Warm Up• Knowing what you know

about World War I and the Roaring Twenties…what do you think life at home after World War II would be like?

• Explain in 2-3sentences.

The FiftiesWhy are the Fifties in America remembered as the “Golden

Age” in history?

The Golden Age• The 1950’s in America were

know as a time of peace, prosperity, and progress.

• World War II was over and soldiers returned home to their families, searching for a new and better life.

A Rocky Transition to Peace• When war was over, Truman

announced the Fair Deal– He hoped to raise the minimum wage

and enact a national health insurance program

• The economy was changing back to normal production, and many people were left jobless

• Inflation and prices soared

• With rising prices and growing unemployment, workers in major industries called for wage increases–When demands not met, they

took to the streets to strike• Strike eventually ended, but

wounds were still fresh for the congressional election of 1946

Truman Battles A Republican Congress

• In the election, Republicans swept the vote and gained control of both houses of Congress

• Created the 22nd Amendment– Limited the terms in office of a President

to two

• Also passed the Taft-Hartley Act, which limited the power of labor unions.

• The Taft-Hartley Act…– outlawed the “closed shop”-- a

workplace in which the employer agrees to hire only members of a certain union.

– It also banned sympathy strikes by other unions.

• Truman vetoed act, but Congress passed it anyway

An Upset Victory in 1948

• Most of Truman’s Fair Deal reforms had been blocked by Congress– However, they did enact Truman’s

proposal to raise the minimum wage and to promote slum clearance.

• Truman’s whistle-stop tour helped him win reelection in a narrow victory over Republican Thomas Dewey

A Landslide Victory in 1952

• The nation decided in 1952 that they “liked Ike” and his modern Republicanism program

• He won the election and chose Richard Nixon as his Vice President

• They would go on to serve for two terms

Eisenhower’s Modern Republicanism

• He promised to be “conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings”

• Expanded Social Security• Built up peace time arms

Age of Affluence• Due to large savings and twice as

much real income for most than in the 1920s, Americans have begun spending more money than ever before.

• To encourage this spending, businesses used advertising and offered consumers charge cards.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rycwu8t_IBs

• Some industries pioneered a method called planned obsolescence– They introduced new or improved

products to encourage consumers to buy the latest designs

– Do they still do that today?– What are some examples?

Economy Shifts From Goods to Services

• General Motors became the first U.S. corporation to earn more than $1 billion in a year

• One factor in GM’s success was that they guaranteed its workers wage hikes that were tied to the cost-of living index– Prices went up, wages went up

• Service industries, like fast-food restaurants and motel chains, began to compete for consumer business

• Businesses started to franchise and spread all over the country–McDonalds–Holiday Inn–Best Western

The Workforce Shifts• For the first time in history, white-

collar workers outnumber blue-collar workers

• Many blue-collar workers were now members of the middle class.

• White-collar workers are usually salaried, while blue collar workers are usually paid by the hour.

Suburbia• New planned communities, like

Levittown, provided much-needed housing for middle-class families

• New suburban communities revealed homogeneity, being predominantly white and middle class.– This became part of the appeal– “everybody lives on the same side of the

track”

The Sunbelt States• More and more Americans and

American industries were moving south to the Sunbelt, increasing population in these states.

• This population shift was made possible by massive water projects in the dry Southwest and the invention of air conditioning to cool buildings during heat waves.

• The sunbelt states were warm and dry and had lower labor costs

The Automobile• An increased number of people

commuting from the suburbs led to the production and sale of more cars

• Cars became a status symbol, with car companies competing to put out new models and better designs each year.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sHJBLfGIeI

Highways• This increased amount of driving led

to a demand for a nationwide interstate highway system.– Congress passed program to build the

system in 1956• The interstate highway system

created new roadside businesses, like gas stations, motels, and restaurants.

Live Longer!• With new advancements in

technology and medicine, life expectancy in America rose by almost two years–Polio vaccine created–New surgical techniques–More antibiotics

Other Advancements• Nuclear energy helped to generate

electricity and also helped diagnose and treat diseases

• The first electronic digital computer, called ENIAC, performed 300 multiplications per second

• The invention of the transistor allowed for smaller and more reliable computers

The Fifties Family

How did things change in the home once he war was over?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SFSGTdaulc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuxnaHiiiqM

After WWII…• When war had finally ended, the

people at home could finally find a sense of relief.

• The world was not a scary place to bring a child into anymore

• Many people were now beginning to create families, and rapidly!

