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Affluence & Anxiety

Affluence & Anxiety. 1950s Modern America & Civil Rights. The Postwar Boom. 1945-1960--rapid economic growth 1960--fear of another depression wanes. Postwar Prosperity. Stimuli to consumer goods industry Baby boom Population shift to suburbia ↑ defense spending

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Affluence & Anxiety

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  1. Affluence & Anxiety 1950s Modern America & Civil Rights

  2. The Postwar Boom • 1945-1960--rapid economic growth • 1960--fear of another depression wanes

  3. Postwar Prosperity • Stimuli to consumer goods industry • Baby boom • Population shift to suburbia • ↑ defense spending • ↑ in capital investments • Employment expands

  4. Lingering Problems • Agricultural overproduction, low prices • Older industrial areas decline • 1957-1958--recession slows decade’s economic growth

  5. Life in the Suburbs

  6. Characteristics of the Suburbs • Dependence on the automobile • Father drove to work • Schools built • Mother drove to shopping centers

  7. Characteristics, 2 • Family togetherness • Holidays spent together • Vacations spent together • Even TV watched together

  8. Suburbia Filled with.. • Cookie cutter • Developments • Homes • Lives

  9. Suburbia, 2 • Inhabited by middle class • They move “for the children” • Cities inhabited by under classes

  10. Suburbia, 3 • Middle class restructured • Upper working class became members • Very few non-whites in suburbs • Segregation by physical space

  11. First Modern Suburb • Levittown • Several built in the Northeast • 1st in PA • Divisions had up to 2,000 homes each • Many more followed

  12. Levittown

  13. Lawn care – new concern • In the city there were no lawns or even trees • Now men tended to their lawns as part of the suburban lifestyle

  14. Patio Living • In the city everyone met on the front stoop • In the suburbs everyone went to the patio • To relax, eat, & party • New types of entertaining

  15. Cooking Out! • Hard to cook out in the city • Now nice backyards to spend hours in • Cook out & BBQ • Became one of the outdoor hobbies of men • Lawn care another

  16. New Services For Suburb Living

  17. Theater Goes to the Suburbs • Drive-In Movies • Like today • Except there were also playgrounds for children • Even train rides

  18. Drive-In Food • Since the car had become such an important staple to American life • The Drive-In restaurant was born • No longer did Americans have to get out of the car to eat • Food was brought to your car • Eventually the drive-thru

  19. Busy lives – New food options • TV Dinners • Swanson bought too many turkeys one holiday season • What to do with all the leftover? • Design a frozen meal – easy to prep • 1st frozen dinner • Turkey, dressing, potatoes, peas • And they could be eaten in front of the TV

  20. Women & Society

  21. After WWII • Women willingly went back home • Few wanted to continue to work or stay in the military • Most wanted: • A husband • A home • Children

  22. Women & Propaganda • Govt encouraged return to “traditional” lives • TV presented happy homemakers & happy families • Magazines addressed all types of “home” issues

  23. Traditional Feminism Discouraged • But not everyone agreed • Bombshell: • “The Feminine Mystique” published • By Betty Friedan • Discussed what women thought of their lives & what they really wanted

  24. More Women in Workplace • Stimulated New Feminism • Eventual belief a woman could do it all & have it all! • She can be Wonder Woman

  25. Hard Won Victories • Over time conditions better for women • Wage gap shrank • Increased visibility in sports • Flexibility for working parents

  26. Dissident Voices • Not everyone openly fought for women’s rights • The Total Woman by Marabel Morgan • Urged women to take care of their husbands • If he was happy, you would be happy • The inclusion of sexual ideas kept women reading • Millions of women read

  27. The Good Life? • On the surface life seemed ideal • But… • Consumerism the dominant social theme of the 1950s • Quality of life left Americans anxious and dissatisfied

  28. Areas of Greatest Growth

  29. Church Membership • Membership in churches grew as families grew • Americans seemed to want & need a connection to the church & God • Reaction against rampant consumerism • “propaganda” of “Traditionalism”

  30. School Attendance • As the baby boom children came of school age • 1,000s of schools are built • In city, suburb, town, & country

  31. Television Watching • Favorite pastime • Network programs for groups • Families together • Mothers during the day • Children after school

  32. See the USA! • Families traveled across the country • On new highways • Staying in new “motels” • Holiday Inn • Visiting old & new attractions • Disneyland

  33. Criticism

  34. Critics of Consumer Society • Social critics of suburban culture • Jack Kerouac, writer • Traveled to report on • “Beat” artists who promoted counterculture

  35. Criticism – new forms • Writers & “Beat” artists • Not the only critics • Women • AAs • & music

  36. Birth of Rock & Roll – Elvis • Not your parents music! • The repression of the ’50s • Left baby boomers • Restless & frustrated • Especially by the social norms of the day • Perfectly dressed & no sex until marriage • Rock & roll exclaimed this • And helped to break down the barriers

  37. Remember Sputnik? • 1957 • 1st satellite • Launched by • USSR

  38. Reaction to Sputnik • American response • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) • National Defense Education Act • upgrade science teaching • Sense of failure, declined by 1960

  39. Farewell to Reform • Spirit of reform wanes in postwar years • Reasons: • Growing affluence reduced sense of grievance • Americans eager to enjoy their new prosperity • Consumerism & Capitalism is Strong!

  40. Truman & the Fair Deal • Fair Deal attempted to expand New Deal • Limited achievement • Consolidated Roosevelt's reforms • Set the agenda for future attempts

  41. Eisenhower's Modern Republicanism • Eisenhower left New Deal intact • 1956--Highway Act created interstate highway system • stimulated the economy • shaped metropolitan growth patterns

  42. Civil Rights

  43. Civil Rights-The Struggle • Cold War prompted quest for American moral superiority • Legal discrimination against AAs challenged US self-image

  44. Civil Rights as Political Issue • Truman’s CRs legislation failed • But did integrated the armed forces • CR made part of the liberal Democratic agenda • Election of 1948 • AA vote gave Truman margin of victory

  45. Desegregation Finding an end to Jim Crow

  46. Desegregation • Realizing the climate was changing • NAACP started court cases • Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, KS • Argued separate but equal was inherently unequal

  47. Decision • 1954 • US Supreme Court handed down its’ decision • Brown v. Board of Education • Segregated schools unconstitutional • Desegregate "with all deliberate speed"

  48. Importance • Although the decision was specifically aimed at education • It was clear that • Segregation was on its way out • Just as Plessy v Ferguson had institutionalized Jim Crow laws • Brown v Board overturned Plessy

  49. Desegregating the Schools • Massive resistance in Deep South • 1957--Eisenhower acted • Federal troops sent to Little Rock, AR • Commission on Civil Rights estab

  50. The Beginnings of Black Activism NAACP--press for CRs in courts as other groups work toward CRs

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