AMERICA IN THE 1940S 50S CHANGING TIMES o

AMERICA IN THE 1940’S & 50’S

CHANGING TIMES o As many soldiers returned home and were “happy to see their wives”, our country experienced a “baby boom”. Many newlyweds started families at the same time. o Your parents/grandparents’ generation make up these “Boomers” o The baby boom created a great demand for houses, baby products, and teachers.

o For the first time in history, there were a large number of affordable homes, and more Americans became homeowners than ever before as more and more people moved into the suburbs. o Cities expanded dramatically, and more households began to have 2 cars

Levittowns o Many families seeking homes moved into Levittowns. o William & Alfred Levitt had learned to build homes quickly and cheaply during the war years to provide housing for defense workers. o They took these skills into the public market, building entire communities full of homes that looked pretty much alike, but were affordable and sometimes had the white picket fence and everything. o The houses cost $8, 000 (about $60/month) with no down payment

New Products o All kinds of new products were available to families in the 50’sdishwashers, automatic washing machines, electric dryers, and power mowers.

Population Movement o Not only were people moving into the suburbs, but more and more Americans were moving to the West and to the South. o These “sunbelt migrations” are still going on today (think of how many people from Michigan and Ohio live in Charleston!)

o In 1956, Congress passed the Federal Aid Highway Act to make interstate travel even easier o Originally meant to facilitate the movement of troops, the federal govt. constructed 41, 000 miles of interstate highways.

CAR CULTURE o All those new highways came o o o in handy. The 50’s had a “car culture” unlike any other decade. Not only did more and more families have cars, but teenagers in particular wanted to have the right car. Pastel shades of blue, pink and green were very popular. Many cars had Space Age designs like large tailfins, a lot of chrome, and a rocket-like appearance Elaborate taillights, wraparound windshields and hood ornaments were also popular. Many cars considered “classics” come from this era

o It was all about driving around in your cool vehicle (cruising), hitting the soda shop or drive-in movie, maybe even a friendly race from time to time (Greased Lightning!)

TEEN CULTURE o In the 1950 s the word “teenager” entered the American language. o Young people were frequently spoiled by parents who had struggled through a Depression and a World War and wanted to give their children all the things they never had growing up. o These young people grew up in an era of relative peace and prosperity, and life is the middle class white suburbs was full of promise and opportunity n This was not necessarily the case in black neighborhoods, unfortunately. More on that later. o Youth culture focused on conformity and fitting in n Obey Authority. Control Your Emotions. Don’t Make Waves

TELEVISION o Television became widely available for the first time in the 50’s. o Popular TV Shows n n n n n Leave it to Beaver Father Knows Best Ozzie & Harriet Donna Reed I Love Lucy The Honeymooners Westerns (Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke) Davy Crockett Lassie American Bandstand

FADS n n n Hula Hoops Frisbees 3 -D Movies Ant farms Coonskin caps Roller-skating car hops

The “Greaser” look n Letterman jackets n Poodle skirts & pony tails n Pez n Potato guns n Sock Hops n The Twist n Jell-O molds n

MOVIES n Thrillers like 12 Angry Men, North by Northwest, Rear Window p n n n Alfred Hitchcock was the man Comedies/Musicals like Roman Holiday, The 7 Year Itch, Singin’ in the Rain, Some Like it Hot Dramas like A Streetcar Named Desire, Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, A Star is Born Adventures like Ben Hur, The 10 Commandments, Seven Samurai, Bridge Over the River Kwai Sci. Fi/Monster Movies like Godzilla, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Invasion of the Body Snatchers Disney classics like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland

MUSIC n n Pop- Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Rock- Buddy Holly, Bill Haley & The Comets R&B-Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Platters Teen Idols- Elvis!, Ricky Nelson, Frankie Avalon

SPORTS n n n n NFL Games televised for the first time Cleveland Browns top NFL team (upset wins over many great competitors) College football more popular than pro Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships (undefeated from 1953 to Nov 1957) Yankees still dominant in baseball Joe Di. Maggio gets his 2, 000 th hit. Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron also popular Little League baseball really took off Top Boxer was Rocky Marciano (undefeated from 1952 -1956)

THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION o Harry Truman was a Southern Baptist Democrat from Missouri who had worked as a clerk and a haberdasher (hat salesman) before going into politics. o He rose from humble beginnings (the only 20 th century president to not attend college) to become the head of the country when FDR died in 1945.

The Fair Deal o Truman named his program the o o Fair Deal Some of its highlights include: Taft Hartley Act- Limited the powers of unions by outlawing closed shops (businesses only hiring union members) and requiring injunctions (court orders forbidding strikes) if the strike threatened the nation’s health or safety (IE- Cops or Firefighters) GI Bill- Many soldiers could go to college for free or receive govt. aid in finding work The 22 nd Amendment was passed, which clarified the order of succession to the presidency and set term limits Truman also issued an executive order in 1948 that desegregated the military

o Truman was not all that popular with many voters, and many people (and newspapers) thought he was sure to lose to his Republican opponent Thomas Dewey in the 1948 election. But he went on a last minute whirlwind tour of the country to persuade them to vote for him, and pulled off a victory. o The Chicago Tribune famously ran the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman”, incorrectly predicting the election results.

CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE 50’s o African-Americans who had served bravely in WWII came home to the same U. S. they have left behind- one that was still heavily segregated. o In the South, Jim Crow Laws kept blacks and whites separated in schools, theaters, restaurants, buses, and neighborhoods o Ever since the Supreme Court case Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896, blacks and whites could be legally segregated as long as accommodations were “separate but equal” n The reality was that they usually weren’t.

There was some progress made towards civil rights, however: o Jackie Robinson became the first black player in major league baseball in 1947, playing a standout career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. o Truman desegregated the military in 1948

o In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery Alabama (blacks were required to sit at the back of the bus and give up seats for white patrons if the bus filled up). o The black community staged the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by a young minister named Martin Luther King Jr. The busses, which relied heavily on black customers, were forced to desegregate.

o In the case Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools (though it would take decades for their ruling to actually be implemented)

The Little Rock Nine o One school that was forced to admit nine black students in 1957 was Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. o The governor, Orval Faubus, actually used National Guard troops to block them from entering. o The federal government had the guard troops removed and sent in the 101 st Airborne to escort the black students to their classes to prevent violence against them. o Eyes on the Prize- Episode 2 Fighting Back n n Start at beginning or 6: 40 End at 24: 05 or 29: 00 o https: //www. youtube. com/wat ch? v=11 v. M 5 cd. Mz. Ok

Review Questions 1. What was the population explosion following 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. WWII known as? Name 2 ways that population in the U. S. shifted in the ‘ 50’s Give an example of a Fair Deal program Name the first black player in major league baseball What Supreme Court case desegregated public schools? What event is Rosa Parks associated with? Discuss how the greater availability of automobiles changed teenage life in America.