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US HistoryUS History
THE 1950s:
THE 1950s:
POST WAR POST WAR AMERICAAMERICA
POST WAR POST WAR AMERICAAMERICA
Postwar America
• Returning Veteran Issues:– 10 million released from service in 1946– Finding employment– Housing shortages– Family life
• 1 million war time marriages ended in divorce by 1950
– Economic problems• Rising inflation and falling wages• Inflation ranged from 8 – 15%
– Consumer goods shortages
Readjustment and Recovery
• GI Bill of Rights– Encouraged veterans to get
additional education (tuition support from the gov’t)
– Guaranteed one year of unemployment compensation
– Provided low interest loans
Growth of the Suburbs
• Why would people move to the suburbs?– Affordable housing– Improved highways and
interstates– Fulfillment of the “American
Dream”
Suburban LivingSuburban Living
$7,990 or $60/month with no down $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.payment.
Levittown, L. I.: Levittown, L. I.: “The American “The American Dream”Dream”
1949 1949 William LevittWilliam Levitt produced produced 150 houses per week. 150 houses per week.
Suburban Living:The New “American Dream”Suburban Living:The New “American Dream”
1 story high1 story high
12’x19’ living 12’x19’ living roomroom
2 bedrooms2 bedrooms
tiled bathroomtiled bathroom
garagegarage
small backyardsmall backyard
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 19701970Central CitiesCentral Cities 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 Census.U. S. Bureau of the Census.
Baby BoomBaby BoomIt seems to me that every other It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant.young 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
Baby BoomBaby Boom
Dr. Benjamin Dr. Benjamin SpockSpock
and the Anderson and the Anderson QuintupletsQuintuplets
What was the Baby Boom?
• In the US, between the end of World War II and 1964, 78 million baby boomers were born and now are part of the "Boomers" generation.
• Results:– Larger families, more schools,
larger and more automobiles, etc…..
TV Shows
• Look at the pictures of the four shows on the next slide
• What do you see?• What do these families
represent?• What is missing?
Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families
Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families
The The Donna Donna Reed Reed ShowShow1958-1958-19661966
Leave It Leave It to Beaverto Beaver1957-19631957-1963
FatherFather Knows Knows BestBest
1954-19581954-1958
The Ozzie & Harriet The Ozzie & Harriet ShowShow
1952-19661952-1966
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 shelter.for food, clothing, and shelter. -- Life -- Life Magazine (May, 1958) Magazine (May, 1958)
Consumerism
• Consumerism is the equating of personal happiness with the purchasing of material possessions and consumption.
• Is this true?• How do businesses encourage or
promote this?
ConsumerismConsumerism
White Collar vs. Blue Collar
• white-collar - Refers to employees who perform knowledge work, such as those in professional, managerial or administrative (dress shirt)
• blue-collar – Refers to a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage (work shirt or uniform)
A Changing WorkplaceA Changing Workplace
Automation:
1947-1957 factory workers decreased by 4.3%, eliminating 1.5 million blue-collar jobs.
By 1956 more white-collar than blue-collar
jobs in the U. S.
Computers Mark I (1944). First IBM mainframe computer (1951).Corporate Consolidation:
By 1960 600 corporations (1/2% of all U. S. companies) accounted for 53% of total corporate income.
WHY?? Cold War military buildup.
A Changing WorkplaceA Changing Workplace
New Corporate CultureNew Corporate Culture:: “The Company Man”“The Company Man”
1956 1956 Sloan Wilson’sSloan Wilson’s The Man in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit the Gray Flannel Suit
The Culture of the CarThe Culture of the Car
Car registrations: 1945 Car registrations: 1945 25,000,00025,000,000 1960 1960 60,000,000 60,000,000
2-family cars doubles from 1951-19582-family cars doubles from 1951-1958
1956 1956 Interstate Highway ActInterstate Highway Act largest largest public works project in American public works project in American history! history!
Å Cost $32 billion.Cost $32 billion.
Å 41,000 miles of new highways 41,000 miles of new highways built.built.
1959 Chevy 1959 Chevy CorvetteCorvette
1958 Pink 1958 Pink CadillacCadillac
The Culture of the CarThe Culture of the Car
First McDonald’s First McDonald’s (1955)(1955)
America became a more America became a more homogeneous nation because homogeneous nation because of the automobile.of the automobile.
Drive-In Drive-In MoviesMovies
Howard Howard Johnson’sJohnson’s
The Culture of the CarThe Culture of the Car
The U. S. population was on the move in the The U. S. population was on the move in the 1950s.1950s.
NE & Mid-W NE & Mid-W S & SW S & SW (“Sunbelt” states)(“Sunbelt” states)
1955 1955 Disneyland opened in Southern Disneyland opened in Southern California.California. (40% of the guests came from (40% of the guests came from outsideoutside California, most by car.) California, most by car.)
Frontier Frontier LandLand
Main StreetMain Street Tomorrow LandTomorrow Land
TelevisionTelevision 1946 1946 7,000 TV sets in the U. S. 7,000 TV sets in the U. S.
