Life in the 1950s American Decades Facts of

Life in the 1950’s American Decades

Facts of the 1950’s • Population: 151, 684, 000 (U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census)* • Unemployed: 3, 288, 000 • Life expectancy: Women 71. 1, men 65. 6 • Car Sales: 6, 665, 800 • Average Salary: $2, 992 • Labor Force male/female: 5/2 • Cost of a loaf of bread: $0. 14 • Bomb shelter plans, like the government pamphlet You Can Survive, become widely available

1950’s Vocabulary • Artificial- manmade • Communism- a form of government where there is no private property • Desegregate- to stop racial segregation • Fad- a popular fashion that does not last long • Polarize- to sharply divide into opposites • Prejudice- an opinion formed without knowing the facts • Technology- methods of science and industry • Wholesome- healthy and morally good

American History: 1950’s

Presidents • Harry S. Truman (D) • 1945 -1953 • Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) • 1953 -1961 • “I Like Ike”

President Truman • “inherited the office” with FDR’s death • No one believed he would win re-election in 1948 • Somehow he did

President Eisenhower • Very popular • Reelected in 1956 in biggest landslide since FDR in 1936 • Disliked government spending • Highway Act of 1956 • $32 billion on 41, 000 miles of roads • Modern interstate highway system • First president to have a TV news conference

FDR Signs GI Bill (1944) • Government/General Issue Bill • Financial assistance for veterans of US military service • Offered college tuition fees • Offered mortgage subsidies • Used by 2. 2 million to enter higher education • Made a college education more easily attainable

Civil Rights Movement • Brown vs. Board of Education • 1954 - Topeka, Kansas • Outlawed segregation in schools • Montgomery Bus Boycott • 1955 -1956 - Montgomery, AL • Opening act of civil rights movement

Other Things at Home • NASA starts in 1958 • What does this have to do with the other things going on? • Disneyland opens in 1955 at Anaheim, CA • What does this tell us about consumers?

Other Things at Home • First Mc. Donald’s opens in Chicago in 1955. • Discussion: What does the growth of fast food tell us about our society? • Polio Vaccine discovered • Hawaii and Alaska become states

World History 1950’s

NATO/Warsaw Pact • NATO • North Atlantic Treaty Organization • International military alliance created to defend western Europe against a possible Soviet invasion • Britain, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, U. S. and Canada

NATO/Warsaw Pact • Stressed the maintenance of international peace and security • A defensive alliance • Countries had consult each other on all aspects of international relations • Military committee of the combined armed forces in Moscow • In 1990 it was dissolved

IMF and World Bank • International Monetary Fund (1944) • Formed to avoid the kinds of problems brought about by the Great Depression of the 1930 s • World Bank (1945) • A bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs

Cold War Begins • Phrase “the iron curtain” is termed by Winston Churchill • Stalin dies in 1953 • Fully prepared and equipped at all times • How does fear of communism affect life at home?

Our Nuclear Triad • Air Force bombers • Nuclear missiles called Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) • Submarines with nuclear missiles • They couldn’t stop all three • Something would hit the Soviets

Arms Race • “We will bury you. ” – Nikita Khrushchev (hroosh-CHOFF) • Really said “We will leave you in the dust. ” • How are those quotes different?

• Sputnik • • • October 4, 1957 First craft in Earth’s orbit Only 58 cm across 96. 2 minute rotation of the earth After 57 days, destroyed while reentering the atmosphere Space Race Begins

Korean War • 1950 -1953 • North Korea invades South Korea prodded by Stalin • UN gets involved • Out of fear of communism • Nothing is resolved • Korea still divided today

Other Countries • Fidel Castro seizes control in Cuba • Mao Zedong leads a revolution in China- 1949 • Ho Chi Minh tries to seize power against the French in Vietnam • Suez Crisis in the Middle East- 1956 • Argentina dictator Juan Peron ousted by military after death of his wife, Evita • Someone reaches the top of Mt. Everest- 1953

Lifestyles 1950’s

The American Dream Ideal • Lots of prosperity • However, 20% of Americans lived in poverty • Cheerful moms who kept the home spotless • Dads worked to support the household • Family Life in the 1950's • 1957 Pepsi commercial

• In the suburbs • Moved towards the warmer southern states • “The Sunbelt” • Lead to “urban decay” • No one left behind to pay taxes to maintain cities • Build fallout shelters against nuclear war Where did we live?

Baby Boomers • Soldiers come home from the war after being away… • A lot of babies are born

Consumer Purchases • Car sales exploded • Number of Registered Vehicles • 1946 - 28 million • 1960 - 60 million • Stock car racing becomes popular • What are some potential effects of more prevalent cars in society?

More Mobility • More affordable cars • More highways • First commercial jet airline

1950’s Trends American Decades

Entertainment • Rock ‘n’ roll • Drive in movies • Television • Movie sales plummet • By 1960, 9/10 households had one • 11 -15 watch as much hours of TV as spent in school • More family oriented

Early 1950’s Music • Light melodies • Sweet lyrics • Wholesome singers • Innocent and inoffensive songs • BORING!

Late 1950’s Music • R&B had been played by African Americans for the 1930 s and 1940 s • Late 50 s, whites take it, spin it, play it and make it popular • Rock ‘n’ roll is born • Teenagers LOVED it! • “Rock Around the Clock”- first rock n’ roll hit- 1954 • Rock Around the Clock

Musicians • Elvis Presley • Bill Haley • Buddy Holly

Elvis Presley • Best selling solo artist in U. S. History • Charted 149 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 • Spent 80 weeks at the top of the charts • 10 consecutive #1 hits • 18 #1 hits (2 nd to Beatles)

Elvis Presley • #2 for overall album sales (117. 5 million) • 25 Multi-Platinum albums • 55 Platinum albums • 27 Platinum singles • 97 Gold albums • 24 Gold singles

No wonder they call him the King!

Television • Westerns • Musicals • Romances • Children • Lassie, Lone Ranger, Howdy Doody Show, Mickey Mouse Club • Families • I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, Gunsmoke

American Bandstand • Devoted exclusively to rock n’ roll • 50, 000 letters a week sent to Dick Clark • Across the country, teens watched • The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel, the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder all started there

Actors/Actresses • Gene Kelly • Marlon Brando* • Burt Lancaster • Frank Sinatra • Grace Kelly • Audrey Hepburn • Humphrey Bogart • James Dean* • Julie Andrews

Clothing • Davy Crocket hats • Poodle skirts • Hula hoops • Saddle shoes • Bobby socks

Other Fashion Trends • Crew cuts • sideburns

Fashion Expectations • Women/girls only wore skirts! • Girls did eventually start to wear jeans with button down shirts tucked in. • Men were always clean cut, clean shaven, and wore suits or shirts and ties. • Boys wore collared shirts tucked in.

Technology • New York puts up “don’t walk” signs and 3 -color lights to reduce accidents. • Thought we’d be living on Mars by 2010. • GM brings a/c to cars.

Sources • http: //www. fiftiesweb. com/elvis. htm • The 1950’s • www. answers. com • Take a Field Trip Through the 1950 s