Why did the Fifties Boom?
World War II was over. Soldiers came home. The baby boom was in full roar. Americans settled down to raise families, build stable homes, and pursue respectable careers.
The population of the inner cities dwindled as Americans fled to the suburbs and the comfort of backyards, driveways, and tree-lined streets. Why did the Fifties Boom?
The Nazi threat of World War II, still lingered in the minds of Americans. The rising power of the Soviet Union created the impression that the American way of life was under siege.
Americans developed a nervousness about international events and a fierce national pride. These feelings were reflected in an anti-Communist movement in the United States known as McCarthyism and a reaffirmation to traditional lifestyles and the idea of common decency.
Church attendance rose, and behavior considered rebellious was repressed by social scorn and, occasionally, by the courts.
The greatest changes in American life, however, resulted from the growth of television as a national medium. It became the dominant mass media. Political events were televised, popular programming entertained the country, and advertisers bombarded millions of American homes with alluring images.
The end of the war brought young servicemen back to America to pick up their lives and start new families in new homes with new jobs. American industry expanded to meet peacetime needs.
Americans began buying goods unavailable during the war, which created corporate expansion and jobs. Growth was everywhere. The baby boom was underway.
People could afford single family homes and the suburbs were born. A small suburban community called Levittown was built by William Levitt for returning servicemen and their families.
Chief Justice Earl Warren and other members of the Supreme Court unanimously decided in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) that separate facilities did not make them equal according to the Constitution. Integration began across the nation in 1956.
Highways, tunnels, and bridges sprang up across the United States, making far-flung travel possible for middle-class Americans.
Automobiles became affordable to nearly everyone as the country grew prosperous. They were regarded as indicators of prosperity and “cool-ness.”
Broadway musicals entered their golden age during this period. Dance underwent change during this period. Alvin Ailey created the American Dance Theater. It featured an all- black cast and dance styles that were culturally based, and truly American, in style. Dance underwent change during this period. Alvin Ailey created the American Dance Theater. It featured an all- black cast and dance styles that were culturally based, and truly American, in style. Theater, Film, and Radio
Radio’s influence was still very great as was seen in the rapid growth of Rock n’ Roll. People began carrying small transistor radios. Music could be heard in any location. One of the most famous musicians of this period was Elvis Presley.
People in the Fifties loved sports. More leisure time and greater general prosperity led to greater participation in athletic activities for the average person and increased the number of fans. Baseball became one of the most popular sports of the time. Sports
Lesson Plan Lesson Plan Each student will make a power point slide illustrating the life and times of the fifties. Each student will illustrate their slide on a form given to them by the teacher. The illustration must have words explaining the image.
The slide can be about science, technology, people, events, sports, or entertainment of the period. Your choice must be approved by the teacher to avoid duplication. The slides will be combined into an online book.
Rubric Rubric Do you have a title for you slide? Do you have an illustration? Did you write a paragraph about your illustration? Is your paragraph grammatically correct? Did you finish your project in the time allotted?
Resources