Car Culture -post-war boom period “Automania” -Interstate Highway System signed by Eisenhower created a nationwide highway system for more than 41,000 miles of expressway -trucking industry boomed! -social effects: *noise, exhaust, traffic jams, raised stress levels, drive-ins/ thru become very popular

Suburbia -most new homes were in the suburbs 85% -baby boom generation population explosion 1957 @ height, *1baby born every 7 secs, 4,308,000 -Medical breakthroughs w/Polio Jonas Salk -Childrearing Dr. Spock’s influence “Common Sense Book of Baby & Childcare” *No spanking or scolding, instead let children Express themselves * Moms should stay at home

Television -Widely available in 1948 -FCC strongly controls/regulates the industry -Golden Age of Television Milton Berle Lucille Ball ‘I love Lucy” Edward R. Murrow – 1st TV news reporting Quiz Shows/ Kids Shows: Mickey Mouse Club, Howdy Doody -spurred other industries

Television - -spurred other industries * Such as Frozen TV Dinners!

Effects of T.V. -women often appears as perfect homemakers -more males represented -few minorities seen -portrayed ideal America -programming concerns quiz show scandals

Radio and Movies -radio continued to prosper -movies struggled, but had several advantages stereo sound “Surrounding the viewer” color 50 % of movies 3-D movies

Beatniks -beat movement social and literary non-conformists- followers of the movement -non-material lifestyle -set precedent for the hippy generation -*Writing had to be free form, often heard in coffee shops -clashed with regular America-Non conforming young people that looked up to James Dean “Rebel w/o a Cause”

Rock-n-Roll -Alan Freed –Cleveland Oh, Disc Jockey Coined the name- rock-n-roll -Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley -Ed Sullivan Show -Dick Clark -reaction to rock music

Rock-n-Roll -Alan Freed rock-n-roll -Little Richard, Tutti Fruitti Chuck Berry, Johnny B Goode Bill Haley, Rock around the Clock Buddy Holly,-plane crash, Huge Influence, “That will be the day that I die” Elvis Presley The King, 45 records hit #1, made R&R popular, *Hound Dog, Blue Swede Shoes -Ed Sullivan Show -Dick Clark -reaction to rock music

Rock-n-Roll -Ed Sullivan Show -Dick Clark -reaction to rock music lead to teenage delinquency & immorality *Became more acceptable at the end of the decade Jerry lee Lewis: Great Balls of Fire

Poverty -1/4 of Americans were below poverty line -”Other America” -White Flight -million of middle class whites moved to suburbs -loss of tax dollars hurt city services -lots of rural poor move to cities -breakdown of inner cities -Urban Renewal

Women in America -many working women were paid less and restricted to certain jobs -role of women -glorified role of the housewife -boredom and un-fulfillment -Betty Freidan “Feminine Mystique” -beginning of women’s liberation movement

Minority Groups -immigration from Mexico -discrimination -Indians citizenship, 1924 -Indian Reorganization Act

Links: Elvis: Bill Haley: Rock around the Clock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN8yHdyLd9I Chuck Berry:Johnny Be Goode http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ofD9t_sULM Buddy Holly: That will be the Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8_l7-SNjPs&feature=related I love Lucy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLp7Y4TxXSA