1. America at Midcentury, 1952–1963

2. Introduction

3.  What characterized post-World War II prosperity?  What was the ideal of suburban life? What was the reality?  What characterized the emergence of youth culture?  What were the criticisms of television and mass culture?  What characterized foreign policy in the Eisenhower years?  Who was John F. Kennedy and what was the promise of a New Frontier?

4. Popular Music in Memphis

5.  Segregated Memphis.  Elvis Presley.  Sam Phillips.  White and black music blend.  Rock ‘n’ roll.

6. American Society at Midcentury

7.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Business-like government.  Rejects conservatives’ calls.  Real wages rise.

8.  Federal subsidies  Levittown.  The federal government:  GI Bill  interstate highway system  Education funding

9.  Suburban life:  domestic ideal  housewife  Suburban growth.  Church attendance.  Chart: Growth of Suburbs Chart: Growth of Suburbs  Religion—fit in.

10. FIGURE 27.1 The Growth of the Suburbs, 1950–70 Suburban growth, at the expense of older inner cities, was one of the key social trends in the twenty-five years following World War II. By 1970, more Americans lived in suburbs than in either inner cities or rural areas. SOURCE:Adapted from U.S.Bureau of the Census,Current Censuses, 1930 –1970 (Washington DC:U.S.Government Printing Office,1975).

11.  California embodied postwar suburban life  Cars connected its components.  Chart: L.A. County Population Chart: L.A. County Population

12. FIGURE 27.2 L. A. County Population 1920–80

13.  Trade unions.  AFL-CIO.  Numbers decline.

14.  Suburbs.  Conformist.  Personality sells.

15.  Baby boom.  Higher Ed.  Students=corporate values

16.  Immunization.  Medicines.  Doctor shortages..  AMA.

17. Youth Culture

18.  “Teenager”.  Purchasing power.  Teenagers portrayed as special.

19.  Radio.  Cross-over music.  Cover versions.  Alan Freed..  Chuck Berry.

20.  Rock ‘n’ roll.  Teenagers torn.  Rock ’n roll dangerous.  Juvenile delinquency.  Popular.

21. Mass Culture and Its Discontents

22.  Television.  Advertising and TV.  Early TV..  Sitcoms.  Movies and TV.  Fads and sensations.  Chart: Radio and Television Ownership, 1940–1960 Chart: Radio and Television Ownership, 1940–1960

23. FIGURE 27.3 Radio and Television Ownership, 1940– 60 By 1960 nearly 90 percent of American households owned at least one television set, as TV replaced radio as the nation’s dominant mass medium of entertainment. Radio ownership rose as well, but Americans increasingly listened to radio as an accompaniment to other activities, such as driving.

24.  Prime-time--no references to political issues.  Television brought congressional hearings  Slick ads for presidential campaigns.

25.  Critics.  “Middlebrow Culture”.  The Beats.

26. The Cold War Continued

27.  Nuclear option.  Dulles.  Foreign policy “new look”.

28.  Anticommunist uprisings.  Gary Powers.

29.  Eisenhower pro covert action.  The CIA.  Iran.  Israel and Suez..

30.  Map: The U. S. in the Caribbean Map: The U. S. in the Caribbean  Guatemala.

31. MAP 27.1 The U.S. in the Caribbean, 1948–66 U.S. military intervention and economic presence grew steadily in the Caribbean following World War II. After 1960, opposition to the Cuban Revolution dominated U.S. Caribbean policies.

32.  Vietnam.  Domino theory.  Vietnam divided.

33.  Nuclear anxiety.  “Military industrial complex.”

34. John F. Kennedy and the New Frontier

35.  Map: the Election of 1960 Map: the Election of 1960  JFK.  Richard Nixon.  JFK innaugurtion.

36. MAP 27.2 The Election of 1960 Kennedy’s popular vote margin over Nixon was only a little over 100,000, making this one of the closest elections in American history.

37.  Liberal agenda.  Female equality.  Economy.  Space.  Strong executive branch.

38.  Eased tensions  Green Berets, weaponry.  Alliance for Progress.

39.  Fidel Castro.  No US relations.  Bay of Pigs.  The plan failed.

40.  Cuban missiles.  Blockade.  Soviets backed down.  JFK pledged no invasion.  Cooperation with Soviets.

41.  November 22, 1963.