1. The Cold War Culture in America
American Studies

2. Arms Race The destructiveness of the atomic bomb was well known by all
*Both America and Soviet Union used nukes as chess pieces during different times of the cold war
*Leads to the Great Arms Race: Both Sides create nukes by the thousands

3. The Atomic Era Fear of Total Destruction
*Late 1940s, USSR successfully test an H-Bomb
*700 times more powerful than A-bomb
Threat of total destruction
Paranoia and panic surround the cold war

4. Civil Defense Programs
Atomic Bomb in popular culture- Civil Defense programs like “Duck and Cover.”
Other drills were made mandatory

6. “Duck and Cover”
Duck and Cover!

7. Fallout Shelters Found in many cities like New York
Safe houses from nuclear radiation

8. Personal Bomb Shelters

9. Home Bomb Shelter
Home bomb shelter, Garden City Long Island

10. Fallout Shelter Denver Model Homes with Fallout Shelters
Do it yourself Fallout Shelter
The Fallout Shelter: Protecting People from Radiation

11. The Cold War at home- The Red Scare
*Who’s a “Commie”?
Mass paranoia of internal Communists plots to take over America
Fear of Communism ran rampant
1947-Federal Loyalty Program
FBI background checks on federal employees
Video Clip

12. HUAC 1938 HUAC- House Un-American Activities Committee
Investigate communists in the entertainment industry
1947- Hollywood 10 put on trial and blacklisted after hearings
Freedom of Speech?

13. Spies *Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
*Couple charged with conspiracy to commit espionage and accused of passing secrets to Russians
Found guilty and executed in 1953
Only Cold War spies ever executed in U.S. History
*Today, evidence proves Julius’s guilt and Ethel’s innocence

14. Conformity
No one wanted to be accused of being a communist, communist sympathizer or supporter
People put on the perfect life to be very conservative
The more you conformed to the American ideal, the safer you were

15. *The McCarthy Witch Hunts
Sen. Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin
In 1950 he went on a witch hunt accusing over 200 people in the government and armed forces of being communists
Mostly false accusations
Many lives were ruined

16. McCarthyism Name calling: “Commie” and “Pinko”
*Hearings were unfair, speedy, and devastating
*Many found guilty by accusation and no evidence
Senator was eventually proved wrong but the damage was already done
1954: Censured by the Senate
He lost credibility and power
1957: Died ruined and humiliated

17. Freedom of Speech takes a hit
Hollywood Ten
Blacklisted
People were fired for connections and associating with groups on Attorney generals list
All walks of life-Teachers, Librarians, mail carriers, electricians, construction workers

18. *The Space Race Begins: Sputnik
1957- Soviets sent the first spacecraft into outer space
Sputnik, a satellite, caused a tremendous stir in the US
Nuke from space?

19. Sputnik sparks Space Race
If they can do it, why can’t we?
It started the Space Race and the creation of NASA in 1958

20. Today’s Benefits to the Space Race
NASA 1958
Technology
Gave birth to the digital revolution
Transistor

21. Cold War Culture
Cold war culture developed in the US in response to this
Everything revolved around the threat of the Commies and total world destruction
Pop-culture and the Cold war- Books, movies, TV, songs, etc.

22. 1950s Movies
…reflect Cold War Fears!

23. The Baby Boom
The baby boom, or rise in birth rates, that had begun in the 1940s continued into the 1950s.

24. The Economic Boom! Wartime savings – money to spend!
Consumer demand spurs economic growth!
*By 1955 – US produces half of world’s goods
*Incomes rise (twice as much as the 20s)