Chapter 36 – American Zenith
I.
Politics:
A. Eisenhower (Republican) elected in 1952 & 1956.
B. Republicans won control of Congress.
C. Tried to govern “from the middle.”
II. Economics:
A. Short downturn as soldiers returned home.
B. Savings and pent-up demand led to economic boom
beginning in late 1940s.
C. Economy shifted from war production to consumer
goods.
III. Social Life:
A. Conformity
1. “Company man.”
2. Housewife
3. Suburban Housing
B. Rebellion
1. Rock and Roll.
2. The Beat Movement
C. Consumerism
D. Television (“idealized white society.”)
E. The Automobile
F. Baby Boom (Births rise dramatically from 1947 –
1964).
G. New amounts of “leisure time.”
IV. Don’t forget The Cold War!
A. Russians have H-Bomb.
B. Russians have missiles that can reach U.S.
C. Cuban Missile Crisis
D. CIA covert action around the world
V. Also, early Civil Rights Movement
“Ike for President”
• Ike for President jingle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9RAxAgksSE
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The economy grows…
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What were the characteristics of a
company man in the 1950s?
• Do not think independently… a team player that does not
rock the boat
• Required to “fit in”… teamwork, cooperation & loyalty to
the company
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How did many American women feel about
their role as a homemaker?
“ the key figure in all suburbia, the thread that weaves between family and
community- the keeper of the suburban dream”
UNHAPPY: Discontent, isolated, unchallenged, bored
Betty Friedan –
• Wrote a book called The Feminine
Mystique… Exposed the frustrations of
women in American society.
• Women were frustrated with their role
• Limited employment opportunities
• Unequal pay
• Little encouragement to do more than
be a Mom
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Levittown,
NY-PA
1950s - Wm. Levitt mass
produces homes… assembly line
production
1950s – 13M homes built… 85%
in the suburbs
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1954: Father Knows Best - A TV show
promoting the ideal (conservative, rosy and
paternalistic) American family of the 1950s.
1952-1966: Ozzie and Harriet -“The ideal
American family life” - The longest-running
"live”(non-animated) sitcom in TV history.
1957 : Leave it to Beaver
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The Automobile Culture
40M cars in 1950… 60M in 1960
The Automobile Culture - “Automania”
Causes of the automobile boom….
• Cheap fuel
• Easy credit terms to buy cars
• The growth of the suburbs
Effects of the automobile boom….
• Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway Act… 41K miles of highways
•“Homogenized” our culture… “drive from Brooklyn to Los Angeles
without a change of diet, scenery or culture” J. Keats
• Increased travel… destination vacations… i.e. Disney World
• Public transportation declined
• Stimulates business: Motels, drive-in restaurants, drive-in movies,
shopping malls
What new problems did automobiles
create?
• Noise & exhaust pollution
• An increase in traffic accidents
• People & businesses leave the cities… poverty becomes more
concentrated in the cities
• Tax base in the cities erodes
• Public transportation declined… funding went to highways
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What factors influenced the amount of leisure
time Americans enjoyed?
• The 40 hour work week
• Generous vacation time
• Time saving devices: Washers, dryers, dishwashers, Lawn
mowers
…What activities were Americans enjoying?
Fishing, hunting, bowling, boating, golf, baseball
games, football games, pleasure reading
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The Baby Boom
• 1957: 1 birth every 7 seconds
•10M enter elementary school
• Toy sales: 12.5B
• Teacher shortages
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The population explosion
between 1946- 1964.
The first African American to play
MLB… prior to this, blacks
played in the Negro Leagues.
What was decided in the Brown v.
Board of Education (1954) case?
• A landmark civil rights case decided by the Supreme
Court …Public schools must racially integrate.
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