The Golden Age & Suburban Growth

The Golden Age (1953-1960)

• Post-WWII to the early 1970s marked a period of economic growth known as the Golden Age
• Wages rose, leading to increased savings, leisure activities, and improved diets
• There was a shift from blue-collar (physical/trade) to white-collar (office) jobs, with more service workers by 1956
• Technology, particularly tractors, increased agricultural output with fewer farmers

Suburban Nation

• Car usage and highway systems expanded, fostering the growth of suburbs
• Levittown, NY, was the first of these suburbs, built after WWII
• