THE 1950s:

THE 1950s:

““Anxiety and Anxiety and Social Unrest” Social Unrest” ??

““Prosperity and Prosperity and Contentment”Contentment”

OROROROR

Baby BoomBaby BoomIt seems to me that every other It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnantyoung housewife I see is pregnant - British visitor to America, - British visitor to America, 19581958

1957 1957 1 baby born every 7 1 baby born every 7 secondsseconds

Suburban LivingSuburban Living

$7,990 or $60/month with no down $7,990 or $60/month with no down paymentpayment

Levittown: Levittown: NY / NJ / PANY / NJ / PA

1949 1949 William LevittWilliam Levitt produced produced 150 houses per week 150 houses per week

Suburban LivingThe New “American Dream”

Suburban LivingThe New “American Dream”

1.1. 1 story high1 story high

2.2. 12’x19’ living 12’x19’ living roomroom

3.3. 2 bedrooms2 bedrooms

4.4. tiled bathroomtiled bathroom

5.5. garagegarage

6.6. small backyardsmall backyard

7.7. front lawnfront lawn

By 1960 By 1960 1/3 of the U.S. population 1/3 of the U.S. population in in the suburbs the suburbs

Suburban LivingSuburban Living

SHIFTS IN POPULATION SHIFTS IN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION,

1940-19701940-1970

19401940 19501950 19601960 19701970CitiesCities 31.6% 32.3% 31.6% 32.3% 32.6% 32.0% 32.6% 32.0%SuburbsSuburbs 19.5% 23.8% 19.5% 23.8% 30.7% 30.7% 41.6%41.6%Rural Areas/Rural Areas/ 48.9% 43.9% 48.9% 43.9% 36.7% 26.4% 36.7% 26.4%Small TownsSmall Towns

U.S. Bureau of the CensusU.S. Bureau of the Census

Suburban LivingThe Typical TV FamiliesSuburban LivingThe Typical TV Families

I Love I Love LucyLucy1951-1951-19571957

Leave It Leave It to Beaverto Beaver1957-19631957-1963

Father Knows Father Knows BestBest

1954-19581954-1958

The Ozzie & Harriet The Ozzie & Harriet ShowShow

1952-19661952-1966

……depicted a glossy view of middle-class suburban depicted a glossy view of middle-class suburban lifelife

TelevisionTelevision 1946 1946 7,000 TV sets in the U.S. 7,000 TV sets in the U.S.

1950 1950 50,000,000 TV sets in the 50,000,000 TV sets in the U.S.U.S.

Mass Audience Mass Audience TV celebrated TV celebrated traditionaltraditional

American values American values

Television is a vast wasteland.Television is a vast wasteland.

-Newton Minnow, Chairman of the -Newton Minnow, Chairman of the Federal Federal Communications Communications Commission, 1961Commission, 1961

Truth, Justice, and the American way!Truth, Justice, and the American way!

ConsumerismConsumerism1950 1950 Introduction of the Diner’s Introduction of the Diner’s

CardCard

All babies were potential consumers All babies were potential consumers who spearheaded a brand-new market who spearheaded a brand-new market for food, clothing, and shelterfor food, clothing, and shelter - Life - Life Magazine (May, 1958) Magazine (May, 1958)

ConsumerismConsumerism

The Car CultureThe Car Culture Car registrations: 1945 Car registrations: 1945

25,000,00025,000,000 1960 1960 60,000,000 60,000,000

# of 2-car families doubled, 1951-# of 2-car families doubled, 1951-19581958

1956 1956 Interstate Highway ActInterstate Highway Act - largest - largest public works project in American public works project in American history history

Å Cost $32 billionCost $32 billion

Å 41,000 miles of new highways 41,000 miles of new highways builtbuilt

1959 Chevy 1959 Chevy CorvetteCorvette

1958 Pink 1958 Pink CadillacCadillac

The Car CultureThe Car Culture

McDonald’sMcDonald’s

America became a more America became a more homogeneous nation because homogeneous nation because of the automobileof the automobile

Drive-In Drive-In MoviesMovies

Howard Howard Johnson’sJohnson’s

The Car CultureThe Car Culture

The U.S. population was on the move in the The U.S. population was on the move in the 1950s1950s

NE & Mid-W NE & Mid-W S & SW S & SW (“Sunbelt” states)(“Sunbelt” states)

1955 1955 Disneyland opened in Southern Disneyland opened in Southern CaliforniaCalifornia (40% of the guests came from (40% of the guests came from outsideoutside California, mostly by car) California, mostly by car)

Frontier Frontier LandLand

Main StreetMain Street Tomorrow LandTomorrow Land

Teen CultureTeen CultureIn the 1950s In the 1950s the word the word “teenager”“teenager” entered entered

the American language the American language

By 1956 By 1956 13 million teens with $7 billion to 13 million teens with $7 billion to spend spend

1951 1951 “race music”“race music” “ROCK ‘N “ROCK ‘N ROLL”ROLL”

Elvis PresleyElvis Presley “The King” “The King”

Clear Gender RolesClear Gender RolesThe The ideal modern womanideal modern woman married, cooked married, cooked and and cared for her family, and kept herself cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure.trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. - - LifeLife magazine, 1956 magazine, 1956

MarilynMarilynMonroeMonroe

The The ideal 1950s manideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house and the boss of the house - - LifeLife magazine, 1955 magazine, 1955

1956 1956 William H. Whyte, Jr. William H. Whyte, Jr. The The Organization Man Organization Man

A a middle-class, white a middle-class, white suburban suburban male is the idealmale is the ideal

Modern ScienceModern Science

1951 - 1951 - First IBM Mainframe First IBM Mainframe ComputerComputer

1952 - 1952 - Hydrogen BombHydrogen Bomb Test Test

1953 - 1953 - DNADNA Structure Discovered Structure Discovered

1954 - 1954 - Salk VaccineSalk Vaccine Tested for Tested for PolioPolio

1957 - First Commercial 1957 - First Commercial U. S. U. S. NuclearNuclear Power Plant Power Plant

1958 - 1958 - NASANASA Created Created

1959 - Press Conference of the 1959 - Press Conference of the First 7First 7 American Astronauts American Astronauts

Modern ScienceModern Science

1957 1957 Russians launch Russians launch SPUTNIK SPUTNIK II

1958 1958 National National Defense Defense Education Act Education Act

End of the 50sEnd of the 50s1959 1959 Nixon- Nixon-Khrushchev Khrushchev “Kitchen Debate”“Kitchen Debate”

Cold War Cold War ----->-----> TensionsTensions

<----- Technology <----- Technology

& Affluence & Affluence

The postwar era witnessed The postwar era witnessed tremendous economic growth and tremendous economic growth and rising social contentment and rising social contentment and conformity. Yet in the midst of such conformity. Yet in the midst of such increasing affluence and comfortable increasing affluence and comfortable domesticity, social critics expressed domesticity, social critics expressed a growing sense of unease with a growing sense of unease with American culture in the 1950s.American culture in the 1950s.

Assess the validity of the above Assess the validity of the above statement and argue for the statement and argue for the

most most appropriate label –appropriate label –prosperous and prosperous and content OR content OR anxious and uncertainanxious and uncertain

Discussion:Discussion: