States' Rights Democratic (Dixiecrats)

1 Identification-History Dixiecrats Dixiecrats refers to the Deep South Delegates who stormed out of the 1948 Democratic National Convention. They supported the party's support for civil rights legislation and subsequently formed the States' Rights Democratic (Dixiecrats) party. However, the state's Right Democratic Party, which was only a short-lived political affiliation in the United States, and its dominant ideals were based on segregation.

The political movement was mostly dominant in the south and was initiated because of the regional split as the members who were opposed to the Democratic Party came together opposing the inclusion of a civil rights plank in the party’s platform, which was also supported

by President Harry Truman.

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The Dixiecrats were mainly from Mississippi and Alabama and stormed out of the 1948 convention protesting the passing of the civil rights platform. The goal of the Dixiecrats was to deny both the democrats and Republicans a majority in the electoral college, thus they would be elected into the House of Representatives. Besides, the Dixiecrat leaders were seeking to be declared as the official party in the southern states, and the ploy was finally successful in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, except Georgia, which remained loyal to the national Democratic Party.

The Dixiecrats were very significant in safeguarding the rights of the southern states to maintain racial segregation. The proponents of the movement assumed control over the state democratic parties across some southern states.

Berlin Airlift (Berlin Blockade) At the time of the occupation of Germany, the Cold War was intensified and despite the Marshal Plan, the war was beginning to adopt a militaristic turn. At the end of the second war, each of the four victorious powers moved in to seize control over a section of occupied Germany and Berlin in the Soviet zone.

In June 1948, the U.S, France, and Britain launched an independent currency that would be used in their zones (Foner, 2019). The action was a prelude to the formation of a new government in the West of Germany that would be aligned to them in the Cold War. As a result, the Soviet Union suspended both rail and road traffic from the British, French, and American zones that occupied Germany, leading to a blockade.

Following the cutting off of road and rail traffic by the Soviet Union, The Berlin airlift was taking place. This was an eleven-month airlift whereby western aircrafts supplied fuel and

3 food to their affiliate zones in the city of berlin. When the blockade was subsequently lifted by Stalin in May 1949, the Truman government had gained a major victory.

The Berlin Airlift was significant in the emergence of East and West Germany, each affiliated with a side in the Cold War. Whereas Berlin itself remained divided, Germany would later be reunified in 1991 (Foner, 2019).

McCarthyism The division of the world between liberty and slavery automatically resulted in parties allied to communism be regarded as enemies of freedom. The assault of civil liberties at the time came to be known as McCarthyism. The movement began before Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin gained national recognition in 1950 (Foner, 2019). The President launched a loyalty review system, which mandated government employees to demonstrate their patriotism without being permitted to confront accusers or some instances getting to know the charges preferred against them.

McCarthyism, therefore, was adopted as a practice of staging accusations of treason or subversion, even when no substantial evidence was evident. McCarthyism was directed towards those suspected of disloyalty as well as homosexuals serving in the government. The gays as supposed perpetrators were considered as susceptible to blackmail by Soviet lacked the manly traits that would be fundamental in the fight against communism. Nonetheless, the government initiated the loyalty program failed in uncovering cases odd espionages, but many people were dismissed from their jobs.

McCarthyism was significant in the sense that it brought to light the heightened political repression and spreading the fear of communism's influence on U.S. institutions and brought to light the espionages carried out by Soviet agents.

4 Levittown The Levittown development was initiated in 1947 as a major engine of economic growth.

Shortly after the Second World War, William and Alfred Levin began to build the initial Levittown on 1,2000 acres of land dominated by potato fields on the Long Island near the city of New York. It was the most famous suburban development as it had over 10,000 houses that had been quickly constructed using prefabricated parts (Foner, 2019).

The Levittown was very popular and accumulated settlement fast because it was affordable and within the reach of most Americans. Levittown experienced tremendous growth, soon becoming home to over 40,000 people (Foner, 2019). It was during the time that malls as a new form of shopping centers were established and the extensive use of automobiles transformed the people’s way of life similar to the interstate highway system.

Levittown was significant in the development of the United States as it was the first-ever truly mass-produced suburb, and formed the model for postwar suburbs throughout the region.

Interstate Highway System The Interstate Highway System began in 1956 and was completed in 1993, and is regarded as a development that significantly transformed America’s landscape and the people’s daily lives (Foner, 2019). Eisenhower established the Interstate Highway System as part of his domestic agenda of modern Republicanism. Under his leadership, Eisenhower presided over the most extensive public works enterprise in the history of America, which was the building of a 41,000-mile Interstate Highway System.

The construction of the Interstate Highway System began following Eisenhower’s signing of the Federal-Aid Act in 1956 (Foner, 2019). The President opined that the construction of the Interstate Highway System would be ideal in eliminating unsafe roads, getting rid of

5 inefficient routes, relieving traffic congestion, and other aspects that hindered speedy and safe transcontinental commuting. Proponents of the highway system also argued that in the event of an atomic attack on America’s key citied, the new road network would facilitate the fast and efficient evacuation of target regions. Indeed, the construction of this elaborate expressway system would be crucial in serving the national interest in road transport.

The Interstate Highway System is significant in that it made possible more rapid travel by automobiles and stimulated further growth of suburbs as the multiple routes opened up even the most remote regions. The establishment of the Interstate Highway System was also significant in the growth of the trucking industry, which led to a significant decline in the cost of shipping and travel, especially over long distances. The Interstate Highway System also made suburbanization possible following the expansion of easily accessible, bigger, and affordable housing in the new route that was available to central cities. Tourism also expanded creating demand for more service stations and hotels, and long-distance movement to the sunbelt for winter holidays was made possible.

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References Foner, E. (2019). Give Me Liberty! An American History: Seagull Sixth Edition (Vol. 2). WW Norton & Company.