Life in the 1950s UNIT 8

A. 1950s Politics The Fair Deal A package of reforms by President Truman that increased the minimum wage, increased spending on education and enacted a national health insurance program.

B. Soldiers Return from War GI Bill of Rights

C. Demographic Changes President Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway Act. This system connected our major cities for evacuation and mobilization purposes. Ultimately, the increase in highways allowed for an increase in trade and economic prosperity in the 1950s

Suburbia With more highways, suburbs were being developed outside the cities since people now have access to commute to the cities. Levittowns were the first organized communities usually for White, middle- class families.

Effects of Interstate Highway Act Suburbia (Levittown) Little Boxes Sunbelt

D. Gender Roles in the 1950s After World War II, most women gave up their jobs in the factories for the returning soldiers. Women returned to the home. Role Switching

BABY BOOM There was an increase in marriages in the 1950s, and a large increase in the number of babies born. The Baby Boom generation is 1945- 1961.

E. Consumer Culture Television – in the 1950s, television was popular in most homes and watching sitcoms became a pastime. Corporate America & Economic Prosperity Rock n Roll (Elvis) A popular style of music started in the 1950’s with roots in rhythm- and-blues, jazz, country and folk music. Early musicians included Elvis Presley.

F. Social Critics against Conformity The Beatniks were members of a movement of writers and poets who rejected all forms of convention or conformity. They listened to Jazz, smoked marijuana, practiced Eastern religions and wore berets

G. The 2nd RED SCARE Major fear of communist spies in America Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many government employees of being Soviet spies.

THE ROSENBERGS Husband and wife Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were charged with passing atomic secrets to the Soviets. They were sentenced to death amid protests of their innocence.

HUAC – House of Un-American Activities Committee Investigated subversive organizations such as labor unions and the film industry for communist spies.

Venona Project The program attempted to decrypt messages sent by Soviet Union intelligence agencies

Ideology STATEMENTS CURRENCY THE PLEDGE - The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Cold War on  July 30, 1956 - This became the National MOTTO of the U.S. THE PLEDGE - “One Nation under God” was added to pledge in 1954 - Defining words that set the United States apart from other nations mainly the USSR

The 2nd RED SCARE Duck and Cover

H. Racial Integration Brown v. The Board of Education overruled Plessy v. Ferguson deeming segregation illegal in schools. Once schools were forced to integrate, a major push for full integration will rise from the black population causing the Civil Rights Movement.