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1950–1959 Lesson 6

Teacher’s Guide

LESSON 6The Decade of 1950–1959

LESSON ASSIGNMENTSYou are encouraged to be very attentive while viewing the video program. Reviewthe video objectives and be prepared to record possible answers, in abbreviatedform, as you view the video. The topics and time periods may differ from thechapters of the textbook your school system is using. Each video programchronicles a wide array of events and personalities during a specific decade of the20th century. Keep in mind that one of the overarching goals of each lesson is tohelp you understand how past historical events and actions by historicalpersonalities did not occur in a vacuum, and that they are inextricably interwovenin your society today.

Video:

“The Decade of 1950–1959” from the series, The Remarkable 20th Century.

Activities:

Your teacher may assign one or more activities for each lesson.

OVERVIEWThe decade of the 1940s bid farewell to World War II and the decade of the 1950ssaid hello to the Korean War. Harry Truman had replaced Franklin Roosevelt aspresident of the United States, and Dwight D. Eisenhower replaced Harry Truman.Stalin (USSR) and Mao Zedong (China) were the prominent Communist leaders.The Korean War proved to be a hot spot in the Cold War.

The free world viewed communism as the new bully on the world block, andextremists like Senator Joseph McCarthy began his famous television witch-huntfor communists in Hollywood, the army, and the State Department.

Racial unrest was prevalent in most sectors of American society. Rosa Parks refusedto give up her seat on a public bus in Alabama, and African American servicemenwere tired of serving their country in segregated military units. Harry Trumanchampioned the cause of civil rights for African Americans and declared an end tosegregated U.S. military services. Racial segregation was ruled unconstitutional inthe public schools of America.

While the 1950s was a time of conservatism and anticommunist feelings, it was alsothe decade of James Dean and Elvis Presley. Rock ’n’ roll energized the music worldand its influence is still felt today throughout the world today.

Television became the dominant mass medium. Critics complained that studentsspent more time watching television than they did going to school. Television showssuch as “Lassie” and “I Love Lucy” are a marked contrast with today’s televisionshows.

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In the field of literature, Norman Vincent Peale stressed the power of theindividual to control his fate in his The Power of Positive Thinking. While JohnKenneth Galbraith worried about the conformity of the 1950s in his The AffluentSociety.

LESSON GOALSTo become aware of the implications of the Cold War, for both the UnitedStates and the world, in the 1950s and following decades.

To assess the significance of the growing social unrest in the United States.

VIDEO OBJECTIVESThe following objectives are designed to assist the viewer in identifying the mostsignificant aspects of the video segment of this lesson. You should take succinctnotes while viewing the video.

Video: “The Decade of 1950–1959”

1. Analyze the impact of the “Red Scare” on the following:

Korean War Joseph McCarthy

Rosenbergs Alger Hiss

NASA MacArthur

hydrogen bomb “black lists”

Vietnam War Richard Nixon

2. Evaluate the implications of the civil rights movement in the United Statesfor the following:

Brown v. Board of Education the Armed Services

Plessy v. Ferguson Harry Truman

Jackie Robinson Dwight Eisenhower

Rosa Parks Martin Luther King Jr.

Orval Faubus

3. Assess the significance of the following on the world community:

Fidel Castro Gamel Nasser

Eva Peron Korean War

space race Ho Chi Minh

Nikita Khrushchev Mao Zedong

Vietnam War

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1950–1959 Lesson 6

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4. Determine the importance of the following on cultural life in the U.S.:

T V dinners rock and roll music

James Dean computers

“baby boom” Playboy

credit cards Jonas Salk

Elvis Presley television

automobiles

TIME CODESTime Code Year Topic Description00 :00 Opening Opening00 :31 1950 Overview Howard K. Smith intros the

decade02 :18 Title Episode VI: 1950s02 :22 1950 Overview Baby Boom; suburbs; consumer

buying; credit03 :01 1950-53 World Politics Communist Threat; Korean War –

MacArthur, Landing at Inchon, Truman relieves MacArthur of duty, Armistice

08 :35 1951 Entertainment Sports: baseball – Yankees Win World Series with Mantle, Giants & Mays, boxing – Marciano & Sugar Ray Robinson

09 :42 1951 US Politics McCarthy; The Red Scare; Rosenbergs executed

10 :58 1951/52 Entertainment Radio still popular; Television – Berle, Lucy, "The Honeymooners", Burns & Allen, Durante, Skelton, Marx, Howdy Doody, "The Lone Ranger"; Movies – 3D & special effects, drive-ins, Grace Kelly

