THE 1950s:THE 1950s:

““Anxiety, Alienation, and Anxiety, Alienation, and Social Unrest” Social Unrest” ????

““Conservatism, Conservatism, Complacency, and Complacency, and

Contentment”Contentment”OROROROR

Ch. 27 Section 1

POST-WAR ECONOMY

Television

Science

Workplace

Baby Boom

Suburbs

Consumerism

Car

1A. Television1A. Television 1946 1946 7,000 TV sets in the U. S. 7,000 TV sets in the U. S.

1950 1950 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S. 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S.

Mass Audience Mass Audience TV celebrated traditional TV celebrated traditionalAmerican values. American values.

Television is a vast wasteland.Television is a vast wasteland. Newton Newton Minnow, Chairman of the Federal Minnow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, 1961Communications Commission, 1961

Truth, Justice, and the American way!Truth, Justice, and the American way!

1B. Television – The Western

1B. Television – The Western

Davy CrockettDavy CrockettKing of the Wild FrontierKing of the Wild Frontier

The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger(and his faithful(and his faithfulsidekick, Tonto): sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked man??Who is that masked man??

Sheriff Matt Dillon, Sheriff Matt Dillon, GunsmokeGunsmoke

1C. Television - Family Shows

1C. Television - Family Shows

I Love LucyI Love Lucy The The HoneymoonersHoneymooners

Glossy view of mostly Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life.middle-class suburban life.

But...But...

Social Winners?... AND… Loosers?Social Winners?... AND… Loosers?

2A. Progress Through Science2A. Progress Through Science

1951 -- 1951 -- First IBM Mainframe ComputerFirst IBM Mainframe Computer

1952 -- 1952 -- Hydrogen BombHydrogen Bomb Test Test

1953 -- 1953 -- DNADNA Structure Discovered Structure Discovered

1954 -- 1954 -- Salk VaccineSalk Vaccine Tested for Polio Tested for Polio

1957 -- First Commercial 1957 -- First Commercial U. S. NuclearU. S. Nuclear Power Plant Power Plant

1958 -- 1958 -- NASANASA Created Created

1959 -- Press Conference of the 1959 -- Press Conference of the First 7First 7 American Astronauts American Astronauts

2B. Progress Through Science2B. Progress Through Science

1957 1957 Russians launch Russians launch SPUTNIK ISPUTNIK I

1958 1958 National Defense National Defense Education Act Education Act

2C. Progress Through Science2C. Progress Through Science

UFO SightingsUFO Sightings skyrocketed in the 1950s. skyrocketed in the 1950s.

War of the War of the WorldsWorlds

Hollywood used aliens as a metaphor Hollywood used aliens as a metaphor for whom for whom ????

2D. Progress Through Science2D. Progress Through Science

Atomic AnxietiesAtomic Anxieties::

““Duck-and-Cover Duck-and-Cover

Generation”Generation”

Atomic TestingAtomic Testing::

1946-1962 1946-1962 U. S. exploded 217 U. S. exploded 217 nuclear weapons over the nuclear weapons over the Pacific and in Nevada. Pacific and in Nevada.

3A. A Changing Workplace

3A. A Changing Workplace Automation:

1947-1957 factory workers decreased by 4.3%, eliminating 1.5 million blue-collar jobs.

By 1956 more white-collar than blue-collar jobs in the U. S.

Computers Mark I (1944). First IBM mainframe computer (1951).

Corporate Consolidation:

By 1960 600 corporations (1/2% of all U. S. companies) accounted for 53% of total corporate income.

WHY?? Cold War military buildup.

3B. A Changing Workplace

3B. A Changing Workplace

New Corporate CultureNew Corporate Culture:: “The Company Man”“The Company Man”

1956 1956 Sloan Wilson’sSloan Wilson’s The Man in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit the Gray Flannel Suit

4A. Baby Boom4A. Baby BoomIt seems to me that every other young It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant.housewife I see is pregnant. -- British visitor to America, 1958 -- British visitor to America, 1958

1957 1957 1 baby born every 7 seconds 1 baby born every 7 seconds

4B. Baby Boom4B. Baby Boom

Dr. Benjamin SpockDr. Benjamin Spock and the Anderson and the Anderson

QuintupletsQuintuplets

5A. Suburban Living5A. Suburban Living

$7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.$7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.

