1950’s

1. 1950’s Culture and Significant Events in the United States

2. 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?

3. 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!

6. 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.

8. 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”.

9. Significant People

10. 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.

12. 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.

15. 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!

20. 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.

23. 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

25. 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!

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30. 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.

32. 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.

34. 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!