1950’s Culture and Significant Events in the United States

From our stations yesterday….

What do you remember? What struck you? What did all of these sources tell you about the

1950’s? What information was missing? What do you still have

questions about?

Post WWII

WWII ends in 1945 with the surrender of Germany and Japan. Approximately 400,000 US soldiers died fighting in WWII.

Harry S. Truman is President and makes the decision to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan in Aug. of 1945.

America becomes the first “superpower” nation because of our nuclear capability.

People believed the future held nothing but peace and prosperity—BABY BOOM!

The Atomic Age

Russia quickly developed their own nuclear weapons in the late 1940’s and early 50’s. This will lead to stockpiling of nuclear weapons and an overall arms race

between the Soviets and the Americans.

Joseph Stalin was still the leader of the Soviet Union-from 1929-1953!

Containment became the official way (and policy) to deal with the expansion of and spread of Communism.

Fall out shelters became necessary in case of nuclear attack-as well as propaganda “videos” such as Duck and Cover, which taught people how to protect themselves in case of a nuclear attack.

The Red Scare

Paranoia over a nuclear attack and the spread of communism dominated society.

Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin began Senate hearings which accused people of belonging to the communist party or working as a spy for the Soviet Union.

People’s lives could be ruined because of these accusations.

Movies and TV programs showed the threat of communism as “alien invaders”.

Significant People

Suburbia

Along with the baby boom, many families began moving to the outskirts of cities. More kids meant more space was needed! About 77 million babies were born during this time period!!

GI Bills provided subsidized mortgages for returning soldiers, so it was cheaper in most cases to buy a new “suburban” house than to rent an apartment in the city.

Levitttowns became the most famous (and earliest) suburban developments. Another nickname was “Fertile Valley” for the amount of children produced.

The role and expectations for young women changed as well-they were now encouraged to stay home and take care of their families. Raising a family was seen as the most important thing a woman could do.

Consumerism

The American economy was booming after WWII. The GNP more than doubled to $500 billion.

Unemployment was very low due to lots of government spending on the Interstate Highway System, schools (for all those new babies), military spending and new technologies.

Veteran benefits were also distributed and inflation was very low.

The middle class had more money than ever to spend and more consumer goods than ever were available to buy.

Consumerism Continued…. What did the average American want to buy?

Poodle skirts (complete with sweaters and scarves) Big, shiny new cars (hot rods or corvettes if you wanted to be cool!)

Drive in movie theaters soon became a popular place to take your date!

Fast food Soda Fountains

TV sets TV dinners are invented and became super popular

Records—especially of the new Rock and Roll Household labor saving devices:

Refrigerators, electric ranges….Betty Crocker cake mixes!

Stereotypes

The “happy housewife” The kitchen was the place for women

The “perfect” family: two kids, big house, white picket fence, dad goes to a successful “business” type job each day. The “Leave it to Beaver” family.

The woman should live for her husband-in high heels and pearls.

If you were poor or not white, this lifestyle was probably not going to apply to you and you wouldn’t see yourself in TV shows or advertisements.

Major Events

1950-53: Korean War 1951: Color TV is introduced 1953: Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes president 1954: Red Scare and the trials lead by Senator Joseph McCarthy. 1954: Segregation is declared unconstitutional 1956: Federal Highway Act (interstate highway system) 1958: Explorer I-first satellite launched 1959: Alaska and Hawaii become

Statistics of the 1950’s

Average salary: $2,992 Cost of a loaf of bread: $0.14 Population: 151,684,000 Bomb shelter plans, such as You Can Survive, became

widely popular. Number of TV’s in 1946: 7,000. Number of TV’s in

1959: 50 million!

Significant People

Significant People

Significant People

Significant People

Age of Affluence

Post-WWII America was a time of unparalleled prosperity Although 35 million Americans were living below the poverty line

Americans enjoyed the highest standard of living in the world and continued to have more disposable income to spend on consumer goods (TV’s and cars)

The first credit cards and shopping malls came into existence (Southdale Mall in Edina, MN)

Decade of conformity, prosperity and peace Teenage culture emerges for the first time: dates and dances

and rock ‘n’ roll.

Struggle for Equality

Although blacks benefitted economically from WWII, they were still forced to live separately from white society (and often not in desirable neighborhoods) The move to the suburbs did not include black families

President Truman desegregates the U.S military Jim Crow Laws from the Civil War still required segregation in society

In 1954, Brown vs. the Board of Education would make “separate but equal” facilities and education illegal.

1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a city bus and begins the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

To sum up….

In one sentence (maybe with lots of commas)….how would you describe the decade of the 1950’s?

Be prepared to share out!