1. America in the 1950s

2. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

3. The Eisenhower Years  Dwight D. Eisenhower elected president in 1952 and again in 1956  “Ike” was a war hero from WWII when he lead the Allied Forces in Europe  Free Enterprise - Ike believed in a laissez-faire, less powerful government  Built the Interstate Highway System (40,000 miles of roads)  National defense - allows us to move troops quickly  Ties the nation together while hurting small town America

4. Eisenhower Highway System

6. US - Soviet Rivalry  Nuclear Arms Race - both US and USSR build enough weapons to destroy each other many times  Raises threat level worldwide  Space Race - US and USSR complete to show technical superiority  Sputnik (October, 1957) - USSR launches the first artificial satellite. Shocks US into a focus on teaching math and science in schools

7. Sputnik - USSR caused panic with this - no kidding!

8. Prosperity and Change in the 1950s  Economy - system of production and distribution of goods and services  Baby Boom - huge number of children born in the US in the decade following WWII leads to increased demand for goods and services

10. Consumer Society in the 50s  Credit Cards - allowed customers to buy now, pay later (with interest)  New products - dishwashers, washing machines, televisions, stereos, synthetic clothes  Cars get bigger and flashier with chrome and tailfins (1959 Cadillac El Dorado!)  Hula Hoops - one of best selling toys ever  Poodle skirts popular for girls and crew cuts for guys  Pizza - the new snack

11. 1959 Cadillac El Dorado - Yum!

12. The Poodle Skirt!

13. American Culture  Culture - the beliefs, customs, practices, or social behavior of a group of people  Almost all Americans have televisions by 1950s - news and entertainment  Rock and Roll - new form of music derived from blues.  Elvis Presley - adapted the style of Black musicians to become “The King” - an idol to millions

16. Problems in the 1950s  20% of US in poverty  Large agricultural firms force out small farmers  “White Flight”  People in cities moved to suburbs as they purchased cars leaving cities islands of poverty  Desperate Blacks and Latinos move into cities, neighborhoods become poor ghettos  Increased Automation - lower skill jobs replaced by machines making it more difficult to escape poverty without education  Racial Discrimination - tough for minorities to find jobs, housing, education  Crime and violence in cities grows with desperation

17. Social Critics  People voice concern over lifestyles  Materialism  Loss of Individuality  Cities left to decay (Buffalo is an example)  Beat Writers - Jack Kerouwac, Allen Ginsberg and other “Beat” writers rebel against middle class America  Women and African-Americans more vocally question their roles and become impatient with second class citizen status

18. Jack Kerouac - Author of On the Road

19. Allen Ginsberg -Author of Howl