The next few slides will show you some pictures. These pictures are all related in some way. Can you figure out how? As the pictures go by, jot down your thoughts in your journal. At the end, tell how you think these pictures are related.

If you said they all show common fears people have, you are right! Now, what are some fears people have that aren’t so common?

Life in the 1950s With the end of WW2, the conflict that had bound all Americans together had been resolved and individual citizens were suddenly free to pursue individual interests without guilt White middle class fears of communism and a new independent -minded black society emerged simultaneously.

Facts about the 1950s Population: 151,684,000 Unemployed: 3,288,000 Life expectancy: Women 71.1, men 65.6 Car Sales: 6,665,800 Average Salary: $2,992 Labor Force male/female: 5/2 Cost of a loaf of bread: $0.14 Bomb shelter plans, like the government pamphlet You Can Survive, become widely available

America in the early 50s was a deeply divided country, on the verge of hysteria about communism and digging more deeply into the national wellspring of racial mistrust and hatred.

EVENTS AND TECHNOLOGY Important Historic and Cultural Events President Harry Truman ( 'til 1952) approves production of the hydrogen bomb and Sends air force and navy to Korea in June The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 is signed, removing racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are electrocuted for their part in W.W.II espionage U. S. Senator Joseph McCarthy begins televised hearings into alleged Communists in the army Racial segregation is ruled unconstitutional in public schools by the U.S. Supreme Court Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama The Federal Highway Act is signed, marking the beginning of work on the interstate highway system Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, successfully orbits the earth Alaska and Hawaii become the forty-ninth and fiftieth states. Harry TrumanImmigration and Naturalization Act of 1952Julius and Ethel RosenbergU. S. Senator Joseph McCarthyRacial segregation is ruled unconstitutionalRosa ParksThe Federal Highway ActExplorer IAlaskaHawaii

Perhaps one of the things which most characterizes the 1950's was the strong element of conservatism and anticommunist feeling which ran throughout much of society.conservatism and anticommunist feeling One of the best indicators of the conservative frame of mind was the addition of the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.under God Religion was seen as an indicator of anti-communism.anti-communism Fifties clothing was conservative. Men wore gray flannel suits and women wore dresses with pinched in waists and high heels.gray flannel suits dresses Families worked together, played together and vacationed together at family themed entertainment areas like national parks and the new Disneyland.Disneyland Gender roles were strongly held, girls played with Barbie dolls and Dale Evans gear, boys with Roy Rogers and Davy Crockett paraphernalia. Barbie dollsDale EvansRoy RogersDavy Crockett Cars were seen as an indicator of prosperity and cool-ness.

What does this word mean?

What was it like to be a Puritan? Salem Witch Trials Throughout history, examples can be seen of persecution against people that others didn't understand. People are scared of the unknown, and can, if left to run rampant, cause mass hysteria. It happened during World War II, and even earlier than that in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 1600's.

One must understand the way of life in the late 1600's. In the early colonial times, there was a strict way of life under religion, as the King of England believed it should be. At this time, the Puritan religion was the strength and backbone of Salem, and consisted of strict rules. For example, among the Puritan children, a child of six was expected to act as an adult! Additionally, anything new or different was probably brought about by the devil, according to them.

Puritans ory/index.htmlhttp:// ory/index.html Take the Quiz!

Why The mystery still lies in... what happened? Were the stories Tituba told so frightening to the young Puritans that they became ill? Did they just want some attention, and the lies grew to such proportions that they felt they couldn't take them back? Or was it something more natural?

One theory is that all of the behavior can be explained away by a diseased plant. Ergot, has affected many through history. In Europe no one knew what it was, but they called it Holy Fire. Ergot is caused by a fungus growing on rye and other cereal grains. In these days they survived by farming, and if this hallucinogenic fungus was eaten, it had the same symptoms that the girls originally suffered with. It is like LSD. It develops after especially wet seasons, which fits with the weather patterns that year.

When the symptoms of the original two developed, they screamed blasphemy, had seizures, went into trance-like states, and complained of ants crawling on them. All of these are consistent with symptoms brought on by ergotism. No one at the time knew anything about ergot, so no cure would be known, and because of the way of thinking during the time, they blamed something that they weren't able to understand, and linked it to the devil, since it had to be bad to cause such illness and behaviors.

Further Study s99/Muffins1950/Pages/literature.htmlhttp://intranet.dalton.org/ms/8th/students/decade s99/Muffins1950/Pages/literature.html ecades99/Muffins1950/Pages/sc.htmlhttp://intranet.dalton.org/ms/8th/students/d ecades99/Muffins1950/Pages/sc.html ml ( click on the images) ml