14 :40 1952 World Politics Queen Elizabeth II ascends throne; Eva Peron dies; Batista in Cuba

15 :48 1952 US Politics Truman refuses to run; Ike wins; Nixon’s Slush Fund Speech

17 :49 1953 Discoveries & Technology H-Bomb, bomb shelters & air raid drills; DNA

19:57 1953 Entertainment Movies: Marilyn Monroe, From Here to Eternity; Playboy Magazine

21 :38 1953 Social Issues Church membership soars; "In God We Trust" on currency

22 :06 1953 World Politics Stalin dies; Khrushchev22 :47 1953 Discoveries & Technology Mt. Everest is climbed23 :16 1953 Entertainment Sports: Tennis Grand Slam &

Little Mo23 :33 1954 Social Issues Segregation: NAACP, Brown v.

Board of Education & Thurgood Marsha l l

25 :21 1954 World Politics French Rule in Indochina ends; Vietnam is divided; Eisenhower offers aid to South Vietnam

27:41 1954 US Politics McCarthy & Senate Hearings

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WEB ACTIVITIESThese activities are not required unless your teacher assigns them. They areoffered as suggestions to help you learn more about the material presented inthis lesson.

Activity 1—Integration of the Armed Services

Access the following Web sites and review the historical background concerningthe desegregation of the Armed Services:

Time Code Year Topic Description29 :00 1954 Overview Howard K. Smith segues between

1st and 2nd half of 1950 decade; 4-minute mile; TV dinners; Legos; credit cards

29 :38 1954 Entertainment Movies: Marlon Brando, James Dean

30 :52 1955 Discoveries & Technology Polio vaccine; Nuclear submarine31 :37 1955 Transportation 7.9 million cars; 2-car families33 :06 1955 Social Issues Drive-in services, McDonald’s33 :41 1955 Entertainment Disneyland33 :57 1955/56 Social Issues Civil Rights & Rosa Parks & Bus

Boycott & Martin Luther King, Jr.36 :35 1956 World Politics Britain frees Egypt; Egypt seizes

Suez Canal; Britain & France invade Egypt; UN protests & Egypt regains control; Hungarian Uprising

39 :35 1956 US Politics Despite perception of Eisenhower as poor leader, he’s re-elected

40 :32 1956 Entertainment Music: Alan Freed & Rock ’n’ Roll, Berry, Little Richard, Domino, Bill Haley & the Comets, Holly, Lewis, Elvis; Poetry & Music: Beatniks – Parker, Gillespie, Kerouac

43 :43 1956 Social Issues Little Rock, Arkansas & Federal Troops – School Integration

44 :48 1957/58 Discoveries & Technology Sputnik; American rocket failures, then Explorer I; NASA established

47 :09 1958/59 US Politics Alaska & Hawaii become states47 :26 1958 Entertainment Movies: Hitchcock47 :59 1959 Discoveries & Technology Birth Control Pill; Integrated

Circuit48 :29 1959 Entertainment Sports: golf & Arnold Palmer,

basketball & Bill Russell; Movies: Ben -Hu r

49 :56 1959 World Politics Fidel Castro & Cuba51 :10 1959 Discoveries & Technology US/Soviet space competition;

Mercury Program – first US astronauts

52 :20 1959 Overview End of decade – Optimism & The New Frontier

52 :42 1959 Overview Howard K. Smith talks about Re-integration of the South into the Nation’s Economy

54 :16 Closing Closing Credits

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Chronology of the Truman Administration and the Desegregationof the Armed Forceshttp://www.trumanlibrary.org/deseg1.htm

The Desegregation of the Armed Forces Documents. Folders1938-1957http://www.whistlestop.org/study_collections/desegregation/large/desegregation.htm

Truman Presidential Library Digital Archive “Desegregation of theArmed Forces”http://www.whistlestop.org/archive.htm

Korea and the Integration of the Armed Forceshttp://www.thehistorynet.com/NationalHistoryDay/2000/koreaarmed.htm

Access the following documents and review the information:

Executive Order 9981http://www.trumanlibrary.org/9981.htm

Letter from R.L. Vann to Ernest H. Wilkinshttp://www.whistlestop.org/study_collections/desegregation/large/1938_list.htm

Letter from John H. Sengstacke to President Franklin D. Roosevelthttp://www.whistlestop.org/study_collections/desegregation/large/1945_list.htm

Access the National Archives “Written Document Analysis Worksheet” at http://www.nara.gov/education/teaching/analysis/write.html and use it as a basis foranalyzing each of the three documents listed above.

