The United States in the 1950’s

1. The United States in the 1950’s The Golden Age of Modern America http://youtu.be/4fEb8-zV2qU

2. Identify and explain the actions taken by the US government to limit communism at home.

3. Methods Propaganda Campaigns WitchHunts

5. GovernmentInterference House Un-American ActivitiesCommitee Internal Security Act

6. ExplainhowtheAmericans responded tothe real and perceivedthreats of domesticcommunism in the 1950s

7. “Duck and Cover” Establishedbythe Federal Civil DefenseAdministration (FCDA) toteachthe country waystosurvuveanatomicattackfromthe Soviets Teacherswereexpectedtoperformdrillsduringschool The video “Duck and Coverwasshownaroundthecountry

8. Immigration and NaturalizationAct 1952 Alsoknown as theMcCarran-Walter Act Itsmaingoalwastoexcludeanyoneremotelyassociatedwithcommunism in ordertoblockits spread Truman vetoedthelaw, deemingitdiscriminatory, butcongresswasabletooverride

9. Describe suburbanlifeduringthe 1950s

10. Discrimination • African Americans also experienced discrimination in this era. • Issues with property ownership, schooling, & employment

11. Brown Vs. The Board of Education Oliver Brown had enrolled his daughter, Linda Brown, into a white school and she was immediately rejected. Brown and 13 other parents were furious and created a lawsuit. Lasted 3 years

12. After the Victory

13. Joseph McCarthy Exploited fears using communism propaganda Contributed largely to the “Red Scare” ( a communist witch hunt lasting for 5 years) Was in the Senate, and accused people within the Senate of being spies After WW2 , people started to become paranoid about the spread of communism in the U.S. Only 0.01% of the population in America was communist. An Investigation was his downfall

14. Rosa Parks “Thefirst lady of civil rights” & “Themother of thefreedommovement” December 1, 1955 Montgomery Alabama Refused to give up her seat to a white passenger Became a symbol of thenationalresistanceagainst racial segregation December 20, 1956 SupremeCourtruled Montgomery, Alabama’ssegregated buses unconstitutional

15. Post WWII and Baby Boom After the war, more and more Americans began getting married and starting families at younger ages and in greater numbers Soaring birthrates accounted for more than 90% of this increase-some 30 million people Because of the baby boom, Americans started migrating to the suburbs to raise their families and start a new life Suburban life became the focus of 1950’s America

17. American Suburbia By 1960 close to 60 million American lived in the suburbs Consumerism and social life changed entirely Income and Population grew and with this growth, there was a high demand for consumer goods Family income grew by 25% Advertising also played a large role

18. HydrogenBomb Teller-Ulam Design More effective than the atomic bomb United States vs. Soviet Union American comfort  Religion, Soviets exact opposite “One Nation Under God” “In God We Trust”

19. Role of Advertising Advertising industries promoted consumption by directing their goods at new suburban families Maintained image of a care-free, happy family on their advertisement boards Americans responded by going on shopping sprees and and making sure they kept up with the latest models Also American families wanted to compete with their neighbors

21. Highlights of the 50’s Culture 1951, ‘I Love Lucy’ quickly becomes most popular television show 1950, Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ is a smash hit 1954, Elvis Presley releases his first record 1956, Cecil B. Demille remakes the ‘Ten Commandments’ 1957, Jack Kerouc publishes ‘On the Road’

22. Birth of Television Average families were intrigued by the television and it quickly became their favorite type of entertainment Sitcoms, soap operas, game shows, and the local news dominated the lives of families ‘I Love Lucy’ was hugely popular since it depicted the life of an average American family but in a comical way Additionally, soap operas such as ‘As the World Turns’ quickly became the subject of gossip between 50’s housewives

23. Sitcoms Sitcoms = situational comedy Genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment such as a home or workplace In other words, average American life Started back in the 20’s on the radio and lead to popular shows such as the Brady Bunch and the Andy Griffith Show, a whole new type of televison

24. ‘I Love Lucy’ Depicted the comical life of Lucille Ball Watched by over 40 million Americans and has been translated into dozens of languages Still popular even after its last debut 60 years ago Won 5 Primetime Emmy’s and ranked in the Times 100 Best TV-Shows of All Time

25. I Love Lucy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPI

26. Soap Operas Unlike sitcoms which were comical, soaps are an ongoing, episodic work of drama Quickly became a staple of daytime television along with game shows Popular among 50’s housewives ‘As the World Turns’ started in 1956 and still airs today with almost 14,000 episodes ranging within 54 seasons

28. Teenage Rebellion and Rock ’n’ Roll Teenagers escaped the conformity of suburbia through rock ’n’ roll Combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music Piano and Saxophones were often leading instruments in early works and later shifted towards guitar, bass, and percussion Rockabilly primarily consisted of quick dance movements

29. The King - Elvis Presley Presley rose to national attention in 1956 transforming the field of popular music with ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘Little Sister’ Incorporated Doo Wop, another early rock n roll form, into his songs where the style emphasizes on multi-part vocal harmonies Former President Jimmy Carter stated Presley “permanently changed the face of American pop culture Elvis’s name, image, and voice are recognized around the globe

30. Elvis Presley – “Jailhouse Rock” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0Rz-uP4Mk

31. The Creative Influence of Buddy Holly Creative force behind early Rock n’ Roll Best known for his famous songs ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘That’ll be the Day” Changed the face of teenage rebellion music His last legacy inspired many musicians such as Eric Claypton, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Weezer

33. Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole Frank Sinatra’s voice is forever stored in pop music industry Nat King Cole is one of the great African American musicians that popularized the 1950’s booming music industry Both Sinatra and Cole started their careers in the swing era Both released several critically lauded albums Cole famous for his soft baritone voice (‘Smile’, ‘L.O.V.E’) Sinatra also starred in several hit films and musicals winning an Academy Award (‘Come Fly With Me’, ‘Only the Lonely’)

35. Frank Sinatra – “Come Fly With Me” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbLehPca9bo

36. Sputnik 1 October 4, 1957 New developments Advancements in our atmospheres United States’ retaliation

37. Polio Vaccine Polio Epidemic Deaths

38. Color Television FCC in 1950 Propaganda uses Marketplace experience

39. Sports Power Houses Cleveland Browns NY Yankees Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers Minneapolis Lakers Boston Celtics Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadians

40. 1952 Olympics 1948 Games WWII Japan and Germany

41. Athletes of the Decade Ben Hogan – Golf Althea Gibson – Tennis Jim Brown – Football Willie Mays – Baseball Bob Cousy – Basketball Sugar Ray Robinson - Boxing

42. Drive In Theaters It is a new and exciting way to see movies. Boosts economy

43. fun way to have fun in your Personally owned car

44. Automobiles Eisenhower saw what an interstate could do for Americans and transportation. Interstates were created and an increase in car buying and new styles were fashioned

45. Barbie Dolls Firstintroducedtothepublic in 1959 Theinspirationcamefrom a German dollnamedLillicreatedforadultentertainment……ew Debuted as a fashionableteenagerthateverygirlcould look up to

46. PoodleSkirts& Hairstyles PoodleSkirts: a wide swing feltskirtof a solidbold color with a design of a poodle, flamingo, flower, orevenhotrods Quicklybecame popular withtheteenagers Hairstyles:soft, curly, short.No more, no less.

47. 1950s Jeopardy!!!!!!! http://jeopardylabs.com/play/1950s42