1960 1960 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S.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 Communications Commission, Federal Communications Commission, 19611961
Truth, Justice, and the American way!Truth, Justice, and the American way!
Television – The Western
Television – The WesternDavy CrockettDavy Crockett
King of the Wild King of the Wild FrontierFrontier
The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger(and his faithful(and his faithfulsidekick, Tonto): sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked Who is that masked man??man??
Sheriff Matt Sheriff Matt Dillon, Dillon,
GunsmokeGunsmoke
Television - Family Shows
Television - Family Shows
I Love I Love LucyLucy
The The HoneymoonersHoneymooners
Glossy view of mostly Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life.middle-class suburban life.
But...But...
Social Winners?... AND… Social Winners?... AND… Losers?Losers?
Well-Defined Gender Roles
Well-Defined Gender Roles
The 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 ideal.male is the ideal.
1950s Fads– Coonskin fur cap, with tail. The "Davy
Crockett, Indian Fighter" three-part series premiered on the Disneyland TV show on December 15, 1954.
– Wiffle ball—first marketed in 1955 – Mr. Potato Head—This game first appeared in
1952, but you had to supply your own potato as the plastic one appeared later.
– Gumby—Creator Art Clokey introduced the green, rubber posable toy on the Howdy Doody Show in 1956.
– Silly Putty, developed in 1946, Silly Putty was first sold as a toy in 1949. Kids molded it and, also, used it to "pick up" images from color newsprint pictures and cartoons.
– Lego, a 1954 invention of Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen, he interlocking building bricks became an international favorite.
– Barbie Doll, introduced on March 1, 1959. – Frisbee—began with tossing of empty pie tins
by college students in the 1940s; the Wham-O company marketed them as "Flyin' Saucers"
1950s Fads– Hula Hoop, marketed by Wham-O in
1957, became a craze during the summer of 1958.
– Scrabble, first marketed in 1948, became a hit in 1952 and has maintained its popularity among board games.
– Bunny Hop, a conga line "dance" from a hit record by band leader Ray Anthony.
– Paint-by-Number, A craze begun in 1950 when Detroit's Craft Master company introduced kits that included paints and a drawing on a canvas with areas numbered for the proper color.
o Fashion fads included poodle skirts, cinch belts and crinolines, saddle shoes and white bucks as fashion imitated what viewers saw on their televisions.
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 mil. teens with $7 bil. to spend 13 mil. teens with $7 bil. to spend a year. a year.
1951 1951 “race music”“race music” “ROCK ‘N “ROCK ‘N ROLL”ROLL”
Elvis PresleyElvis Presley “The King” “The King”
Teen CultureTeen Culture““Juvenile Delinquency” Juvenile Delinquency” ??????
Marlon BrandoMarlon Brando inin
The Wild OneThe Wild One (1953)(1953)
James DeanJames Dean in inRRebel Without a ebel Without a
CauseCause (1955) (1955)
1951 1951 J. D. Salinger’sJ. D. Salinger’s A Catcher in the RyeA Catcher in the Rye
Teen CultureTeen Culture
Behavioral Rules of the Behavioral Rules of the 1950s:1950s:U Obey Authority.Obey Authority.
U Control Your Emotions.Control Your Emotions.
U Don’t Make Waves Don’t Make Waves Fit Fit in in with the Group.with the Group.
U Don’t Even Think About Don’t Even Think About Sex!!!Sex!!!
Religious Revival
Religious Revival Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in
the center of things.the center of things. -- -- TimeTime magazine, 1954 magazine, 1954
Church membershipChurch membership: : 1940 1940 64,000,000 64,000,000 1960 1960 114,000,000 114,000,000
Television PreachersTelevision Preachers: :
1. Catholic 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. SheenBishop Fulton J. Sheen “Life is “Life is Worth Living” Worth Living”
2. Methodist Minister 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent PealeNorman Vincent Peale The Power of Positive ThinkingThe Power of Positive Thinking
3. 3. Reverend Billy GrahamReverend Billy Graham ecumenical ecumenical message;message; warned against the evils of Communism. warned against the evils of Communism.
Religious RevivalReligious RevivalHollywoodHollywood: apex of the biblical : apex of the biblical
epics.epics.
It’s un-American to be un-religious!It’s un-American to be un-religious! -- -- The Christian CenturyThe Christian Century, 1954, 1954
The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben HurHur 1953 1956 19591953 1956 1959
Progress Through ScienceProgress Through 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
Progress Through ScienceProgress Through Science
UFO SightingsUFO Sightings skyrocketed in the skyrocketed in the 1950s.1950s.
War of the War of the WorldsWorlds
Hollywood used aliens as a Hollywood used aliens as a metaphor metaphor
for whom for whom ????
Progress Through ScienceProgress Through Science
Atomic AnxietiesAtomic Anxieties::
““Duck-and-Cover Duck-and-Cover Generation”Generation”
Atomic TestingAtomic Testing::
1946-1962 1946-1962 U. S. exploded 217 U. S. exploded 217 nuclear weapons over nuclear weapons over thethe Pacific and in Nevada. Pacific and in Nevada.
