The 1950s

A New American Society

http://www.history.com/topics/1950s - 2:42

America After the War

Cold War begins

Idealistic societyConformity encouraged

American life transitioned to suburbiaWomen return to

traditional roles

More “desk jobs” than hands-on labor

Some similarities to 1920sPostwar Economic

Growth

New Commercialism Advertisements &

Television

Credit Cards

Times Square, New York

V-J Day

1950s Family gathered

around the television

Desk jobs increased

during the 1950s

The Suburbs

Success defined by homeownership “American Dream”

Focus on openness, community, conformity

Decline in urban living

Populated mostly by young, white, middle class families

Husbands commuted to cities to work, housewives raised children

Levittown leads the way 4 types of houses built in

named communities with similar sizes, yards, etc.

Levittown, PA

Ads such as

this one

demonstrated

the kinds of

homes

available in

Levittown

Roles of Women

Women encouraged to be homemakers “Keepers of the suburban

dream” (Time Magazine)

Main role was to keep house, raise children

Limited job choices for womenTeachers, Nurses,

Secretaries

Not for married women

M.R.S. degreeWomen encouraged to

use school to find a husband

Women were

encouraged to work

during WWII, but

when the war ended,

they were

encouraged to return

to the home

Teaching was one job available

to women

Baby Boom

During the 1950s, the US population grew by 30million people

People were getting married and having children earlier and in larger numbers than during the War years

Larger familiescontributed to more traditional roles for women

Large families moved to suburbia for good schools

Americans married

young and more

children than the

previous generation

TV and Commercialism

Television debuted just after WWII

Over 45 million sold during the 1950s

Programs directed toward families and children

Best medium for new commercial-driven lifestyles

Led Americans to believe products could help perfect their lives

Could be use to sell almost anything

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFbCGT_AWBI (9:58)

Concern over television destroying family meal time led to the TV Dinner in 1954

Family television time

Ad for Swanson TV Dinners

Shows like Howdy Doody

were aimed at children

“I Love Lucy” was

one of the most

popular shows of

the decade

“Teenagers” and Rock and Roll

New form of music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7riCWxe4_0

(3:02)

Popular with Teenagers

Elvis Presley was “King of Rock and Roll”

Influences from Gospeland Country music

Teenagers defined as a separate social group for the first time

Events and Places just for teenagers

Soda shop

Sock hops

Elvis combined

“hillbilly” music

and gospel

sounds to create

a new kind of

music

Teenagers

at a sock

hop

Fashion

1950 2016

Cars

2016

Houses

Appliances2015

Hair Styles

Toys

2016

Interstate Highway System One of Eisenhower’s top priorities

as President was an interstate

highway system.

His first year in office, 1953, was

dominated by the Korean War, but

by 1954, he raised the highway

issue.

Congress passed the Federal Aid

Hwy Act of 1954 authorizing $175

million, but Eisenhower considered

that just “one effective forward

step.”

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of

1956 allowed the interstate system

to grow, and it is currently 46,876

miles.

The Cold War… Growing out of post-World War II

tensions between the US and the

Soviet Union, the Cold War lasted

for much of the second half of the

20th century.

The Cold War resulted in mutual

suspicions, heightened tensions

and a series of international

incidents that brought the world’s

superpowers to the brink of

disaster. Arms Race

Red Scare

Space Race

Berlin Wall

http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/events-

timelines/03-cold-war-timeline.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

(9:14)