The 1950’s In The USA

The Red Scare—kinda like the 1920’s

1. HUAC-House Unamerican Activities Committee2. McCarthyism- After Senator McCarthy made

accusations of treason not founded in fact 3. The Hollywood 10! Blacklisted

Spies among us?

1. Alger Hiss-trial2. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg-executed in 1953

Suburbs and Baby Boomers!

• Average age of men to marry: 22• Women:19• Divorce rate:10 percent• 1946-1964 Baby Boomers• 30 million children born• GI Bill

Levittown

William Levitt-standardized low cost houses

721 square feet-7000 dollars

Down payment 90 depositMonthly payment 58$

In 1950 2 million new homes were built

1948-1958 11 million new homes located in suburbs of 13 million built

Cold War Hot Spots Mini Lecture #2

• 1. Korea N and South Still divided today• 2. Hydrogen Bomb USA 1952• USSR 1953• 3. Berlin Berlin airlift 327 days , 277 000 Flights

The Two sides in the Cold War

• Berlin leads to… NATO- North Atlantic Treaty organization -USA is the superpower power - France, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, West Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Luxemborg, the Netherlands Warsaw Pact- USSR is the superpower. East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

NATO and WARSAW and Weapons delivery systems

• Sputnik 1957- USSR in space first!• The USA madly rushes to catch up• Bombers• ICBM—Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Submarines

THE ARMS RACE!!!!!!!!!!! Deterrence, Brinkmanship

Bikini atoll

Marshall Plan

$$ to rebuild Europe after 194812.5 billion to the West.

Containment-Restrict soviet influence

Trident missile

1950’s Culture and art year by year

The Golden Age of Television 1946 7000 tv sets 1950 4.4 million 1960 50 million 90 percent of Americans have a t.v. in 1960Fast Food—1st McDonalds on E street in San Bernardino 1948

1950 Popular Culture

• Hokey Pokey• Cinderella in theaters• Sci Fi• Smokey the Bear• Roman Holiday• African Queen

1951• I Love Lucy Debuts• Jackson Pollack• Tupperware parties• Topps baseball cards• Dennis the Menace• 1st Jack in the box San Diego

1952-unemployment at 3.1%

• Mr. Potato Head• Mad Magazine• Frosted Flakes• 1st Holiday Inn• UFO sightings• Diary of Anne Frank

was published

1953 Unemployment at 2.9%

• Big News…… Stalin dies• Chevy Corvette• 1st 3d movie• Cheese Whiz• Peter Pan released• 70 % of America watchesLucy have Little Ricky

1954

• McCarthy hearings televised• World Series in color Yankees win• MM peanuts• Lord of the Rings published• Trix-46.6% Sugar!!• Playdoh• 1st kidney transplant

1955 firsts

• Disneyland opens• Volkswagen Beetle• Don’t walk signs in NY• Crest toothpastes• McDonalds start franchising• Ford Thunderbird• Einstein dies• KFC• Birdseye frozen food• First Burger King

1956

• Elvis!• Yatzhee• As the World Turns• Jiff peanut butter• Certs breath mints

1957

• Polio vaccine more available• Sputnik• The Cat in the Hat• The Grinch• JFK Profiles in courage• Frisbee• Dodgers move to LA

1958

• Hula hoop• 1st skateboard Bill and Mark

Richards Dana Point California• 1st TV dinners• Drive in movies• First Grammy awards

1959

• Barbie• Denny’s• Jiffy Pop• Bic Ball point pen• Aluminum cans invented

Design a 1950’s suburb- 50 pointsScenario- You are the architect/city planner hired to compete with Levittown in the 1950’s. Your target market is returning GI’s who want to own their own homes using the GI Bill. The land you are going is near Los Angeles, California. Your boss want the following included in your suburb plan:Name for the suburb community:3 house types with three different floor plans(I bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom)100 houses (Minimum)15 streets with street names. (Minimum)1 Community park1Club house1post office1 Elementary school, Middle School and High school2 Churches

Ouside of your suburb, near the new interstate highway system instituted by President Eisen hower insterstate10) you may add any of the innovations of the 1950’s, motels, drivein,, fast food, etc.