2.  Eisenhower elected in 1952-WWII hero  Americans looking for normalcy after WWII  “We Like Ike”  Richard Nixon as VP

3.  Survived the Great depression and won WWII  GI Bill for educations  “Baby Boom”  Bought cars, moved to suburbs, watched television  Eisenhower wins 2 nd term in 1956

4.  Military build up  Social and racial inequality  Conflict in Korea  Communist China  Nuclear Arms Race  McCarthyism

5.  African Americans faced segregation  1954-Segregation outlawed in school  Bus Boycott in Montgomery, Alabama  Women forced out of jobs by returning vets  Beginning of Civil Rights Movement

7.  Military build up of atomic weapons  Continued testing in South Pacific/Bikini Islands  Contain threat of Communism  Technological race with Soviets

8.  Anti Communism was heroic  Captain America: “Beware, Commies, spies, traitors, and foreign agents! Captain America, with all loyal free men behind him, is looking for you.”  School children participated in air raid drills “duck and cover”  Low moral values tied to Communism, Patriots hold to strict social behavior

10.  Atomic Energy Commission urged families to build bomb shelters to protect from Atomic explosions  Women reinforced roles as mothers and housewives  Families isolated themselves and enjoyed abundant lifestyles

12.  Consumers became “big spenders”  Government supported education and home and business loans through the GI Bill  Americans also saved money  Congress cut taxes

13.  Eisenhower supported private business over government social programs  Unemployed, homeless, minorities effected most  Appalachia in Southeast experienced persistent poverty

15.  More money to support large families  Marriage and family key to happiness  Birthrate increased tremendously after WWII  Young people encouraged to marry to avoid evil of premarital sex  Baby boom fueled economic growth of 1950’s  These babies would become consumers so industries had to keep up!

17.  Housing shortage as veterans were discharged  Housing industry began to mass produce prefabricated homes  Growth of suburbs: homes with central heating, indoor plumbing, telephones, washing machines

19.  Mostly white middle class families  Depopulation of urban centers  Boosted economy-need for automobiles  Barbecues, cocktail parties, bowing alleys, girl scouts, cub scouts, little league  Most minorities could not afford to live in suburbs  Critics thought suburbs fostered conformity

21.  Reinforced by media  Be attractive  Be a good wife, dote on your husband  Be a good mother  A woman’s place is in the home  Women abandoned school or careers to have children

24.  1950’s cars were bigger and more powerful than before  Radical new designs  Automatic transmissions  Luxury and style

25.  Women could run errands  Teenagers get driver’s licenses and borrow car for dates  Drive in movies  Federal highway construction  Traffic jams, pollution

27.  By end of 1950’s 88% of Americans owned a TV  Frozen Dinners  Radio shows transferred to TV shows  Reinforced stereotypes  Referred to as the “idiot box”

29.  Introduced by Elvis Presley  Popular among teens, outraged parents  Dance moves considered lewd and unfit for family viewing  “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Love me Tender”  Music was a blend of rhythm and blues  Inspired by music that African Americans had played for years