Chapter 14
Post War 50’s
Turbulent 60’s
What factors made ROCK AND ROLL wildly popular in
the 1950’s? Why did so many adults consider this form of
music shocking and dangerous?
Describe Eisenhower’s DOMESTIC agenda (include
examples of conservative, liberal and activist policies).
Explain how the lives of minorities were different from
white middle class Americans during the 1950’s
Essays – Ch 14
• Return to a Peacetime Economy
• After WW2, 2+million men returned to try to find jobs
• Unlike earlier wars, the US did not see a “dip” in the economy
after this war. The economy took off
• The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (G-I Bill) boosted the
economy by providing funds for vets to go to school, buy
homes, open businesses
• The economy did see some growing pains
• Increased prices because of increased demand
• Labor unrest (wanted higher wages & share of profits)
• Gov’t take-over of coal industry to avert a devastating strike
• Republicans will try to pass laws to limit power of unions (closed
shops and right-to-work laws)
Truman and Eisenhower
• Truman (a democrat) wanted to continue FDR’s programs
• TRUMAN’S AGENDA
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Expand Social Security benefits
Raise Minimum Wage
Public Housing (closing slums)
Full employment program thru government programs
National Health Care
Long range planning for the environment and public works
Truman’s Programs
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As election approached, most believed Truman would lose
Democratic Party was split over various issues
Thomas Dewey (republican) was very popular
Truman took his record on the road, traveling to multiple
states to show what he had done and tell the people what he
hoped to accomplish
• Surprisingly, Truman defeated Dewey (bad polls)
Election of 1948
• Truman pushed for economic change
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Minimum wage increase (.75/hour)
Increase in Social Security benefits (>75%)
Extended SS benefits to millions more
National Housing Act – low income housing built
• Wanted, but did not get
• National Health Care
• Aid for Schools and Farms
• Civil Rights Legislation
The Fair Deal
• Ike more “middle of the road” on policies
• Balanced conservatism with activism
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Ended government rent and price controls
Pro-business policies (what’s good for GM is good for America)
Cut federal spending (schools and housing)
Ended NEW DEAL programs (TVA & RFC)
• Built infrastructure (Federal Highway Act) - $25B over 10 years
• Extended Social Security to even more people
Eisenhower’s Years
“Dynamic Conservatism”
• The 1950’s was a decade of INCREDIBLE PROSPERITY
• With more disposable income than ever, Americans began buying
more than ever – standard of living rises
• GROWTH OF SUBURBIA – rows and rows of home built outside of
the city - “the suburbs” - mass migration
• BABY BOOM –huge spike in babies born
• Put off having kids during WW2 and Korean War
• Family life celebrated in media, government
• CHANGING WORKPLACE
• White collar jobs – suit and tie type of jobs – outnumber blue collar jobs
for the first time
• Multination corporations – investments world wise – materials/operations
• Franchises – a person owns/operates business of a larger chain
American Abundance
• Electronics/Aviation
• Transistor – tiny electronic generator – allowed for small electronics like radios
• Computers – military use at first – huge by today’s standards
• Aviation – plastics/metals made planes lighter and stronger. That meant
they could go faster and further - jets
• Medical Breakthrough
• Cancer/heart treatments improved
• Tuberculosis treatment/cure
• Polio treatment/cure (Jonas Salk created vaccine/Sabin improved)
Scientific Advances
• TELEVISION – Live TV – family friendly/idealic life
• Comedies, variety shows, westerns, game shows
• Hollywood Adapts – attendance drops dramatically
• Tried many gimmicks – 3’D, contests, etc
• Epics – BIG movies that TV couldn’t compete with
• Radio – as TV developed, radio evolved
• Music
• News/weather
• Radio could get to people in their cars
The New Mass Media
• Every generation tries to distinguish themselves from their parents
• 1st generation with disposable income that could be reached over radio,
TV and movies – fads, fashions, hit music
• ROCK ‘n’ ROLL (based on African America rhythm and blues)
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Loud/heavy beat – music appealed to young people
Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and ELVIS PRESLEY
Lyrics and moves made parents/older generation very nervous
Rock ‘n’ Roll united teens in defiance
GENERATION GAP – cultural divide between parents & children
New Music and Poetry
• THE BEAT GENERATION
• Poets, writers, and artists criticized American culture for its sterility,
conformity and emptiness
• Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” – about his adventures crossing America
