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Post War- 1950s American Society

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Reading Assignment Read Chapter 18 Section 1,2,3 pages 598-624 Quiz on Tuesday

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Slang of the 1950s List the terms we still use today.

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Post War Economic Boom GI Bill Millions go to college-white collar- middle class FHA makes low interest loans, spurs growth of suburban American Consumer Goods-Cars, T.V., Appliances, AC, electric everything Wages increase by 20% during the 1950s, dominate world manufacturing

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A Moving Society Americans love for cars is everywhere in the 1950s- overwhelming majority have 1 by 1960 Symbol of American freedom, individualism, standard of living Car registrations: 1945- 25,000,000 1960 -60,000,000 2-family cars doubles from 1951-1958 Interstate Highway Act of 1956- Builds freeway system in the U.S.- 43,100 miles of road Todays Problems TodayProblems

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The Culture of the Car First McDonalds (1955) Drive in culture, very socially mobile society Drive-In Movies Howard Johnsons

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Growth of the Suburbs- American Dream and White Flight Levittown, Long Island was one of the first ideal suburban towns created Houses, streets, trees, etc. are all the same Little Boxes White Flight- 1950s-1960s- mass movement of middle class whites to the suburbs By 1960-1/3 of the U. S. population in the suburbs. Sunbelt Migration 1949 -William Levitt produced 150 houses per week. $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.

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Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky-tacky, Little boxes, little boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same. And the people in the houses All go to the university, And they all get put in boxes, Little boxes, all the same. And there's doctors and there's lawyers And business executives, And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same. And they all play on the golf-course, And drink their Martini dry, And they all have pretty children, And the children go to school. And the children go to summer camp And then to the university, And they all get put in boxes And they all come out the same. And the boys go into business, And marry, and raise a family, And they all get put in boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same. Little Boxes, 1962-Malvina Reynolds: Critique of the American Dream

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Suburban Living: The Typical TV Suburban Families The Donna Reed Show 1958-1966 Leave It to Beaver 1957-1963 Father Knows Best 1954-1958 The Ozzie & Harriet Show 1952-1966 I Love Lucy 1951-1957 Present a glossy image of ideal American life and values

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Gender Roles T.V. shows, magazines, advertisement and government propaganda promote the ideal American family Traditional Gender Roles- Reading 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 familys suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. -- Life magazine, 1956 The ideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. -- Life magazine, 1955 Backlash against 50s gender role conformity. Betty Friedan writes the groundbreaking book, The Feminine Mystique. Sows seeds for Feminist movement of 60s.

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American Dream in the 1950s White Middle Class America thrived in the 1950s Suburban Growth create new ideal communities with many activities Baby Boom- 1945-1964, largest in U.S. History, 70+ million! Religious revival Keeping up with The Joneses McCarthyism and Cold War fears, along with T.V. and government propaganda, push for social conformity

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1950s Consumerism 1950 Introduction of the Diners Card Spending on credit becomes the foundation of the American economy! Advertising drives Americas spending habits.

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Television in the 1950s 1946 7,000 TV sets in the U. S. 1950 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S. Mass Audience TV celebrated traditional American values. Truth, Justice, and the American way!

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Television The Western Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier The Lone Ranger and Tonto Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke

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Popular Culture Changes-Birth of Rock and Roll Teenager culture drives pop culture Dances, diners, drive ins Rock and Roll is born -1951 Alan Freed 1954-Elvis cuts Thats alright Mama, Bill Haley Rock Around the Clock Elvis on T.V. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show dominate T.V.

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Rebellion and Dissent The 1950s sees a rise in juvenile delinquency Rock and Roll was seen as the devils music by some Hollywood had its rebels also... The Beat Generation: First Counter Culture, roots of the Hippie movement Jack Kerouac- On The Road Allen Ginsberg poem-Howl

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The Other America: Poverty And Segregation in the 1950s Not everyone sharing in prosperity. Jim Crow is still alive and well in the south. In the north, de-facto segregation and discrimination. Women are questioning traditional gender roles. The Feminine Mystique is the beginning of the Feminist Movement Not everyone conforming (Counter-culture) Poverty exists, but mainstream America ignores it. The Other America is written to expose poverty. The Invisible Man is written to expose racism and segregation