Levittown, L. I.: Levittown, L. I.: “The American Dream”“The American Dream”

1949 1949 William LevittWilliam Levitt produced produced 150 houses per week. 150 houses per week.

5B. Suburban Living:The New “American Dream”

5B. Suburban Living:The New “American Dream”

k 1 story high1 story high

k 12’x19’ living room12’x19’ living room

k 2 bedrooms2 bedrooms

k tiled bathroomtiled bathroom

k garagegarage

k small backyardsmall backyard

k front lawnfront lawn

By 1960 By 1960 1/3 of the U. S. population in 1/3 of the U. S. population in the suburbs. the suburbs.

5C. Suburban Living5C. Suburban LivingSHIFTS IN POPULATION SHIFTS IN POPULATION

DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION, 1940-19701940-1970

19401940 19501950 19601960 19701970Central Cities 31.6% 32.3%Central Cities 31.6% 32.3% 32.6% 32.0% 32.6% 32.0%SuburbsSuburbs 19.5% 23.8% 19.5% 23.8% 30.7% 41.6% 30.7% 41.6%Rural Areas/Rural Areas/ 48.9% 43.9% 48.9% 43.9% 36.7% 26.4% 36.7% 26.4%Small TownsSmall Towns

U. S. Bureau of the Census.U. S. Bureau of the Census.

5D. Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families

5D. Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families

The Donna The Donna Reed ShowReed Show1958-19661958-1966

Leave It Leave It to Beaverto Beaver1957-19631957-1963

FatherFather Knows Best Knows Best1954-19581954-1958 The Ozzie & Harriet ShowThe Ozzie & Harriet Show

1952-19661952-1966

6a. Consumerism6a. Consumerism

1950 1950 Introduction of the Diner’s Card Introduction of the Diner’s Card

All babies were potential consumers who All babies were potential consumers who spearheaded a brand-new market for food, spearheaded a brand-new market for food, clothing, and shelter.clothing, and shelter. -- Life -- Life Magazine (May, 1958) Magazine (May, 1958)

6B. Consumerism6B. Consumerism

7A. The Culture of the Car7A. The Culture of the Car

Car registrations: 1945 Car registrations: 1945 25,000,000 25,000,000 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 built.41,000 miles of new highways built.

1959 Chevy Corvette1959 Chevy Corvette1958 Pink Cadillac1958 Pink Cadillac

7B. The Culture of the Car

7B. The Culture of the Car

First McDonald’s First McDonald’s (1955)(1955)

America became a more homogeneous America became a more homogeneous nation because of the automobile.nation because of the automobile.

Drive-In Drive-In MoviesMovies

Howard Howard Johnson’sJohnson’s

7C. The Culture of the Car

7C. The Culture of the Car

The U. S. population was on the move in the 1950s.The U. S. population was on the move in the 1950s.

NE & Mid-W NE & Mid-W S & SW S & SW (“Sunbelt” states)(“Sunbelt” states)

1955 1955 Disneyland opened in Southern California. Disneyland opened in Southern California. (40% of the guests came from outside (40% of the guests came from outside California, most by car.) California, most by car.)

Frontier LandFrontier Land Main StreetMain Street Tomorrow LandTomorrow Land

1. What key developments in electronics in the 1950s and 1960s transformed consumer and industrial products and paved the way for the computer revolution?

2. Identify the key medical advances of the mid-20c.  What were the social results of these discoveries?

3. What was the appeal of Levittown and similar suburban developments?  How did typical suburbs transform family life and shape women's attitudes?

4. What was the expanded role of advertising and consumer credit in the 1950s?  Why can it be said that the prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s was substantially consumer-driven?

5. What was the impact of the automobile and the super highway on metropolitan development patterns, especially the traditional downtown?

6. What impact did the automobile culture have on railroads, energy consumption, air pollution, and retailing?  How did the American experience compare with that of other developed nations at the time?