Postwar America
Themes of the 50’s Peace? and Prosperity Peace? and Prosperity Growth of suburbs Growth of suburbs Conformity Conformity Emergence of teenagers Emergence of teenagers Civil Rights movement Civil Rights movement
Peace? And Prosperity End of Korean War End of Korean War Cold War Fears Cold War Fears Defense spending Defense spending Emergence of large corporations and franchises Emergence of large corporations and franchises Consumerism Consumerism
Consumerism Keeping up with the Joneses Keeping up with the Joneses “stuff” = success = happiness “stuff” = success = happiness “Everyone else has one” “Everyone else has one” Planned obsolesence Planned obsolesence Buying on credit Buying on credit Advertising Advertising
Growth of Suburbs G.I. Bill G.I. Bill Levittown Levittown Baby Boom Baby Boom
Conformity “Organization Man” “Organization Man” “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet
Teenagers Consumerism Consumerism Counter-culture Counter-culture Rock ‘n Roll Rock ‘n Roll
Civil Rights Movement Brown vs. Board of Ed. Brown vs. Board of Ed. Montgomery Bus Boycott Montgomery Bus Boycott Greensboro Greensboro
The GI Bill Pays partial college tuition for veterans Pays partial college tuition for veterans Unemployment benefits Unemployment benefits Home loans Home loans
Housing Crisis Creation of suburbs Creation of suburbs Levittown Levittown
Suburbs = conformity?
Economic recovery Housing Housing Transportation Transportation Shift away from defense industries Shift away from defense industries
Truman supports Civil Rights Desegregated military Desegregated military Ended discrimination in federal hiring Ended discrimination in federal hiring Supreme Court ends segregated neighborhoods Supreme Court ends segregated neighborhoods
1948 Election Dixiecrats – southern Democrats opposed to Truman’s reforms Dixiecrats – southern Democrats opposed to Truman’s reforms Leave party and nominate Strom Thurmond Leave party and nominate Strom Thurmond
Truman campaigns widely, upsets Dewey
Truman’s Fair Deal Attempt to extend programs of the New Deal Attempt to extend programs of the New Deal Opposed by Congress Opposed by Congress
1952 Election Truman does not run Truman does not run Eisenhower (R) defeats Stevenson (D) Eisenhower (R) defeats Stevenson (D)
Nixon chosen as VP “Checkers” speech “Checkers” speech
19-2 The American Dream in the Fifties
Business in America Organization men Organization men Conformity Conformity Rat Race Rat Race Franchises Franchises
Suburban Lifestyle New Homes New Homes Improved transportation Improved transportation
The Baby Boom Dr. Benjamin Spock Dr. Benjamin Spock Aging of the Baby Boomers Aging of the Baby Boomers
Spock
Women’s Roles Homemakers Homemakers Subservience Subservience Betty Friedan Betty Friedan
Leisure Time in the 1950’s Fishing, hunting, golf, bowling Fishing, hunting, golf, bowling Spectator sports Spectator sports Sports on TV Sports on TV
Automotive Culture Cruisin’ Cruisin’ Drive-ins Drive-ins Drive-Thru’s Drive-Thru’s Family vacations Family vacations
Pop Culture Television Television Rock and Roll Rock and Roll Teenagers Teenagers
TV and family values
westerns
Kid’s Shows
Counterculture The “beatniks” The “beatniks”
Rock ‘n’ Roll
DJ Allen Freed plays music by African- American Artists DJ Allen Freed plays music by African- American Artists Leads to genre of Rock n roll Leads to genre of Rock n roll Teenage themes Teenage themes Despised by parents Despised by parents