Levittown William J. Levitt Used mass- production techniques in home building. New York PA – Bucks county New Jersey
McDonald’s 15¢ burger (4¢ extra for cheese) 20¢ milkshake Ray Kroc joined up with the McDonald’s brothers and started franchising the restaurants in 1954 Service was fast!
Fads of the 1950’s
Girls clothes and hair…
Boys clothes and hair…
American Bandstand
The Presidential Election of 1948
The Buck Stops Here! Harry S. Truman had big shoes to fill after the death of FDR. Biggest domestic issue would be dealing with post WW II America.
Presidential Election 1948 (4 candidates) The major party candidates: Truman (D) and Thomas Dewey (R)
Minor Party Candidates Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat) main issue was blocking Civil Rights Henry Wallace (Progressive) main issue was foreign policy stand against Communism
Adlai Stevenson Democrat Governor from Illinois. Stevenson's distinctive speaking style quickly earned him the reputation of an intellectual and endeared him to many Americans. Lost bid for presidency in 1952 and 1956
Dwight Eisenhower Popular World War II hero; never held public office. Gave Republicans easy victory in 1952 and st Republican in White House since 1932.
The Candidates….
Background…… Richard Nixon –Born 1913 in Yorba Linda, California –Whittier College and Duke Law School –Lt. Commander in US Navy during WW II. –Elected to House in 1946, Senate –Vice-President under Ike for 8 years John Kennedy –Born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1917 –Harvard –Lt. in US Navy; Pt109 Commander –Elected to House in 1946, Senate 1952 –Published Profiles in Courage 1957 – wins Pulitzer Prize
The race for the office… Both men were young, military veterans, lawyers, had political experience and similar views. However, many historians believe there were (2) important factors that decided the race…..
Televised Debates First televised debates in history. 70 million viewers tuned in, more on radio. The first debate, the telegenic Kennedy won the image battle over Nixon who, recovering from the flu, appeared pale and refused make- up.
JFK and MLK… When Reverend Martin Luther King was arrested in Atlanta, Kennedy called to offer his sympathy. This garnered Kennedy substantial African-American support in the 1960 election.
Election results….