The Suburban Era

1. Harley Earl, the driving force behind General Motors in the 50s, who believed that “design sold cars” not mechanics. The Suburban Era Consensus in the 1950s—the light and dark side of the middle class mindset

2. The Rise of the Suburbs • The boom worldwide—an anomaly or “making up for lost time”? • Levittown, U.S.A.—prefab, inexpensive, suburban • Interstate Highway Act of 1956—41,000 miles • Declining cities —suburbs, highways lead people away • Minorities and suburbs —beyond reach economically and socially The Postwar baby boom made large families common, and the need for developments like Levittown grew geometrically.

3. The Culture of Suburbia • The religious division—Protestant vs. Catholic vs. Jew • Working women—two responsibilities • Media images of women—sex objects or domesticated housewives Marilyn Monroe represented one view of women; The Howdy Doody Show was big for kids. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen became a television personality at the time Billy Graham gained a massive following on the Evangelical circuit.

4. Professor Alfred Kinsey, author of two earth-shaking reports on sexuality in America. • The Kinsey Report—sexual reality shocking: a “menace to society”? • Television and politics—political conventions and legislative hearings Estes Kefauver (below left) who chaired a Senate committee investigating organized crime. Frank Costello was one of his targets.

5. Politics of Calm • Farm policy—New Deal price supports and crop surpluses caused overproduction: lower price supports and soil banks • Eisenhower reelected—but recessions give Democrats Congressional majorities

6. Harvard sociologist David Riesman, who felt that people in the 50’s were “other-directed” rather than “inner-directed” as people were in the 19th Century. Cracks in the Consensus • David Riesman’s The Lonely Crowd • William Whyte’s The Organization Man • Juvenile delinquency—teens imitated undesirable traits • Rise of Rock and Roll—combined gospel, pop, country, blues with heavy beat • The Beat Generation—anti- middle-class: hep, hip, hippie END OF READING Marlon Brando in The Wild One; Bill Haley, “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” and Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti.”

7. Nationalism in an Age of Superpowers • John Foster Dulles—confrontational: wished to liberate “captive peoples” • The New Look in foreign policy –“Brinksmanship”: massive nuclear retaliation—cheaper • Taiwan and mainland China—possible Chinese invasion: use nuclear? • Vietnamese victory at Dien Bien Phu—after $1 billion, Eisenhower pulled back: dominoes? U.S. reneges on election Secretary of state during the Eisenhower administration John Foster Dulles with MacArthur—Dulles thought U.S. should be willing to “go to the brink.” French prisoners after Dien Bien Phu.

8. Overthrown Iranian leader Mohammed Mossadeq. • Overthrowing Mossadeq—Eisenhower-approved CIA overthrow of left-leaning leader, brings in Shah • Crushing a democracy—Guatemalan leader overthrown for appropriating United Fruit lands—CIA’s reputation enhanced: Good Neighbor Policy? • Nikita Khrushchev—intelligent and earthy: softened Stalin’s iron rule, but uses force when needed • The Eisenhower Doctrine—no need for Declaration of War in Middle East where communism concerned • Castro’s revolution in Cuba—peasant rebellion overthrows corrupt dictator with U.S. approval, then looks to communism and Soviets Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev enjoying a commie hug.

9. Berlin Crisis—Soviets try to evict western powers—tensions • The U-2 incident—Khruschev catches U.S. fibbing with Gary Powers

10. The Cold War Along a New Frontier • The Catholic issue—will Pope be involved in U.S. policy? • Robert McNamara—typical Kennedy appointment: witty, bright, intellectual, well educated (Brains Trust?) • Showdown with Big Steel —wage increases tied to productivity increases but violated by price increases John Kennedy and Richard Nixon (right) exchange pleasantries before the first nationally televised debate. Nixon should have shaved more closely/worn makeup. Kennedy and one of his “whiz kids” Robert McNamara discuss policy in the Oval Office.

11. A Peace Corps volunteer talks with a couple Nicaraguan children. Kennedy’s Cold War • Alliance for Progress and Peace Corps—monetary aid specifically to Latin America, volunteer aid to world to avoid communist influence in “Third World” countries • Space program—to surpass Soviet success, Kennedy challenged U.S. to land man on moon by decade’s end The original seven astronauts, including Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American to orbit, which lead to first man on the moon in 1969.

12. Fidel Castro oversees the situation from a tank as his forces defeat the U.S.-sponsored invaders at the Bay of Pigs. • Bay of Pigs invasion —fiasco planned by Eisenhower’s administration, but blamed on Kennedy’s—new “get Castro” plans formulated (exploding cigar?) • Kennedy and Vietnam—increasing numbers of Green Beret advisors sent to help Diem against Buddhists, Vietcong • Diem falls—U.S. okays former ally’s overthrow, if not murder As can be seen from this picture of Eisenhower greeting Diem, the South Vietnamese prime minister had good relations with the U.S. at one time.

14. Kennedy discussing the situation during the Cuban missile crisis that he successfully managed to diffuse. • The Berlin Wall—Soviets attempt to stem flow of disaffected East Germans • A flexible nuclear response—smaller, tactical nuclear use might leave room for negotiation—but “protected” arsenal needed to survive Soviet first strike • A naval blockade—restrained option to attacking nuclear bases in Cuba • Nuclear test ban treaty—no above-ground tests causing fallout; hotline installed