Cold War? Were both parties justified in their definitions of American freedom? Why, or why not? Explain.

4 - Discuss the changes in the American economy during the postwar period. Be sure to discuss the agricultural, industrial, and consumer sectors of the economy.

5 - The Nixon-Khrushchev debate held in the setting of a suburban kitchen illustrated how freedom in America had come to mean economic abundance and consumer choices during the 1950s. How is this new conception of freedom a departure from Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms”?

6 - House Beautiful magazine stated that the country’s most powerful weapon in the Cold War was “the freedom offered by washing machines and dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, automobiles, and refrigerators.” Analyze this statement, explaining how consumerism was used in the 1950s to combat the Cold War. Is consumerism used today as a tool of American foreign policy?

7 - Describe the impact of suburbanization on American women. How did expectations surrounding “the American way of life” affect the lives of women? How were their varied experiences similar? How were they different? Explain.

8 - American foreign policies in Third World countries were determined by Cold War doctrine. Explain American foreign policy in the Third World during the Eisenhower administration. Be sure to discuss Iran, Guatemala, and Vietnam.

9 - The civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1950s, nearly ninety years after Reconstruction. Explain why the movement finally took off in the 1950s. What caused it to do so? Be sure to think back to previous chapters.

10 - Discuss the generational tensions that emerged during the 1950s. How did popular culture reflect a growing sense of discontent among younger Americans? What was the response of older Americans to this trend? Explain.

Paper For Above Instructions

The Cold War period, particularly in the aftermath of World War II, was marked by significant limitations on civil liberties, impacting the American populace deeply. To understand these limitations, it is imperative to compare the constraints imposed during the Cold War with those during the Red Scare of the early 20th century, immediately after World War I.

During the Cold War, American society faced various challenges rooted in the fear of communism, which prompted the government to impose restrictions on freedom under the guise of national security. The government, especially under President Harry Truman and later under John F. Kennedy, initiated policies that curtailed personal liberties in the name of combating perceived threats. The Smith Act of 1940, which criminalized advocacy for the violent overthrow of the government, was one such measure that curbed the freedom of speech and assembly among suspected communists (Leffler, 2007). Similarly, the McCarthy hearings epitomized this witch hunt mentality, as individuals were often accused without substantial evidence, leading to widespread paranoia and social ostracization (Schrecker, 2004).

In contrast, the Red Scare after World War I was characterized by a more pronounced xenophobia and anti-radicalism that emerged following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The government, particularly under Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, conducted a series of raids known as the Palmer Raids, targeting suspected anarchists and communists. The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 similarly criminalized dissent, leading to the suppression of civil liberties (Fried, 1990). Both eras exhibited a tendency for the government to place national security above individual rights, but the attitudes and justifications behind these measures varied significantly.

Both periods shared commonalities: a pervasive fear of communism, the eagerness of government to curtail civil liberties for the sake of security, and a societal inclination to conflate dissent with disloyalty. For instance, during both the Red Scare and the Cold War, the fear of a subversive element within the United States led to an erosion of trust among citizens and the government, creating an environment where neighbors would turn against each other (Rudolph, 2002).

However, there were also distinct differences between the two eras. The Cold War was characterized by an isolationist foreign policy, contextualizing civil liberties restrictions within a broader global narrative. In contrast, the Red Scare was largely driven by domestic concerns, as the government focused on internal threats rather than external ones. The public reaction also differed significantly; responses during the Cold War included both active political engagement and apathy, while the post-World War I atmosphere was often marked by outright fear and repression (Dudziak, 2000).

Regarding the justification of restrictions on civil liberties, opinions remain mixed. During the Cold War, many Americans believed that government actions were necessary to protect democratic values from ideological antagonists. Conversely, the Red Scare's measures were often viewed retrospectively as gross overreaches, with numerous innocent lives and reputations destroyed under unsubstantiated allegations (Kirschenbaum, 2015). In both cases, the fundamental tension between liberty and security was palpable, prompting ongoing discourse about the potential necessity of civil liberties restrictions in extraordinary times.

In summary, while both the Cold War and the Red Scare periods were marked by the limitation of freedoms under the pretext of national security, they were fueled by different motivations and historical contexts. The lasting effects of these periods on American society can still be seen, as they instigated a critical examination of civil liberties in times of crisis, prompting debates about the balance between security and freedom that continue today.

References

• Dudziak, L. (2000). Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy. Princeton University Press.
• Fried, R. (1990). Nightmare in Red: The McCarthy Era in Perspective. New York: HarperCollins.
• Kirschenbaum, A. (2015). The Double Life of a Communist: From Activism to Repression. The History Teacher, 48(1), 109-135.
• Leffler, M. (2007). For the Soul of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War. Hill and Wang.
• Rudolph, C. (2002). Distrust: The Roots of American Politics. Harvard University Press.
• Schrecker, E. (2004). No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities. University of North Carolina Press.