When was eisenhower elected president

At the Republican convention in Chicago, Eisenhower's political managers won a critical battle over the disputed delegates and managed to seat their delegates rather than Taft's in a few key states. As a result, Eisenhower won the nomination on the first ballot.

For vice president, Eisenhower chose Senator Richard M. Nixon of California, who had helped his campaign managers secure votes in the dispute over delegates.

Although he was just thirty-nine years old, Nixon had won national attention for his role in a congressional investigation of Alger Hiss, a former state department official accused of spying for the Soviets.

Hiss went to prison after his conviction on a charge of perjury for denying that he had passed secrets to the Kremlin.

The Democrats picked Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois, a witty and urbane politician whose thoughtful speeches appealed to liberals and moderate Democrats. His credentials were impressive: he was a Princeton-educated lawyer who had served as special assistant to the Secretary of the Navy during World War II, an influential member of the U.

But as a campaigner, he was no match for Eisenhower. Eisenhower inspired confidence with his plain talk, reassuring smiles, and heroic image. He kept a demanding schedule, traveling to forty-five states and speaking to large crowds from the caboose of his campaign train. The slogan "I like Ike" quickly became part of the political language of America.

Eisenhower also got his message to the American people through second television advertisements, the first time TV commercials played a major role in a presidential election. Yet it was not just Ike's personal charm that mattered, his campaign used a clever strategy of ignoring Stevenson—Eisenhower never mentioned his opponent by name—and attacking Truman.

The stalemated war in Korea, corruption in the Truman administration, and Communist subversion were the issues that Republicans emphasized throughout the campaign.

Eisenhower held a clear lead over Stevenson in the polls, as voters looked to Eisenhower to clean up what even Stevenson had called "the mess in Washington. Eisenhower, though, had his own problems to resolve, as unexpected difficulties disrupted his campaign. The most serious was a scandal over whether Nixon had used campaign funds for personal expenses. This charge was particularly embarrassing because of Eisenhower's promise that his administration would be "clean as a hound's tooth.

In a masterly performance, Nixon denied that he had done anything wrong, but vowed that he would not give up his daughters' little dog, Checkers, also a gift to the family, no matter what the consequences. The public responded to the "Checkers Speech" with an outpouring of support, and Eisenhower kept Nixon on the ticket. Eisenhower provoked criticism for his own actions when he campaigned in Wisconsin and appeared on the same platform with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

The junior senator from Wisconsin had been front-page news for more than two years with his sensational allegations that Communist spies had infiltrated the State Department as well as other parts of the federal government. McCarthy never provided evidence that led to a single conviction for espionage or treason, but he was a major power in the Republican Party. Eisenhower disliked McCarthy, and campaign aides told journalists that McCarthy would get his comeuppance when Eisenhower stood next to the senator at a campaign stop and praised General George C.

Marshall, who McCarthy had denounced as part of a Communist conspiracy. But after campaign advisors urged him not to pick a fight with McCarthy in his home state, Eisenhower omitted his defense of Marshall, his former mentor and boss during World War II, when he gave his speech. Eisenhower endured a torrent of criticism, even from some Republicans, that he had compromised his principles for political advantage.

Truman at first had stayed out of the campaign, but eventually he plunged in. He resented the Republican attacks on his record, and he thought that Stevenson's erudite speeches were going over the heads of the American people. Truman traveled the country in a whistle-stop campaign as he had in and made angry and extreme charges.

Republican "truth squads" followed President Truman and replied to what they said were his "fabrications. The best Republican response came from Eisenhower as the campaign neared an end. Truman considered this promise a cheap campaign trick. The Truman-Eisenhower relationship, once good, died in the bitterness of the campaign. On election day, Eisenhower won a big victory with 55 percent of the popular vote and a landslide in the electoral college, with votes to Stevenson's He even scored well in what had been the Democratic Solid South, taking a larger percentage of the popular vote than any previous Republican candidate and capturing Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas.

Eisenhower's coattails, however, did not carry many Republicans into Congress. Indeed, while the election of was a triumph for Eisenhower, it was not a mandate for the Republican Party. Eisenhower was such a popular President during his first term that there seemed little doubt that he would win reelection no matter who the Democrats nominated to run against him.

Eisenhower had agreed to an armistice that ended the Korean War in July The return of peace brought strong economic growth that some people called the "Eisenhower prosperity. But it was by no means certain that Eisenhower would run again. He told friends that he would be happy to serve only a single term. Then, in September , the President suffered a major heart attack. For several months, as Eisenhower convalesced, there was doubt about whether the President could run again.

By the beginning of , however, Eisenhower had resumed a full schedule, and his cardiologist announced that the President was capable of serving a second term. On February 29, , Eisenhower announced that he would seek reelection. Armed Forces stating, "there must be no second-class citizens in this country. Prior to serving as president, Eisenhower served in the U. Armed Forces as a Second Lieutenant stationed in Texas.

He served under Generals John J. Below is an abbreviated outline of Eisenhower's professional and political career: [2]. He grew up in Abilene, Kansas. Miliary Academy at West Point in Eisenhower graduated from West Point in and served as a second lieutenant in the U. Army during World War I. At the time of his victory, Eisenhower was the first Republican president to occupy the White House in 20 years.

He was also the oldest president to have never held elected office prior to the presidency. Soon after Eisenhower's first term began, the Korean War ended. The following year saw the beginning of the U.

Civil Rights Movement and the start of the Vietnam War. In , Eisenhower created the interstate highway system, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA was established in to challenge Russia's efforts in the space race. Eisenhower was re-elected in , again defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson II with 58 percent of the popular vote and electoral votes.

He also emphasized a balanced budget and the importance of civil rights for all U. Before leaving office, Eisenhower endorsed vice president Nixon in the presidential race over Democratic candidate John F. Eisenhower retired to a small farm adjacent to the battlefield outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

His commission as a five star general in the U. Army was reactivated after he left the presidency. Eisenhower remained active in the Republican Party until a heart attack in ended his political involvement.

He suffered another heart attack in and spent his remaining months at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D. Egyptian leader Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal. Israel, Great Britain and France invade Egypt. Eisenhower opposes the invasion and brokers a cease-fire.

Soviet forces crush the Hungarian Revolt. Eisenhower and Nixon defeat Stevenson and Kefauver by nine million votes in presidential election. Eisenhower Doctrine established to resist Communist aggression in the Middle East. Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson push through Congress the Civil Rights Act of , the first civil rights legislation in 82 years. Eisenhower sends troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce school desegregation. Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the world's first satellite. Eisenhower sends U.

Marines into Lebanon at request of Lebanese government. Eisenhower signs bill establishing NASA. Soviet Premier Khrushchev threatens war unless western powers withdraw troops from West Berlin. Eisenhower signs bill admitting Alaska as the 49th state. Eisenhower signs bill admitting Hawaii as the 50th state.