Peace and Prosperity
1950’s Culture
The Nuclear Age
Nuclear Arms Race
Hydrogen Bomb
Space Race
Sputnik launched by the Soviet Union
NASA created
Congress passes programs to promote math
and science to win the arms race
Eisenhower’s New Policy
“New Look” Foreign Policy
Massive retaliation
Brinkmanship
Covert operations
CIA
Crises Everywhere
Suez Canal Crisis
Aswan Dam Project
U.S. and Soviet union both condemn the
British and French invasion
U-2 Incident
U.S. spy plane shot down over the Soviet
Union
Causes the Cold War to “heat up” again
America in the 1950s
United States industry is the strongest in the world!
Minimum wage increases and Social Security
expands
Middle Class grows to nearly 60% of population
Many Americans begin moving to the Sun Belt
states
Luxury spending increases
Technology
Increase in machine production
Many jobs taken away
Medicine – hearing aids, contact lenses, vaccines
Military advances improved life
Computers
Jet planes
- Nuclear power plants
- Air conditioning
Highway Act
» National system of interstate highways
created
Suburbia
In the late 1950s, people began moving to
suburbs
New consumer activities – sports, boy scouts
Competition between families for the latest
gadgets, cars, and clothes
Culture in the 50’s
Television’s Golden Years
1946 – 10,000 TV’s
1956 – 35,000,000 TV’s
Comedies, Dramas, Game shows,
Westerns, Soap Operas all became popular
I Love Lucy
- The Price is Right
Literature, Art, and Movies
Beatniks – criticized American life through writing
and rebellious behavior
Traditional art styles were challenged
stars became role models
James Dean
Marlin Brando
Music
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Many teenagers were attracted to this type of
music
Elvis Presley
Chuck Berry
Little Richard
Buddy Holly
Viewed by adults as the cause of violence and
increasing crime