Marriage On The Rise• In 1946, there were almost 2.3

million marriages in the U.S.–This was an increase of 600,000

from 1945• Average age for marriage was

decreasing–Women = 20–Men = 22

Baby Boom!• These young newlyweds were

starting families right away• Older couples who waited through

the war were also beginning to start families

• The result was a baby boom!

1957: 1 baby born every 7 seconds!

• This influx of babies helped boost the economy

• These couples needed lots of:–Diapers and bottles –Homes–Furniture and appliances–Cars

• School needs soared and many had to be open to accommodate for the baby boomers

• Who do you think the baby boomer generation is today?

• Think of people you know well!

The American Dream• With the baby boom on its way,

families began to create their dream household and life

• Average household included a husband, wife, and two children–A house with a backyard and a

garage with two cars was ideal

The “Traditional” Family• The husband was the bread

winner and hard worker• The wife stayed at home and

cooked and clean and took care of the children

• The children were neat and proper and went to school everyday

The Stay-At-Home Wife• In this decade, it was generally

believed that women should only be working if absolutely necessary (if the family needed money)– Dr. Benjamin Spock

• Women were told to devote themselves full-time to raising the children – If there were distractions, then it could

potentially damage a young child

Media’s Role• The mass media reinforced the

traditional family roles at every chance it could–Magazines, movies, and

advertisements• They all showed the husband as

the worker and the wife as the homemaker

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

-- Life magazine, 1956

• And don’t forget the television!

• The new shows being broadcasted nationally brought the ideal family to life on the screen–Leave it to Beaver–Father Knows Best–I Love Lucy

Gender Roles• In all of these shows, women were

portrayed as helpless housewives who only knew how to cook and clean– Took care of their family’s every

needs– Dressed in their best clothes and

heels everyday– Referred all decisions to the man of

the house

• Children were taught the roles they would be as adults– Girls received dolls and tea sets– Boys received toy guns and trucks

Education?• College enrollment of women

dropped dramatically in the fifties– Young women were too focused on

marriage and starting a family

Examples• Father Knows Best

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5bKLwSQIq4

• I Love Lucy– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

p4kIwWHP8Vc (first 5 mins)

• How are the women different than the women during World War II?

Vast Differences• During the war, women were

encouraged to work to help war production

• They did double duty: worked in factories and came home to clean and cook and take care of their family

• In the fifties, women were told their better off in the home

• Do you think these women were happy?

“The Good Wife”• Grab a paper from upfront• Read along • Be a respectful audience

• On the last page of your notes, answer the following writing prompt:

• In 4-5 sentences, compare and contrast the Fifties Family and stay at home mom to the families we see today.–How are they different? Similar?–What do you prefer?

Most Important Thing About…

• Grab a sheet from upfront• Take 5 minutes to fill in the three

most important things about the Fifties Family

Warm Up• Why were there “two

Americas” during the fifties?

• Describe each “America”

Two AmericasWhy did poverty persist in the

United States in an age of affluence?

• Social Status• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

D8poeqMIEjw

• Poverty in Rural America• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

exCnCKrWSMY

There’s No Poverty Here…

• In the mid 1950s, poverty was virtually ignored

• VP Nixon believed in 1956 that…– in the not too distant future America

will have a four day work week, no more economic distress, and the standard of living for everyone would be doubled within ten years…

• Everyone ignored but social activist Michael Harrington– The Other America (1962)

Two Americas• The affluent society• The impoverished society

–40,000,000-50,000,000 citizens• Book shocked Americans and

generated discussion about the responsibility of the government to address this issue

Defining Poverty• Moral condition and economic

problem• Two types of poor

– Paupers—depended on public assistance

– Working poor—people who worked but could not make enough to lift them out of poverty

• Poverty line (minimum income one would need to meet basic needs)–Originally $2000 a year–1965: amount determined by

calculating a families minimal food budget then tripling figure

– If family made less than needed amount, they were considered poor

An Invisible Class• Poverty socially invisible to other

classes1. Middle-class migrating to suburbs

blinded them to see the poor still living in the cities

2. Cheap clothing made poor people look good

3. Age was a factor (out of sight, out of mind)

4. Poor had no political power (went unheard)

Everyone Effected• African Americans in inner

cities–Housing Act of 1949–Made things worse for people

in urban neighborhoods–Created the “projects” (slums)

• American farmers–Agribusiness (industry of

food production by large corporations or wealthy individuals)

–Small farmers could not compete, had to move to cities for work

–Mexican Americans greatly effects

• American Indians–Government wanted to end

relationship with American Indians after WWII

–Ended federal aid with the termination policy

–Pushed to relocate to cities and sell land

–More than 100 tribes and bands terminated

The “Other America” Today

• Despite government efforts, its clear we still have high poverty rates today

• Today’s poor are younger and more diverse, but also more visible to all societies

• Poverty will continue to be an issue for many years to come

Warm Up• What is your definition of a rebel?• How would you rebel against the

society today?

