Document #2: Post WWII CultureA. Changes – Post World War II

More people have jobs and money to spend in the 1950s. Americans are trying to forget the war, however some wartime developments started the U.S. on this path to change. There was a development of new technology for the war effort, which became useful in the post war era. Goods were made faster and for less money, so that people could buy items at lower costs. There was interest in new inventions, as there was in the 1920’s! People had to replace older goods after the war, when they no longer had to conserve resources. They bought new goods with money they had saved from war-time jobs and also bought on credit (buy now, pay later – which could be dangerous if we look at the Great Depression era). Women who had jobs during the war kept them, and therefore had money to spend – a new market for businesses to sell to! Unfortunately, African Americans and Native Americans lost their war jobs, or had to take jobs for lower pay.

B. Standards of Living Changes in Material Standards of Living, 1940-1955

The Overworked American, 1956 Statistical Abstract; An Economic History of Women in America: The Proud Decades

C. Role of Women: Gender roles were strongly held; girls played with Barbie dolls, boys with Davy Crockett   paraphernalia.  The following information is from a 1950’s Home Economics textbook meant for High School girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life!

Have dinner ready : Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a well-balanced, delicious meal – prepared and ready to serve at the usual time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home. Some men like a drink before dinner, if so, plan to keep the meal warm, and not burn anything while he finishes his drink.

Prepare yourself : Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-wary people. His boring day may need a lift.

Minimize the noise : At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer or dryer. Make sure all appliances, such as the vacuum, are properly put away. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

Things to Avoid : Don’t greet him with problems or complaints. Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner and didn’t have time to call. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Should anyone telephone you before/during/after dinner, politely advise them you’ll return their call after doing the dinner dishes.

Make him comfortable : Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind, either before or after dinner. Some men relax with the evening papers, others with TV.

Listen to him : You may have a dozen things to tell him, but let him talk first. Making the evening his : Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment;

*Turn to Back

Households Owning… 1940 1955Automobile 50% 71%Television Set 0% 76%Refrigerator 44% 94%Washing Machine 46% 84%Clothes Dryer 0% 9%Vacuum Cleaner 38% 64%

D. Policies/Laws Housing Act of 1949 – budgeted $3 billion for slum clearance and new lot-rent housing. Minimum Wage Act of 1949 – The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was amended to increase the minimum wage. Social Security Act of 1950 – coverage to individuals who were self-employed was added, and retirees were given increased benefits.

Document #1: The Space Race & Sputnik

Contextualization: More people have jobs and money to spend in the 1950s. Americans are trying to forget the war, however some wartime developments started the U.S. on this path to change. There was a development of new technology for the war effort, which became useful in the post war era. Goods were made faster and for less money, so that people could buy items at lower costs. There was interest in new inventions, as there was in the 1920’s! People had to replace older goods after the war, when they no longer had to conserve resources. They bought new goods with money they had saved from war-time jobs and also bought on credit (buy now, pay later – which could be dangerous if we look at the Great Depression era). Women who had jobs during the war kept them, and therefore had money to spend – a new market for businesses to sell to! Unfortunately, African Americans and Native Americans lost their war jobs, or had to take jobs for lower pay.

The space race grew out of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Each of the superpowers wanted to win the race to prove the superiority of not only their technology, but also their own political and social philosophy. On October 4, 1957, Soviet scientists amazed the world by launching into space the first man-made satellite. The nearly 200-hundred-pound Sputnik (Russian for "satellite" or "baby moon") successfully orbited the earth as thrilled Russians celebrated on the ground. The following month the same team lofted the larger Sputnik II above the earth's atmosphere, this time carrying a dog. The United States, considered by many the world scientific and industrial production leader, had seemingly fallen behind the Soviet Union. Many were concerned that while U.S. engineers and scientists spent time developing household items like the color television, while the Soviets were developing advanced rocketry. Americans quickly became aware of the military effects of the satellites. If the Soviets could send heavy objects into space, they could easily hit U.S. cities with intercontinental ballistic missiles!

