1. consider: How have you ever been pressured to be like other people?

2. from the end of World War II through the early 1960s
essential question: How did fear and conformity define 1950s U.S. society?
from the end of World War II through the early 1960s

3. In general, there is an emphasis on conformity (being like the majority) in America during the 1950s.

4. Adjusting Back to Civilian Life
GI Bill of Rights helps veterans pay for college and buying a house

5. most, but not all, women return home to be a housewife again

6. baby boom: huge increase of babies when WWII veterans come home

7. “Duck and Cover” video for schoolchildren
fear of nuclear war led to bomb shelters and “duck and cover” drills
“Duck and Cover” video for schoolchildren

8. Eisenhower’s National Interstate and Defense Act builds national highway system

9. The Growing Middle Class
per capita income up =
growing middle class (white collar)

10. rise of the suburbs, or “cookie-cutter” neighborhoods outside of cities (i.e. Levittown)

12. a bigger middle class means that cars and televisions become household items

14. What do these images say about each ethnicity shown?
racial and ethnic stereotypes common in the media
What do these images say about each ethnicity shown?

16. Winston ad
Jell-O ad

17. Youth culture
car-related activities (i.e. drive-ins)

18. rock n’ roll sees whites follow black culture; white musicians copying black musical form
Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton)
Hound Dog (Elvis Presley)

19. non-conformist beatnik subculture

20. Business conglomerates = big company that controls smaller companies
all the channels owned by General Electric
all the channels owned by Disney

21. franchise = store with same products at different locations

22. On your page, draw a scene from the 1950s to show the fear and conformity of the time. Try to include something to show:
the Red Scare,
adjusting back to civilian life,
the growing middle class,
youth culture, and
business.