1. Nifty Fifties- “Best Years”… (for white, male Americans)

2. Economic growth in 50s Why??? 1 Federal spending
Roads, houses, schools
GI Bill (next slide)
Cold War spending
2 Baby boom (3,548,000 “consumers” born in 1950 alone)
3 Increased productivity w/ new technology
Computers, nuclear power plants

3. G.I. Bill billions of Fed. $ to WW2 veterans Pays for College tuition
Cheap loans for homes, businesses, farms

4. Levittown and the Growth of Suburbs
“Mass production” of homes
GI Bill- cheap loans
(Millions enter “middle class”)

5. The Baby Boom Generation is born:
“Greatest Generation” grows up in Great Depression (30s), comes of age in WW2 (40s)
1950s?- lots and lots of BABIES!
(boom (3,548,000 “consumers” born in 1950) alone)

6. 1950s- Baby Boom

7. Television 1946- 17,000 tv’s exist 1950- 7,000,000 sold
What are some effects of television on
American life (political, economic, social)?

8. 1950s “Automania” 1956- Interstate Highway Act
$250,000,000,000 for highways
41,000 miles of highway

9. Civilians could move out of URBAN AREAS
Suburbs can be further and further away
“White flight”- Poorer people remain in urban areas
MILITARY could quickly move in event of war
One of the reasons Eisenhower signs it
Easier to TRANSPORT goods around country
“trucking” leads to a decline in railroad use
Stimulates other areas of the economy
Hotels, fast food, tourism (Disneyland opens)

10. The Cold War at Home: MCCARTHYISM

11. Effect at home: the “Red Scare”

12. Communists at the State Department:
- State Department official Alger Hiss was imprisoned for perjury in 1950.
- Hiss had lied under oath, denying that he was a part of a Soviet spy ring that sent U.S. government secrets to the Soviet Union.

13. Example of American fears of Communism:
- Americans, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were accused of stealing nuclear secrets for the Soviets.
- The Rosenbergs were executed for their crimes in 1953.

14. McCarthy’s reckless claims:
· In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy announced that he had a list of 205 State Department employees that were members of the Communist party.
“McCarthyism” definition
Since 1950s- unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence
Audio: Senator Joseph McCarthy Responds to E.R. Murrow on CBS's See It Now

15. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
Investigates communist influence inside and outside the government
1947- investigates the movie industry
“The Hollywood Ten”- did not cooperate
Sent to prison
Blacklist- list of people considered to have communist backgrounds
Careers were ruined

16. Television 1946- 17,000 tv’s exist 1950- 7,000,000 sold
What are some effects of television on
American life (political, economic, social)?