The thought of a nuclear attack on the United States frightened Americans. Republicans blamed the Truman administration for not supporting the country's missile program, and Democrats claimed Eisenhower refused to take the Soviet threat seriously. The Soviet's success with Sputnik, coupled with the demand from politicians, pushed Eisenhower to act. He first prepared a plan to increase the defense budget. Eisenhower also supported the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to coordinate space efforts. In 1958, he introduced the Mercury program and the first seven U.S. astronauts—Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Walter Schirra, Scott Carpenter, Donald Slayton, Virgil Grissom, and Gordon Cooper. [Notice anything about the astronauts?]

To match the Soviet accomplishments, the United States needed experienced engineers and scientists, but high schools and colleges were not graduating enough qualified students. Many believed the educational system in the Soviet Union was superior to that found in the United States. Educators in the states pushed to focus more on reading, writing, and arithmetic, and less on courses such as art or home economics. In 1958, Congress enacted the National Defense Education Act, which authorized almost $900 million in federal grants for enhanced teacher salaries and improved laboratories and equipment. Within a decade, nearly one-third of university scientists and engineers were involved in some capacity in weapons research for the United States government. America had accepted the challenge to try and beat Soviet Union technological capabilities. But the rivalry and distrust between the two countries intensified, as each side greatly increased its military might.

Document #3: American Infrastructure and Suburban Living—1950’sNASA’s first group of Astronauts

The Soviet Union launches the first Sputnik satellite

October 4, 1957

The first woman to fly to space was Valentina Tereshkova in

1963

GI Bill: Veterans or men who served in war, had the opportunity to pursue a college education or train for a skilled occupation. Before WWII, only the rich went to college. Now more young Americans could become well educated or technically trained worker. The government spent a lot of money on these veterans. Veterans also received a one-year of unemployment money. The GI Bill also provided loans for veterans to buy homes and start businesses. Over 8 million veterans of WWII took advantage of these opportunities.

BABY BOOM: During the Great Depression and WWII, many Americans had to put off having families. When men came home from war, birth rates increased. By the 1950’s, the population in the U.S. grew by 29 million! This generation grew up to be known as the baby boomers. Most couples married young and had three children. In addition, the economy grew, which meant more goods were produced and sold and more jobs were created. Federal projects also increased factory production. The government spent more money to build new roads, houses, and schools. However, when the country became overpopulated and these children became old, it became harder to provide retirement benefits.

SUBURBAN LIVING: People began to buy homes in the suburbs, communities outside the cities. William Levitt began his first big project in 1947 on Long Island, where he put up 17,000 new suburban homes. He called this project Levittown. In these areas, not only were the houses the same, but people were expected to look, act, and follow the same rules, which is known as conformity. Women were expected to go back to tradition roles of housewives and more men became white-collar workers, meaning that more had jobs as doctors, layers, managers, etc. rather than working in factories. African Americans were not allowed to own or rent in Levittown because he feared that if he sold to blacks, whites would not buy. Shopping centers with modern department stores sprang up near the suburban housing developments. No longer did consumers have to travel to the city to buy what they wanted. As a result, cities began to decline.

CAR CRAZY: During the 1950s, cars became more important to daily life. People living in the suburbs usually needed a car to drive to work. By 1960, 9 out of 10 families living in the suburbs owned a car. Because there were more cars, the federal government built thousands of miles of highways. In 1956, Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act. This called for a network of high-speed roads linking the nation. It set aside $41 billion to build 40,000 miles of highway. The new highway system boosted the economy. Americans could travel more easily for business or pleasure (only if they could afford a car). As a result, a new roadside culture of motels and fast-food restaurants came about. However, many Americans were stuck in traffic and the environment was affected by gas emissions.

NYC’s ROADS/TUNNELS: Robert Moses built just about every major road, parkway, tunnel, beach, pool, and expressway in New York City and Long Island from the 1920′s through the 1960′s. He built civic centers, convention centers, stadiums, parks and beaches.. He evicted hundreds of thousands of people from their homes all across the city. From Long Island farmers, to Brooklyn merchants, to countless in the Bronx and Manhattan, people knew Moses would move them out. Moses helped choke off public transportation funds in favor of his roads, there was nowhere else for people to go but on them. Many poor people (especially African Americans and Hispanics) were unable to afford cars and therefore these areas became inaccessible to them and primarily

white and upper middle class – it perpetuated segregation. Moses refused to allow public transportation to be built next to any of his roads. The LIE, Van Wyck, and Jones Beach could have had rail systems built right with them, but Moses said that such projects would push his construction costs outrageously over budget, even though most of his projects ran way over budget anyway.

