DQ: Economic Growth

• How did the rise of suburbs and the baby boom lead to an economic boom during the 1950s?

How many of you are affluent?

• having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous

• 1950s were nickname The Affluent Society due to the abundance of goods and services for its people

The Suburban, Nuclear Family

• Many professional men worked in the city, but escaped to the “burbs” for their personal life

• Most women were isolated at home due of emphasis on motherhood and childcare

• Due to need for materialism, by 1960, 1/3 of all married women worked

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 familyentertained guests in her family’’s 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

Family Life in the Fifties

Television Takes Center Stage

• Describe the impact of T.V. on American society, news, and entertainment

• Cite specific examples of popular T.V. personalities and shows

The Typical TV Suburban Families

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

“I Love Lucy”

The New Mass Media• Television had a huge impact on

American society• Sitcoms—rarely discussed real-life

problems– No major life problems

– No major minority characters

• T.V. helped establish a national culture

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.

U.S. population was 179 millionU.S. population was 179 millionTelevision 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!

Children’s Programs

The WesternThe 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

Family ShowsFamily 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… Loosers?Loosers?

Quiz and Variety Shows• Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town

• The $64,000 Question and Twenty-One• In 1956, Charles Van Doren won

$129,000, BUT soon a scandal uncovered about contestants being given answers

Effects of Television

• Film suffered due to T.V.; Hollywood tried to make more exciting movies

• T.V. showed the norm such as women and African-Americans in socially acceptable roles

• Radio listening declined; new music, news, and talk filled the air waves

Effects of Car Culture

• What were the effect of the automobile on the United States?

The Culture of the Car

The 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 Car

The Culture of the Car

First McDonaldFirst McDonald’’s 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 JohnsonJohnson’’ss

The Culture of the Car

The 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 (( ““SunbeltSunbelt”” states) 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