Post War- 1950’s American Society

Reading Assignment Read Chapter 18 Section 1,2,3 pages 598-624 Quiz on Tuesday

Slang of the 1950’s List the terms we still use today.

Post War Economic Boom GI Bill Millions go to college-white collar- middle class FHA makes low interest loans, spurs growth of suburban American Consumer Goods-Cars, T.V., Appliances, AC, electric everything Wages increase by 20% during the 1950’s, dominate world manufacturing

A Moving Society American’s love for cars is everywhere in the 1950’s- overwhelming majority have 1 by 1960 Symbol of American freedom, individualism, standard of living Car registrations: 1945- 25,000,000 1960 -60,000,000 2-family cars doubles from 1951-1958 Interstate Highway Act of 1956- Builds freeway system in the U.S.- 43,100 miles of road Today’s Problems

The Culture of the Car ‘Drive in’ culture, very socially mobile society First McDonald’s (1955) Howard Johnson’s Drive-In Movies

Growth of the Suburbs- American Dream and “White Flight” Levittown, Long Island was one of the first ‘ideal’ suburban towns created Houses, streets, trees, etc. are all the same “Little Boxes” White Flight- 1950’s-1960’s-mass movement of middle class whites to the suburbs By 1960-1/3 of the U. S. population in the suburbs. Sunbelt Migration 1949 -William Levitt produced 150 houses per week. $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.

“Little Boxes”, 1962-Malvina Reynolds: Critique of the American Dream Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky-tacky, Little boxes, little boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same. And the people in the houses All go to the university, And they all get put in boxes, Little boxes, all the same. And there's doctors and there's lawyers And business executives, And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same. And they all play on the golf-course, And drink their Martini dry, And they all have pretty children, And the children go to school. And the children go to summer camp And then to the university, And they all get put in boxes And they all come out the same. And the boys go into business, And marry, and raise a family, And they all get put in boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same.

Suburban Living: The Typical TV Suburban Families Present a glossy image of ideal American life and values The Donna Reed Show 1958-1966 Leave It to Beaver 1957-1963 I Love Lucy 1951-1957 Father Knows Best 1954-1958 The Ozzie & Harriet Show 1952-1966

Gender Roles T.V. shows, magazines, advertisement and government propaganda promote the ‘ideal American family’ “Traditional Gender Roles”- Reading The ideal modern woman married, cooked and cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. -- Life magazine, 1956 The ideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. -- Life magazine, 1955 Backlash against 50’s gender role conformity. Betty Friedan writes the groundbreaking book, “The Feminine Mystique”. Sows seeds for Feminist movement of 60’s.

American Dream in the 1950s White Middle Class America thrived in the 1950’s Suburban Growth create new ‘ideal’ communities with many activities Baby Boom- 1945-1964, largest in U.S. History, 70+ million! Religious revival Keeping up with ‘The Joneses’ McCarthyism and Cold War fears, along with T.V. and government propaganda, push for social conformity

1950’s Consumerism 1950  Introduction of the Diner’s Card Spending on credit becomes the foundation of the American economy! Advertising drives America’s spending habits.

Television in the 1950s Truth, Justice, and the American way! 1946  7,000 TV sets in the U. S. 1950  50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S. Mass Audience  TV celebrated traditional American values. Truth, Justice, and the American way!

Television – The Western Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke The Lone Ranger and Tonto

Popular Culture Changes-Birth of Rock and Roll Teenager culture drives pop culture Dances, diners, drive ins Rock and Roll is born -1951 Alan Freed 1954-Elvis cuts ‘That’s alright Mama’, Bill Haley ‘Rock Around the Clock’ Elvis on T.V. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show dominate T.V.

Rebellion and Dissent The 1950’s sees a rise in juvenile delinquency Rock and Roll was seen as the devil’s music by some Hollywood had its rebels also... The Beat Generation: First Counter Culture, roots of the Hippie movement Jack Kerouac- On The Road Allen Ginsberg poem-“Howl”

The Other America: Poverty And Segregation in the 1950s Not everyone sharing in prosperity. Jim Crow is still alive and well in the south. In the north, de-facto segregation and discrimination. Women are questioning traditional gender roles. “The Feminine Mystique” is the beginning of the Feminist Movement Not everyone conforming (Counter-culture) Poverty exists, but ‘mainstream America’ ignores it. “The Other America” is written to expose poverty. “The Invisible Man” is written to expose racism and segregation