Changes

Companies had little choice but to cave in to union demands, often agreeing to immediate raises of an astounding 30% for the union workers simply to get them back to work.  A recession hit the country, and voters took out their anger on the Democrats who had been in power since 1932.  In the congressional elections of 1946, voters dealt President Truman a huge defeat and returned the Republicans to control of Congress for the first time since the Great Depression.  This new Republican-controlled Congress began in 1947.

Companies had little choice but to cave in to union demands, often agreeing to immediate raises of an astounding 30% for the union workers simply to get them back to work.  A recession hit the country, and voters took out their anger on the Democrats who had been in power since 1932.  In the congressional elections of 1946, voters dealt President Truman a huge defeat and returned the Republicans to control of Congress for the first time since the Great Depression.  This new Republican-controlled Congress began in 1947.

This "80th Congress" that began in 1947 was the most productive and influential session of Congress in American history.  (Note that a "session" of Congress is the two-year period between is elections; each session is numbered starting with the first Congress in 1789.  The 80th Congress convened 79 times 2 (158) years after the First Congress in 1789: 1789 plus 158, which equals 1947.)

This "80th Congress" that began in 1947 was the most productive and influential session of Congress in American history.  (Notice that a "session" of Congress is the two-year period between congressional elections; each session is numbered starting with the First Congress in 1789.  The Second Congress convened in 1791, the Third Congress convened in 1793, and so on until the 80th Congress convened in 1947.)

The Republicans moved quickly to pass important legislation.  They passed (and the states ratified) the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in order to limit future presidents to two full terms in office, so that no one could ever again repeat what President Franklin Roosevelt did in dishonoring George Washington's precedent of remaining as president for no more than two terms.  President Roosevelt died in office only a few months after his last inauguration, as his illness was concealed from the American people and they were deprived an opportunity to vote in an informed manner for the person who would really serve as president.

The Republicans moved quickly to pass important legislation.  They passed (and the states ratified) the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in order to limit future presidents to two full terms in office, so that no one could ever again repeat what President Franklin Roosevelt did in dishonoring George Washington's precedent of remaining as president for no more than two terms.  President Roosevelt died in office only a few months after his last inauguration, as his illness was concealed from the American people and they were deprived an opportunity to vote in an informed manner for the person who would really serve as president.