1950s

Katie RoccaCooper IronsNikki HardwickErin PerelstineJohn DuffyMike AmbroseLets Travel Back In Time

1950

Communism- Identify and explain the actions taken by the U.S. government to limit communisim at homePresident Truman set up a special office to investigate federal employees because people accused him of allowing communists in the U.S.Congress passed the House Un-American Activities Committee to fight domestic Communism.Questioned the ties of people who belonged to labor unions and liberal political groups. Congress also tried to fight communism at home by passing the Internal Security Act in 1950. Required Communist Party members to register with the federal government. Response to Communism- Explain how the Americans responded to real and perceived threats of domestic communism in the 1950s ParanoiaAvoided political activitiesKept opinions to selfFilm would not feature social or political issuesFBI & CIA opened private mail Rock N Roll -> communist musicGirl Scouts -> communist frontDefinite end 1990s

McCarthyism- Explain how the Americans responded to real and perceived threats of domestic communism in the 1950s (DEF) The practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-communist activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidenceBlacklistsCould loose job, life, and reputationCharged people that werent likedCharged people in order not to be charged

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Truman-Describe the major goals of President Trumans Fair Deal and relate whether they were accomplished.

His Fair Deals were a series of reforms that he proposed to congress.The Fair Deals promised:Full employmentA higher minimum wageA national health insurance programConstruction of affordable housingIncreased aid to farmersThe expansion of welfare benefits to more peopleTruman managed to push through some of his reforms.Fair Deals had limited success in an increasingly conservative post war political climate.He was able to push through:Increase minimum wageEqual employment rights for all AmericansConstruction of affordable housingExpansion of welfare benefits He was unable to push through:All Americans having health insurance

Eisenhower- Explain how President Eisenhower tried to manage the nations problemsPledged to balance federal budget, reduce government regulation of the economyEliminated thousands of government jobsCut billions from federal budgetCut farm subsidesSocial ProgramsExpanded social society and unemployment benefitsIncreased minimum wageIncreased educational spendingFederal debt grew by 9%International Affairs & ActionsVietnamLatin AmericaMiddle East

Suburbs- Describe Suburban life during the 1950s(def). Residential communities on the outskirts of citiesCities = crowed, dirty, dangerousSuburbs = calm and quietOne of the most dominant features of the 20th century

Working People in the Suburbs- Describe Suburban life during the 1950sStill worked in citiesCommuted to workCreation of Railroads & The Highway Act made traveling to cities easy because they connected cities to suburbs

Housing- Describe Suburban life during the 1950sSuburbs growing rapidly in 1950sWomens fertility rate soared 50% between 1940 and 1957Nearly half of all American women had their first child before they turned 20More families = demand for housesHouses in suburbs were very desirableIdeal American FamilyAffordableClose to shopping malls, resturants, grocery stores, etc.

Railroads & Highways- Describe Suburban life during the 1950sForever changed AmericaTransportation became easyTourism grewChanged social aspect of life: distance was no longer an issueBus business declined since there was no longer a need for inner-city travelHighways promoted mass transportation (moving products through different cities)

FashionWomensPost WWII there was a huge push to get women back into the home and kitchensoft shoulders, stiletto heels, full skirts, and slim waistshourglass figure was acceptedCorsets became popular again, to slim the waist even furtherMensClean, cut, and conservativeCharcoal suit with penny loafers was extremely popularknown as the American suit

FashionTeenageFirst generation of teenagers to rebel against eldersRock n Roll becomes popularGreaser look of jeans, white t shirt, and leather jacketNeat pleated skirts, scoop neck blouses, and sleeve fitted shirtsHairstylesMen had short clean hair, or combed backMens hair didnt touch their ears. This was illegal in certain statesWomen had high maintenance, curly hair.The invention of hair dryers and curlers helped women keep the curls

