America at Mid-Century

1. America at Mid-Century 1952-1963

2. Essential Questions: • What was the nature of the Eisenhower Presidency? What was his leadership style? • What was the new consumerism? • What was the suburban lifestyle? • What was the new youth culture and the emerging counterculture? • What were the basic elements of mass culture and how did they effect society? • What was the “Other America”? • What was JFK”s New Frontier?

5. IKE’s Presidency-Modern Republicanism • IKE’s Policies were known as “modern Republicanism” or “dynamic conservatism” • “Conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings” • Ike’s favored big business and his cabinet reflected that, although he accepted the New Deal • Ike aided corporate America and tried to end government competition with business (Ex. TVA) • IKE cuts in spending allowed the economy to slow due to lack of tax revenue • Economic growth fell and the deficit rose • Two economic recessions – 53-54, 57-58

6. IKE’s Accomplishments • IKE tried to say above party politics – “Middle of the road” Does not dismantle the New Deal • Real Wages increased 20% during the 1950’s which allowed economic prosperity • Per-capita income and Real Purchasing power increased • IKE reacted on the issue of Civil Rights with the crisis at Little Rock Central High School in 1957 although he did not assume leadership on civil rights • The Minimum Wage Act of 1955 – Raised the minimum wage from 75 cents to $1 • Social Security was expanded to cover farmers and state and local government employees

7. IKE’s Accomplishments II • Funding was increased for public housing although the focus was on the suburbs not revitalizing the inner cities ( Racial Gap) FHA • The Department of Health, Education and Welfare was backed by IKE (Secretary Oveta Culp Hobby) • The Federal Highway Act of 1956 - $32 billion and 41,000 miles of new interstate highway ( Largest Public Works Project in history) • The National Defense Education Act of 1958- $280 million in grants to state universities and $300 million in low cost tuition loans ( Post-Sputnik) • Low inflation steady growth brought economic Prosperity to most Americans

11. Popular IKE wins Re-election

12. The Suburban Life • By the early 1960’s every large city was surrounded by suburbs • Of the 13 million new homes built in the 1950’s 85% of them were in the suburbs • William J. Levitt improved building techniques to mass produce homes • Materialism in Suburbia- “Keeping up with the Joneses” • The Baby Boom reached its peak in 1957

16. Gender Roles of the 1950’s • The role of homemaker and mother was glorified for women by magazines, TV, and movies ( Cook, Clean, and Children) • More than 1/5 of women were not happy and felt isolated, bored, and unfulfilled • The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan identified and described the problem

18. Men’s Roles • Men were to go to school, and then find jobs to support their wives and children • Men made the economic, political, and social decisions at work and at home • Men were judged by what they could buy

19. Religious Revival 1950’s • Evangelists like Rev. Billy Graham used radio and TV to spread their message • In 1954 Congress added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance • In 1954 Congress required the phrase “In God we trust” on all US money • By the end of the 1950’s 95% felt linked to some formal religious group • “A family that prays together stays together”

21. Leisure in the 1950’s • Most Americans worked a 40hr wk with vacations • Many Americans owned labor saving devises such as: washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and power mowers • In 1953 Americans spent $53 billion on leisure goods and activities • People participated in fishing, bowling, hunting, boating ,and golf • Baseball, football and basketball games were popular • Americans became avid readers • Ex. Comic books, SI, Hemingway and Salinger

23. Lonely Crowds and Organizational Men • By 1956 the majority (51%) of Americans held white collar jobs instead of blue collar jobs • Many large corporations bought companies in different industries and formed diversified conglomerates (Ex. ITT bought Avis, Sheraton Hotels, Hartford Fire Ins., and Continental Banking) Others: ATT, Xerox and GE • Franchises offered similar products at different locations, they were independently owed yet they received free advertising (Ray Kroc McDonald’s) • The Organizational Men by William H. Whyte – Companies pushed teamwork, cooperation, loyalty which led to the age of conformity

27. Advances in Medicine and Child Care • Dr. Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine • Antibiotics like penicillin were distributed • Advances in Surgery - Open Heart Surgery • Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Dr. Benjamin Spock sold 10 million copies during the 1950’s • Dr. Spock stressed not to spank or scold but hold meetings, and he advocated women stay home with the kids

29. Technology of the 1950’s • The first commercial nuclear power plant was built in Shippingport, Pa • The first electric digital computer was tested at the University of Pa. in 1946 (ENIAC) • In 1947 scientists at Bell Labs invented the transistor to replace vacuum tubes • Huge machines could now fit on a desk • Computers were used to calculate the 1950’s Census • Agribusiness- Large corporate farms with machinery dominating agriculture (Fears of DDT)

31. Automania • New Car sales rose from 6.7million in 1950 to 7.9 million in 1955, total cars on the road jumped from 40 million in 1950 to over 60 million in 1960 • New suburbs made cars necessary new amenities and styles made them attractive • The Interstate Highway System encouraged long haul trucking and travel to mountains, lakes, beaches, historical sights and amusement parks (Ex Disneyland 1955) • Drive-ins, Motels, Restaurants, and malls boomed, but accidents, noise, and pollution were problems • Jobs and Businesses left the inner cities, the gulf between middle class and the poor widened

34. The Affluent Society • The GNP increased from $205 billion in 1940 to $500 billion in 1960 • By the mid 1950’s 60 of Americans were members of the middle class • Consumerism – the buying of material good came to be equated with success • Americans bought not only electric kitchen appliances but TVs, tape recorders, and Hi-Fi record players • Manufactures used “planned obsolescence” so encourage more purchases

35. Credit and Advertising • In 1950 Diners Club issued the first credit card, American Express was issued in 1958 • Large items were bought on the installment plan (Ex Cars, Homes) • Total debt grew from $73 billion to $179 billion • Ads were on TV, Radio, and Billboards, in Magazines and newspapers • By 1955 $9 billion was spent on advertising • Ad Executives appealed to people’s desire for status and “belongingness”

41. Youth Culture- Conformity of the 1950’s • Middle Class society wanted to imitate those around them “Teenager” was 1st used • Middle Class Youth was dubbed “the Silent Generation” • Middle Class Youth didn’t worry about the problems of the world they joined fraternities and sororities, organized parties, pursued entertainment and had fun

43. Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll • African- Americans began adding electronic instruments to traditional blues music to create rhythm and blues (DJ – Allen Freed) • Early artists were Richard Pennimen, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, then Elvis • Teenagers loved the music because it talked about love, cars, and the problems of being young ( Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper were popular) • Adults condemned the music saying it would lead to immorality and delinquency • R+R sales were $189 million in 1950, but grew to $600 million in 1960

45. American Bandstand

46. The Teenager of the 1950’s • By 1965, 85% of the nations teens were in high school compared to 10% in 1900 • Manufacturers targeted teens with cosmetics, clothing, radios, phonographs, and cars • Teens were torn between the youth culture and assuming the pressures of adult responsibility • Many blamed rock and roll for an increase in juvenile delinquency but the numbers were exaggerated • The Wild One (1954) and Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955) signified some rebellion

50. Mass- Culture of the 1950’s & its Discontents