Activity 2—Political Cartoons

Access the following Web sites and review the historical backgroundinformation:

Cartoonshttp://www.whistlestop.org/cartoons/cartoon_central.htm

Grolier the American Presidencyhttp://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/cartoon.html

Political Cartoons: Introduction to Symbols by Mark Adamshttp://www.whistlestop.org/teacher_lessons/cartoon_symbol.htm

Access Harry S. Truman Library Political Cartoons—by Roy Keeland at http://www.whistlestop.org/qq/coverpge2.htm.

Access the links to three of the following political cartoons and answer thequestions that correlate with each political cartoon:

#1; #2; #3; #4; #6; #7

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Activity 3—Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

Access the following Web sites and review the historical backgroundinformation:

Thurgood Marshallhttp://library.thinkquest.org/10718/marshall.htm

Brown v. Board of Educationhttp://www.africana.com/tt_100.htm

Brown v. Board of Educationhttp://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/early-civilrights/brown.html

Brown v. the Board of Education of Topekahttp://library.thinkquest.org/10718/body.htm

Access the following two Supreme Court decisions and review the information:

Plessy v. Ferguson 1896http://caselaw.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=163&invol=537

Brown v. Board of Education 1954http://caselaw.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=347&invol=483

Answer the following questions:

1. What was the key issue being decided by the Supreme Court in each courtcase?

2. What does the 14th Amendment state and how was it applied to each of thecourt cases?

3. Who is Thurgood Marshall and what is his connection to the cases?

4. Does the time period have any impact on the court decisions?

5. Who would have been president of the U.S. when each decision was“handed down”? What position would you expect each president to takewith reference to the court decisions and why?

6. What key historical events were occurring in the same year each courtdecision was reported?

PRACTICE TESTAfter watching the video and reviewing the objectives, you should be able tocomplete the following Practice Test. When you have completed the PracticeTest, turn to the Answer Key to score your answers.

Multiple-choice

Select the single best answer. If more than one answer is required, it will be soindicated.

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1. President Harry Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur fromcommand of United Nations troops in Korea when:

A. MacArthur continued to lose crucial battles.

B. MacArthur crossed the 38th parallel and entered North Korea.

C. the Chinese entered the Korean War after MacArthur saidthey would not.

D. MacArthur began to take issue publicly with presidential policies.

2. As a result of Senator McCarthy’s crusade against communist subversionin America:

A. the FBI was shown to have had several spies working as communistagents.

B. the United States Army was forced to give dishonorable discharges tomore than one hundred officers.

C. fifty-seven members of Congress were exposed as communists.

D. many prominent Americans had their civil rights violated.

3. The new militancy and restlessness among many members of the AfricanAmerican community after 1945 was generated by:

A. the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

B. World War II.

C. the appointment of Thurgood Marshall, chief legal counsel of the NAACP,to the Supreme Court.

D. Dwight Eisenhower’s commitment to civil rights.

4. Which one of the following is least related to the other three:

A. Orval Faubus.

B. Martin Luther King, Jr.

C. Rosa Parks.

D. Montgomery bus boycott.

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5. In the epochal 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, theSupreme Court:

A. declared that the concept of “separate but equal” facilities for blacks andwhites was unconstitutional.

B. upheld its earlier decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.

C. rejected desegregation.

D. supported the “Declaration of Constitutional Principles” issuedby Congress.

6. The leader of the nationalist movement in Vietnam since World War I was:

A. Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung).

B. Ngo Dinh Diem.

C. Dienbienphu.

D. Ho Chi Minh.

7. The affluent life-style developed in America during the 1950s was stimulatedmainly by:

A. the new technology of television.

B. a return to the ethic of rugged individualism.

C. foreign investment in the United States.

D. the growth of the stock market.

8. All of the following were characteristic of the emerging new life-styles ofleisure and affluence except:

A. easy credit.

B. fast-food production.

C. new forms of recreation.

D. the maturity of radio.

Essay/Problem Questions

9. Why was there such strong popular support for McCarthy’s anticommunistcrusade in the early 1950s? Would you have supported his goals? His tactics?Why or why not?

10. What personality and/or event had the most dramatic impact in the fields ofculture and technology in the 1950s in the United States? Defend yourchoices.

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ANSWER KEYThe following provides the answers and references for the practice testquestions. Video objectives are referenced using the following abbreviation:V=Video Objective.

Multiple Choice Essay/Problem Questions

1. D Ref. V 1; 2 9. Ref. V 1

2. D Ref. V 1 10. Ref. V 1; 4

3. B Ref. V 2

4. A Ref. V 2

5. A Ref. V 2

6. D Ref. V 3

7. A Ref. V 4

8. D Ref. V 4

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