What is the “American Dream?”

The Nifty Fifties… CONFORMITY Ike Baby Boom An “affluent” nation Life in the 50s Suburbs Cars Television

Economic growth in 50s Why??? 1 Federal spending Roads, houses, schools GI Bill (next slide) Cold War spending 2 Baby boom (3,548,000 “consumers” born in 1950 alone) 3 Increased productivity w/ new technology Computers, nuclear power plants

G.I. Bill billions of Fed. $ to WW2 veterans Pays for College tuition Cheap loans for homes, businesses, farms

Levittown and the Growth of Suburbs “Mass production” of homes GI Bill- cheap loans

The Baby Boom Generation is born: “Greatest Generation” grows up in Great Depression (30s), comes of age in WW2 (40s) 1950s?- lots and lots of BABIES!

1950s- Baby Boom

Eisenhower (Ike)- 1953-1960

Ike, cont’d WW2 hero “middle of the road” president Grandfatherly Very popular

Television 1946- 17,000 tv’s exist 1950- 7,000,000 sold What are some effects of television on American life (political, economic, social)?

Rock n’ Roll ELVIS!!! Birth of the idea of a separate youth culture for Baby Boom Generation

Beatniks Founders of “counter culture” Reject materialism, shallowness of 50s Sets stage for counterculture of 60’s

1950s “Automania” 1956- Interstate Highway Act $250,000,000,000 for highways 41,000 miles of highway

Civilians could move out of URBAN AREAS Suburbs can be further and further away “White flight”- Poorer people remain in urban areas MILITARY could quickly move in event of war One of the reasons Eisenhower signs it Easier to TRANSPORT goods around country “trucking” leads to a decline in railroad use Stimulates other areas of the economy Hotels, fast food, tourism (Disneyland opens)

The Cold War at Home: MCCARTHYISM

Effect at home: the “Red Scare”

Communists at the State Department: - State Department official Alger Hiss was imprisoned for perjury in 1950. - Hiss had lied under oath, denying that he was a part of a Soviet spy ring that sent U.S. government secrets to the Soviet Union.

Example of American fears of Communism: - Americans, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were accused of stealing nuclear secrets for the Soviets. - The Rosenbergs were executed for their crimes in 1953.

McCarthy’s reckless claims: · In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy announced that he had a list of 205 State Department employees that were members of the Communist party. “McCarthyism” definition Since 1950s- unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence Audio: Senator Joseph McCarthy Responds to E.R. Murrow on CBS's See It Now

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) Investigates communist influence inside and outside the government 1947- investigates the movie industry “The Hollywood Ten”- did not cooperate Sent to prison Blacklist- list of people considered to have communist backgrounds Careers were ruined

Television 1946- 17,000 tv’s exist 1950- 7,000,000 sold What are some effects of television on American life (political, economic, social)?