laid the foundation for the cultural revolution that followed in the 1960’s
• AFRICAN AMERICAN ENTERTAINERS
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Most were shut out early in the 1950’s music/TV/movie industries
Nat King Cole “crossed over” into popular music – paved the way
Music was a little better – Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ray Charles
Girl groups like the Shirelles, and the Ronetts
African American music will influence music for the next generation- the
Beattles
New Music and Poetry
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1 in 5 Americans were living in poverty (POVERTY LINE)
Minorities more likely to be poor than caucasians
Rural and Urban families hit by poverty
DECLINE OF THE INNER CITIES
• Migration to the “suburbs” left the inner cities without tax income
• Inner cities decayed – became slums –
• Urban Renewal – efforts by city governments to eliminate poverty
• Built high-rise low-income apartments
• Crowded projects created environment where violence grew
Poverty amid Prosperity
• African Americans
• 3 million migrated north to escape violence and poverty
• North still had discrimination – earned 51% of salary
• Hispanics
• Many “braceros” stayed after war
• Worked long/hard hours for very low pay
• Native Americans
• Poorest ethnic group in America
• “Termination policy” – US Government program that ended all recognition of
tribal rights – subject to same laws and encouraged N.A. to relocate out of the
reservations
• Program was a terrible failure – poverty & early death
• Appalachia
• Mechanization left many without jobs – 1.5 million will leave for cities
• Fewer doctors in mountains – fewer schools left young with little hope
Poverty and Prosperity
• Most middle class Americans could ignore poverty & racism
• Juvenile Delinquency harder to ignore because it hit home
• Antisocial or criminal behavior of young people
• Some blamed media’s influence
• Others blamed busy parents, rising divorce rates or lack of religion
• Still others said youth were rebellion against society in general (no
hope for themselves or their futures – Cold War fears)
• Schools were seen as possible solutions
• Baby boomers were entering schools at record numbers
• New schools/programs for children created in many communities
• Focus on math and science (sputnik)
Juvenile Delinquency
• Born out of the rebellious 1950’s, the 1960’s will be a generation of
youth who rebel against more than just their parents - they rebel against
the culture as a whole
• SOME SOUGHT TO REFORM
• OTHERS FOUGHT TO TRANSFORM (reject it entirely)
• HIPPIE CULTURE
• Rejected “middle class values” – wanted to build a Utopia
• Freer, closer to nature, full of love, tolerance and cooperation
• IMPACT of ERA – while movement will die out, impact lives on
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Counter Culture
Music, clothing
Drug culture
Concept of “following your bliss” - wanting to be happy
The 1960’s Counter Culture
• COUNTERCULTURE – youth against mainstream culture
• “Hippies” promoted peace, love and freedom
• Experimented with new clothing styles, music, and freer attitudes
towards sex and drugs
• “Generation Gap” that began in the 50’s grew even bigger
• STYLE: Frivolous and free,
• Men – long hair, jeans, beards (rejection of corporate world)
• Women – long free hair, jeans, non-conforming (rejection of women of 50’s)
• Clothing aligned with “working class” or “natural” styles
Time of Change
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The 60’s generation demanded more freedom on how they lived
“Sexual Revolution” – separate sex from marriage, family
Communal living, multiple partners. living together
Sex was more openly discussed in media (books, magazines,
music, TV, movies)
• Permanently changed culture in the US
Sexual Revolution
• Drug use/experimentation will become widespread among the 60’s
hippies
• Marijuana, hallucinogens (LSD, mushrooms) use rose dramatically
• Music, art, lifestyles reflected this change
• Belief was that drugs enhanced/expanded the experience of life
• But, drug overdoses were common & often deadly
• Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix all died from drugs
Drug Scene
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Music was/is a reflection of the culture – 1960’s showed this
FOLK – protest songs, songs of oppression, labor
BRITISH INVASION – Beattles, Rolling Stones
PSYCHODELIC ROCK – fueled by drugs
WOODSTOCK – 1969 – 400,000 at weekend concert
• 60’s generation viewed at greatest concert/time ever
• Older generation viewed with disgust (rejected morals and values)
• ALTAMONT – 1969 – CA
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300,000 at concert, promoters did not provide adequate security
Rolling Stones hired own security, the Hell’s Angels biker gang
Violence broke out when a biker beat a man to death
This became the unofficial end of the 1960’s Hippie Generation
Music Scene