Rebelling Against Conformity

How did some Americans rebel against conformity in the 1950s?

Objectives• Examine the ways in which youth of

the 1950s rebelled against conformity.

• Explain and support the influence television had on the birth of the new youth culture.

• Describe the features of rock and roll and analyze why it caused an uproar in the 1950’s society.

Age of Conformity

• The Fifties were considered an age of conformity—a time when everyone behaved and thought in socially expected ways.

• In the Fifties, everyone wore the same clothes, drove the same car, bought the same house, and thought the same way about certain aspects of life.

• Conformity was the norm.

• What are some ways that people conform today??

Suburbia Dreamland…• Or wasteland?• Some critics condemned

suburbia as conformity and materialism–Everyone who flocked to live

there was consumed with the pursuit of wealth

–Some saw life in the suburbs as bland

Criticisms• People criticized the pressures to fit

in with society– Kids would grow up not thinking for

themselves• People also criticized the television

for bringing in mindless entertainment into nearly every household

Nonconformists• Some people of this time did

not want to fit in—they wanted to stand out

• These people, mainly the youth, wanted to rebel against what was seen as the norm

The Beat Movement• Created by group of writers and

poets• Double meaning

– Beat down– Beatific (blissfully happy)

• Began in NYC then spread to San Francisco

• Members began being called beatniks

• Rejected all forms of convention• Shunned traditional 9-5 jobs and

materialism• Beards, berets, and dark clothes• Studied Hinduism and Buddhism• Grooved to jazz and bebop• Wrote in streams of consciousness

– Thoughts presented randomly, flowing from artists’ mind

• Seen as obscene by society– Open about sex and drugs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTf4Pwlad-Y

New Youth Culture• Kids coming to age during the

1950’s wanted to rebel against the conformity they grew up in

• Teenagers of the 1950’s created the new youth culture

• Rebelled against their parents…– Music – Dancing– Movies – Slang

• Conformist’s Society Rules

U Obey Authority.

U Control Your Emotions.

U Don’t Make Waves Fit in with the Group.

U Don’t Even Think About Sex!!!

• Teens during this time did the complete opposite…

• Two factors supported growth of new youth movement:–13 million teenagers by 1956–Affluence—part time jobs

brought spending money• They had the wealth and

numbers to start something big

Rock ‘n’ Roll• The newest music trend that all

parents hated—Rock ‘n’ Roll!– Convergence of rhythm and blues

and country music created the sound• Became popular through

inexpensive radios and records• Became known as the music of the

youth generation

• Elvis Presley– Most popular early rock ‘n’ roll

artist– Was the complete opposite of

society norms– Loved by all the youth for his

rebellious attitude

• Wore hair slicked back with long sideburns

• Shook hips in sexually suggestive ways

• Curled upper lip in defiant manner

• Became known by adults as “Elvis the Pelvis”

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDID_E0FDUU

VERSUS

• People saw Elvis back then like we see Miley Cyrus today

Video Review• In your notes, write a 2-3 sentence

music video review for the Elvis video you just saw.

• Write either as an adult (disliking) or teenager (loving)

Sock Hops• Teenagers often gathered at

“sock hops” where they could listen and dance to the latest hit records.

• They were held in gyms where shoes were not permitted.

Hollywood Influence • Hollywood catered to restless

teenagers by creating movies featuring moody young people who were misunderstood by adults

• Does Hollywood still do that today?

• Popular movies only increased the growth of the movement–Rebel Without A Cause

• James Dean–The Wild One

• Marlon Brando

• Rebelling against anything

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAlzg0S51GY• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cg_4keMt08

New Slang• “Big Daddies” = older

people• “Boss” = great• “Threads” = clothes• “Radioactive” = very

popular• “Don’t have a cow”

Other Forms of Rebelling

• Comic Books–New dark comics where there

wasn’t always a hero• Art

–Abstract expressionism

Writing Prompt• In what ways did science and

technology influence core societal values, beliefs, and attitudes of the 1950’s?– Think about invention of television

and radio– Think about what is shown/heard on

them– Think about youth culture!– Must be 5-6 sentences