Document #4: American Popular Culture and Leisure Time —1950’s

MUSIC: In the mid-1950s, a new type of music appeared. Rock-and-roll combined with the sounds of rhythm, blues, country, and gospel with a hard-driving beat. Popular musicians were African American singers, Little Richard and Chuck Berry and country singer, Johnny Cash. No one received more attention than Elvis Presley. His slick hair, side burns, and steamy dancing alarmed parents. Adults worried that the music was too wild and would promote rebellion, sex, drugs, and violence. However, many teenagers liked rock-and-roll because it provided an opportunity for them to show their independence. Teenager was a word used in the 1950s to describe someone between 13 and 19 years old.

TELEVISION: In the 1950’s, TV’s were cheaper and almost everybody wanted one. TV brought news and entertainment into people’s homes. Commercials encouraged spending and buying. TV also convinced people they had to act and look a certain way, such as women should be thin, beautiful, and respect men and men had to be well-trimmed and make money. Many programs presented the same single view of the ideal middle-class family. Father knew best, mothers were loving and supportive, and children were always had to listen to what adults and parents told them. Western TV shows also became popular, such as the Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, and Father Knows Best.

TOYS, GAMES, AND CLOTHING: Many different toys and games came out in the 1950s that targeted what girls should play with and what boys should play with. Barbie was popular for girls. Barbie had different kind so clothes, dream houses, boyfriends, and convertibles. This was meant to teach girls how to behave. Boys, as well, had their toys, such as their small green army men and miniature racecars. The first Lego sets let kids build and destroy whatever they imagined. Play-doh, silly putty, hula hoops, Mr. Potato head, frisbees, and wiffle ball were all popular and Frisbees and hula hoops were meant to replicate UFOs. Other toys were designed to encourage exploration, science, engineering. Changes in clothing styles, specifically for teens, started to appear. Guys started wearing their hair longer with sideburns and slicked back with grease. They also wore jeans and leather jackets, and the girls wore ponytails, poodle skirts, and scarves.

SCHOOL LIFE: Although life in America was changing, there was much fear due to the build up of nuclear weapons. Fear of atomic war and Communist spreading marked the era and affected the decisions Americans made about their lives and futures. Children were learning about the end of the world. They practiced drills where they had to hide under their desks and cover their head (duck and cover) to “protect” themselves from a nuclear attack by the USSR. Some Americans built fallout shelters to protect their families, while others shocked that people fear nuclear destruction, sought to live for the present.

Document #5: American Life and Advertising Post WWII

A. Cultural Shifts:In the 1950s alone the population increased by 28 million. This growth was the largest since the height of immigration earlier in the century. Americans who were born in the decade and a half after the war and grew up in the midst of the Cold War are known as “baby boomers.” Population growth led to a demand for affordable family housing.

Suburbs spring up, now you can own your dream home; highways, cars, encourage people to move out of cramped urban areas Contractors such as William Levitt built Levitt homes/towns. This is where mostly white families moved to get away from the city. There was an expectation of less crime, dream homes, and a

cleaner environment. Black people were not allowed to move here. Millions of people are still settling in the cities – businesses thrive. “Sunbelt” states – Carolinas to Florida, Texas, and California – had lower taxes, more temperate climate (plus air conditioning is invented), and economic opportunities. Massive increase in military spending.

B. Popular Advertisements: What is the message behind each poster?

C. Teenage Life Teenager was a word used in the 1950s to describe someone between 13 and 19 years old. After World War II ended, the fight to stop the spread of communism made many Americans believe that they needed to create a safe and secure community. Teenagers were typically not well-liked by adults, and ignored. Soon, they started feeling like they were left out and wanted their generation to be recognized. Music such as Rock n’ Roll, film and new technology played a big role in helping them express these feelings. Teenagers usually drove to record shops or drive-in movie theaters to hang out and talk about their lives. Dancing and talking on the phone was also a big part of teenage life. As a result, many adults felt that they were being rebellious and tried to stop it. But many teens, especially those living in cities, continued to express their independence and free nature.