THE NIFTY FIFTIES 1945-1960
Standards SSUSH21 The student will explain economic growth and its impact on the United States, 1945-1970. a. Describe the baby boom and its impact as shown by Levittown and the Interstate Highway Act. b. Describe the impact television has had on American culture c. Analyze the impact of technology on American life; include the development of the personal computer and air conditioning. d. Describe the impact of competition with the USSR as evidenced by the launch of Sputnik I and President Eisenhower s actions.
ELECTION OF 1952 REPUBLICAN: Dwight D. Eisenhower DEMOCRAT: Adlai Stevenson
ELECTION OF 1956 REPUBLICAN: Dwight D. Eisenhower DEMOCRAT: Adlai Stevenson
President Dwight D. Eisenhower - #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower elected President in 1952 Republican from Texas Formerly served as supreme US commander in Europe during WWII Planned and lead the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944 Inherited the turmoil of the Cold War from Truman Continued many New Deal policies
The Space Race October 1957 USSR launches the Sputnik I satellite into space Official start of the Space Race Americans were shocked by the apparent superiority of USSR s technological advances and many feared Sputnik was used to spy on the United States Immediately the Space Race begins with the next target being the moon
The Space Race President Eisenhower supported the National Defense Education Act a billion dollar program intended to produce more scientists and teachers of science Expanded education in US public schools to focus more heavily on science and math Congress created NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in response NASA s Space Race Missions: Mercury Project manned spaceflight Freedom 7 Alan Shepard became first American in space Friendship 7 John Glenn became first American to orbit Earth Gemini Project extended duration spaceflight Apollo Project manned missions to moon Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong becomes first man on moon
The Baby Boom After witnessing the horrors of World War II in Europe and the Pacific many veterans return home changed people In the 1950s and 1960s there was a dramatic increase in the number of births in the United States (mainly from WWII veterans) known as the Baby Boom At the peak of the baby boom 4.3 million babies were born in a single year (an eastimated 1 birth every 7 seconds) With rapid population growth the structure of society in the US was forced to change
American Suburbia is Born In the 1950s, many families left the traditional ways of life in the rural and urban landscapes and moved to the suburbs Affordable automobiles allow easy transport from suburbs to the cities William Levitt leader in the mass production of suburban homes These communities designed by Levitt became known as Levittowns.
American Suburbia is Born President Dwight Eisenhower pushed legislation for a new interstate highway system Multi-lane expressways that would connect major cities Single largest construction endeavor in American history The interstates now dramatically decreased travel time in the US
Migrating to the Sunbelt After WWII many US citizens move to the sunbelt states with the advent of new technology Sunbelt States Southern part of the US known for sunnier weather and milder temperatures Air conditioning attracts many to the once unbearable climates 1958 Professional sports teams follow the movement into the sunbelt Brooklyn Dodgers become the Los Angeles Dodgers New York Giants (MLB) become the San Francisco Giants This migration causes a shift in political power from the Northeast US and the Rust Belt to the Sunbelt (southern US) Following the trend the Braves come to Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966
The invention of air-conditioning led to a population explosion in cities such as: - Phoenix, AZ - Dallas, TX - Miami, FL - Los Angeles, CA - Atlanta, GA
Television Changes America With televisions sets becoming more affordable many American families buy in TV shows such as Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best paint the picture of the ideal American nuclear family (father, mother and 2.4 kids, dog, cat, white picket fence) Network newscasts become standard in American homes Rock-n-Roll grows in popularity thanks to the images seen on television (Elvis Presley)
Elvis Presley s Debut on the Ed Sullivan Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s GZm7EOamWk
Popular images of the nuclear family in the 1950s
Television Changes America At left Legendary CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite would be the face of American television for nearly 3 decades and announce important events throughout US history: Kennedy Assassination Vietnam Conflict Apollo 11 Watergate Apollo 13 Families would gather around the television set and watch the network evening news broadcasts and popular television shows: I Love Lucy Ed Sullivan Shows Leave it to Beaver Father Knows Best Gunsmoke
Ticket Out the Door It is your job to construct some form of promotional literature for one of the following technological/economic advancements and highlight its impact on society: Space exploration Suburbs Levittowns Interstate Highway System Air Conditioning Television Some examples of promotional literature are billboard advertisements, magazine ads, magazine covers, TV commercials, radio jingles, etc.