SportsGolfTelevised well, it was slow and easy to followCould be attempted by anyone, it was everywhereBecame widely assumed that a person could not succeed in business without knowing how to play golfMost courses excluded blacks and confined women to playing once a week on Ladies DayBasketballNBA became integrated in 1950 by Sweetwater Clifton, Chuck Cooper, and Earl LloydGames first black superstar was Elgin Baylor who played for the Los Angeles LakersOther early stars included Wilt Chamberlin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, Oscar Robinson, and Dolph SchayesPlayed in virtually every high school and college nation wideSportsBaseballHuge part of American lifePlayers werent well paid so fans could relate to them which increased popularityEvery team had network of radio stations that broadcast games over wide areaWasnt a big deal in high schoolsFootballPopular in high schools all over the countryCollege football became more popular as television during the time period progressedStar football players of the time period included Jim Brown, Frank Gifford, and Sammy BaughOthersBoxing, horseracing, and tennis were also widely followedHockey didnt follow well in the U.S. The Olympics had a huge following during the time period as well

Popular People in Sports

Historic EventsThe Korean ConflictBegan on June 25, 195075,000 soldiers from the North Korean Peoples Army poured across the 38th parallelThe invasion was the first military action of the Cold WarJuly, American troops had entered the war on South Koreas behalfBrown v. Board of EducationIt was a case decided in 1954 in which the Supreme Court of the United States declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.Historic EventsImmigration and Nationality ActCreated in 1952Also known as the McCarran-Walter ActMeant to exclude certain immigrants from immigrating to America, post World War II and in the early Cold WarThe main objective of this was to block any spread of communism from outside post WWII countries as well as deny any enemy of the US during WWII such as Japan and favor good Asian countries such as China.

The Highway SystemOn June 29, 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal-aid Highway Act of 1956.Eisenhower was determined to build the highwaysThe bill created 41,000-mile National System of interstate and Defense Highways.Passed in June 1956They were intended to have several purposes:eliminate traffic congestionmake coast-to-coast transportation efficientmake it easy to get out of big cities in case of an atomic attackMore than 46,000 miles long.Historic EventsExplorer 1SpacecraftAmericas first satellite on January 31, 1958Launched after the Soviet Unions success with SputnikCarried an instrument packagePackage provided evidence that the earth is surrounded by intense bands of radiation, now called the Van Allen radiation belt.First major scientific discovery of the space age.

20Historic PeopleRosa ParksOn December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white passengerArrested for not giving up seat50,000 African Americans from Montgomery in protest organized a boycott against the bus systemtotal of 381 daysInvolved in the civil rights movementHeld office in the Montgomery chapter of the NAACPWorked for Representative John Conyers in 1967Won numerous awards including the Congressional Gold Medal of HonorIn November of 1956, the Supreme Courts ruling that segregation on transportation is unconstitutional

MusicPopular Types: Boogie-WoogieDoo WopR&BRock n RollFamous Names: ElvisLittle RichardFrank SinatraBuddy HollyJohnny CashTop Songs:Rock Around the Clock Bill Haley & the CometsGreat Balls of Fire Jerry Lee Lewis Hound Dog Elvis Whole Lot of Shakin Going On Jerry Lee Lewis

Rock n Roll White boys singing black boys musicHad to be played on the television, not allowed on radio1st rock concert Cleveland 1952Parents disapproved:- lyrics suggestive- caused Caucasians and African Americans to mixLaw makers tried to stop the fast spread of Rock n RollElvis was always shown from the guitar up when he was on television

1950s Music

Popular Movies of the 1950sSingin in the Rain 1952Rear Window 1954Ben Hur 1959Peter Pan 1953Vertigo 1958Some Like it Hot 1959Alice in Wonderland 1951Sleeping Beauty 1959

Popular Movie Stars of the 1950sMarlon BrandoJames DeanJames StewartDoris DayMarilyn MonroeJohn WayneKatherine HepburnElvis PresleyAnnette Funicello

Popular TV Shows of the 1950sLeave it to BeaverI Love LucyAmerican BandstandThe Twilight ZoneSupermanLassieThe Mickey Mouse Club

1950sPopular TheatreDeath of a SalesmanThe Sleeping PrinceThe Seven Year ItchCat on a Hot Tin RoofThe Diary of Anne FrankPopular Radio ProgramsDragnetMinus OneTales of the Texas Ranger

Artistic Outlets of the 1950sPop Art Iconography of TV, photography, comic, cinema, and advertisingFilm Formats Cinemascope, VistaVision, Cinerama, and 3D Film methods

Inventions & Discoveries:

Polio VaccineFirst McDonaldsCar Seat-beltsColor TelevisionPhone Answering MachinesCredit CardVideo Tape/VCR

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