THE 1950s:
“Conservatism, Complacency, and Contentment”
OR
“Anxiety, Alienation, and Social Unrest” ??
Ms. Susan M. Pojer Ms. Jenny Strader
I Like Ike
-Korean War ends Truman’s popularity
-new products polyester, Teflon, electronics
-planned obsolescence
-credit cards Installment plan
-advertising influence- grew greatly because of TV
3a. Consumerism
U-2
-U.S. intelligence begins spy missions over USSR
-U-2 Spy plane was supposedly undetectable because it flew 15 miles about ground -Soviet Summit scheduled
The Donna Reed Show
1958-1966
Leave It to Beaver
1957-1963
Father Knows Best
1954-1958
The Ozzie & Harriet Show
1952-1966
American Dream
-dream of a successful life
-Began the arms race- race to see who had most powerful nuclear arsenal
-citizens build backyard bomb shelters and practice air raid drills
-”Duck and Cover”- name of
-1952 election won by Dwight Eisenhower
Nixon is V.P. “Checkers Speech”- speech where he denies allegations that he received gifts, except their family dog Checkers
1A. Baby Boom
It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant.
-- British visitor to America, 1958
1957 1 baby born every 7 seconds
By 1960 1/3 of the U. S. population in the suburbs.
2B. Suburban Living
SHIFTS IN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, 1940-1970
Central Cities Suburbs Rural Areas/ Small Towns
1B. Baby Boom
Dr. Benjamin Spock and the Anderson
Quintuplets
2A. Suburban Living
Levittown, L. I.: “The American Dream”
1949 William Levitt produced 150 houses per week.
-development of a hydrogen bomb that is much more powerful -scientists opposed the new weapon but it proceeded
-1952 1st H-bomb is tested
-1953 USSR tests their own Hbomb
1950 Introduction of the Diner’s Card
All babies were potential consumers who spearheaded a brand-new market for food, clothing, and shelter.
-- Life Magazine (May, 1958)
1940 31.6% 19.5% 48.9%
1950 32.3% 23.8% 43.9%
1960 32.6% 30.7% 36.7%
1970 32.0% 41.6% 26.4%
U. S. Bureau of the Census.
2c. Suburban Living:
The Typical TV Suburban Families
-baby boom generation
-Medical breakthroughs Jonas Salk- developed the vaccine for polio, most feared disease in children
-Childrearing Dr. Spock’s influence- convinced American parents to dote and love on their children
Nikita Krushchev: new Communist leader of Soviet Union
-Soviet suppression of Hungarian Revolt, 1954- US had promised support but not deliver because of fear of nuclear war
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration- independent agency for space exploration
-U.S. launches satellite in early 1958
-Race to Space and the Moon had begun
Eisenhower Legacy -Ended Korean War
-Red Scare Continues
-Space Program Begins
-Economic Boom of the 50’s
-Return to more Conservative government
Suburbia -most new homes were in the suburbs
3B. Consumerism
4A. A Changing Workplace
Automation:
1947-1957 factory workers decreased by 4.3%, eliminating 1.5 million blue-collar jobs.
By 1956 more white-collar than blue-collar jobs in the U. S.
-conformity: everyone obsessed with being the same!
“Keeping Up with the Joneses”
individuality disappears in corporate life
Consumerism -buying of material goods
Space Race
-1957, USSR develops ICBM :
intercontinental ballistic missiles (missiles that can travel between continents to deliver H-bombs to their targets) new threat of long range nuclear attack -US lagged behind the Soviet Union in missile development
drill taught to childrennk of War
Brink of War
Cold War Spreads
-newly developed CIA
-covert actions in Iran and Guatemala
-1953, Joseph Stalin died and tensions seemed to relax
Income nearly doubled in 1950s
-growth of big business
conglomerates: a corporation made up of three or more UNRELATED businesses
franchising: a business that contracts to offer certain goods and services from a larger parent company
-Warsaw Pact formed in 1955
-Eisenhower Doctrine--stated
again that the U.S. should try to defend any nation against communism; sent aid to Middle East to protect oil interests
-Oct. 1957, USSR launches
Sputnik: first artificial satellite to orbit earth
confirms development of ICBMs