The United States A Developed Country America was

The United States A Developed Country

America was richer than before the war The US lent money to help other nations US farming was back on its feet

America was a SUPERPOWER America helped set up the UN She had army bases all over the world

America businesses became multinational America led the world in technology Only USA had the atomic bomb

US films & music were everywhere People all over the world tried to copy the US way of life People like Elvis were international stars

Economy t 1950 s America is often called the Affluent Society, but was it really? Yes… t. There were more jobs available with higher wages. t. Lots of people enjoyed a higher standard of living than ever before, with big houses in the suburbs and lots of ‘luxury’ Consumer Goods (Washing machines, cars, TVs etc). t No… t 22% of the population still lived in poverty, particularly Black Americans, old people and Southerners.

Religion There was a Religious Revival in the 1950 s ie more people went to Church……. Why? • The government encouraged religion as a defence against Communism. • People who had moved to the Suburbs went to Church to meet new friends. It gave them a sense of Community and belonging.

The Young The 1950 s saw the growth of a separate ‘Youth Culture’…. The teenager was invented!!! • For the first time teenagers had fashions of their own. • More money than ever before. . more freedom. • Rock & Roll Music. Parents disapproved. They believed the new ways encouraged sex, drugs and crime.

Women in the 50 s were not as independent and equal as women in the 40 s. After the war most women lost their jobs. Wages went down again. The 50 s image of the ideal woman was the good little housewife who cooked and cleaned, looked after children and always looked pretty for her husband.

In the 1950 s the Cold War between America and Russia was just getting started. • Americans were very frightened of Communism ‘Better Dead than Red’. • Senator Joe Mc. Carthy led a campaign to root out and expose Communists living in America (Mc. Carthyism). Many people were treated very badly just because they were suspected of having Communist beliefs. Politics

The Changing Role of Women

The Changing Role of Women

The Changing Role of Women

The Changing Role of Women

The Changing Role of Women

The Changing Role of Women

Black Americans Segregation Because many whites thought that black people were inferior, they were kept separate in all public places. This was called Segregation. It existed in the Southern states of America and was legalised by laws known as the Jim Crow Laws.

Black Americans The Klux Klan MIGRATION To escape Segregation and find better paid work many moved North but there was still discrimination. • The Aim of the KKK was to prevent Blacks from gaining equal rights. • Activities included threats, intimidation, burning crosses, and lynchings. • They got away with it because policemen and judges were often members and white people were to frightened to speak out against them

Black Americans

Black Americans Who stood up for the Blacks? The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) used legal challenges (ie taking people to court) to try and get better rights for blacks. The 1940 s During the War Blacks fought in Segregated ‘Jim Crow’ regiments and often did menial ‘unheroic’ jobs but there were some GAINS: • Blacks in the army experienced life without segregation abroad. • At home there were new, better paid jobs in war factories NB discrimination illegal in gov. owned factories. • Awareness raised at home and abroad because war is all about racial prejudice of Hitler. • Gives Blacks determination to fight on. Membership of NAACP increases by nearly 10 times. White attitudes begin to change eg. President Truman.

Black Americans The Civil Rights Movement Aims of Civil Rights: • Blacks should have the same social and political rights as white people. • Blacks should continue to live in America as US Citizens. ·Black and White communities should live together in harmony.

Black Americans The most famous Civil Rights leader was Martin Luther King. He believed in Non-Violence because he didn’t want people to get hurt or to give whites an excuse to say that Blacks were uncivilised.

Black Americans Why was Martin Luther King so important to the Civil Rights cause? • He was the most famous leader of the Civil Rights Movement. • He believed passionately in equality for Black people and devoted his life to the cause. • He took a central role in Civil Rights Action eg. The Bus Boycott. • Under his leadership a great deal was achieved. • His Non-violent approach won over more blacks and even some whites to the cause…. gave the movement credibility& respectability. • His inspirational speeches inspired blacks to fight on. • He made Civil Rights an international issue…. getting global attention for the cause which put pressure on the US government to do something. • MLK became an iconic figure for blacks and other oppressed people all over the world. • Even after his death his work continues to inspire blacks to fight for their rights.

Black Americans t But not everybody believed that non – violence was the best policy……. . t Malcolm X was a member of the Nation of Islam. He believed that whites and blacks would always be enemies. He also thought that Blacks should use violence against whites because the whites used violence against them (KKK etc). He led the Black Power movement which encouraged blacks to carry guns and take control of their own communities. t SUMMARY: CIVIL RIGHTS Aims: To get equal rights and treatment for Black Americans. Tactics: MLK favoured non-violence but Malcolm X disagreed. Achievements: Civil Rights legislation of the 1960 s ended segregation and in theory ensured equal rights

Black Americans The Brown Decision In 1954 a Mr. Brown (with the help of the NAACP) took the Topeka Board of Education to court because his daughter had to travel miles to school when there was a whites only school nearby. They won and on 19 May 1954 Chief Justice Earl Warren declared that segregation in Education was illegal. It was a major victory although most states and districts just ignored the law. t The Bus Boycott On Dec 1 st 1955 Rosa Parkes refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger. As a result she was arrested and jailed. MLK led the local black community in a boycott of the buses. The Supreme Court ruled in Nov. 1956 that segregation on buses was illegal. t Little Rock, Arkansas In September 1957 nine black students tried to enter Little Rock Central High School, but the State Governor used National Guardsmen to stop them from going in. President Eisenhower sided with the Blacks and sent 1000 paratroopers to protect black students on their way to school.

Black Americans

Black Americans

Population Composition Approximately 33. 5 million foreign-born people live in the United States. The foreign born represent 11. 7 percent of the U. S. population. People born in Latin America comprise approximately 53. 3 percent of the U. S. foreign-born population.

Age Distribution

Social Composition t Immigration had an important role t Society is composed of different groups: t Native Americans t Black Americans t South American t Asian Immigrants

Economy t. Free activities, with very limited State control t. Sectors: t. Agriculture in recesion t. Industry: Varied and concentrated in some regions t Important role of new technologies t t. Services: main sector

Economy: Agriculture t Its role has been reduced in relation to work t High mecanization of the activities t Movement of population from that sector to others and from the countriside to cities

Economy: Industry t Concentrated in some regions t High degree of specialization t Increase of new technologies t Big corporations

Economy: Services t It is the sector with bigger development t It has differen areas such as: t Transport t Education t Information

Government t The US has a democratic goverment t It is divided in three branches t Legislative t Executive t Judicial t Its main principles are: t commitment to majority rule, t protection of the rights of the minority, t acceptance of a rule of law, t and equality of all citizens before the law

Policies: Immigration and Natives t Laws have been passed to control the amount of immigrants, mainly illegals t Native Americans are not living in separate spaces and have the status of other citizens

Policies: Environment t As concern for the environment spread, more Americans became involved in efforts to maintain: t forests, parks, and wildlife refuges; t prevent air and water pollution; t conserve energy; t and dispose of hazardous waste safely

Environmetal Impact