Unit 1:1950s America
Cold War
Who?
vs.
Cold War
What kind of “warfare” was involved?
– no actual fighting
– Arms and military buildup
– Poor diplomatic and political relationships
Cold War Origins
• Marshall Plan
– Massive economic aid to Europe after World War II
– Restore economies=no communism
• Why?
Poverty=search for stability/equality/hope
• George Kennan’s Containment Philosophy
– Contain Soviet expansion through limited military and nonmilitary
means in areas of strategic importance…Western Europe and Japan
• Truman Doctrine
– Commitment to help Greece and Turkey ($400 million economic/military
aid)…threatened by communism and Soviet expansion
• Eisenhower Doctrine
– US would defend Middle East against attack by a communist country
US involvement:
• US v. China
• US concerned w/ USSR entering
•
•
Stalemate/DMZ at 38th parallel
54,000 US dead
NATO vs. Warsaw Pact
Cold War Political Cartoons
Describe the action taking place in
the cartoon.
Explain the message of the cartoon.
Cold War Political Cartoons
Describe the action taking place in
the cartoon.
Explain the message of the cartoon.
McCarthyism
Who is he?
Joseph MCarthy…Sen. Wisconsin
Why did he become infamous?
•HUAC
•Hollywood Blacklist
•Accusing military of harboring
communists
How did the public react?
•Positively at first…..then he took it too
far
End result:
•Censured by Senate 1954
American Dream
Values
Home/Family
1. Conformity
1. 2-3 children
2. Material goods
implied success
2. Close family ties
3. Single family home
in suburbia
4. 1-2 cars
5. TV
Work
1. Man is
breadwinner
2. White collar job
3. Woman takes care
of house and children
Economic Boom in the 1950s
•
•
•
GI Bill
– billions of dollars in loans for returning GIs
– College, job training, businesses, home ownership
– Unemployment and health benefits
Baby Boom
– Many had postponed having children during the Depression and World
War II
– Higher incomes = affordability
– Potential effects?
Suburbia – “The Great White Flight”
– Suburban dwellers rose from 20%-65%
– Escape from urban problems
– Limited opportunities for minorities
– “car culture”
Culture and Society
Consumer Society
–Growing variety and quantity of products,
increased advertising = increased demand
–Increased use of credit cards
–Cars, television, household products
Social Conformity
– Loss of individualism
– Businesses did not want creative
thinkers, rebels, or anyone who
would rock the boat
– Companies gave personality tests
to ensure employees would “fit in”
the corporate culture
– Suburbs, fast food chains, fads,
etc.
Are You Popular?
• http://multimedialearningllc.wordpress.com/author/multimedialearni
ngllc/
Rock ‘n’ Roll
• Kids rejected mellow music of parents
• Lead to teenage delinquency and immorality?
• Grew from rhythm and blues music
• Elvis Presley
• Chuck Berry
• Buddy Holly
Beat Generation
•
San Francisco, Los Angeles, and
New York
•
Expressed social and literary
nonconformity of artists, poets,
and writers
•
Sought higher consciousness
through Buddhism, music, drugs
•
Clashed with suburban view of life
•
•
•
Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Allen Ginsberg, Howl
William Burroughs, Naked Lunch
“The only people for me are the mad ones,
the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk,
mad to be saved, desirous of everything at
the same time, the ones who never yawn
or say a commonplace thing, but burn,
burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman
candles exploding like spiders across the
stars and in the middle you see the blue
centerlight pop and everybody goes
"Awww!”
--Jack
Kerouac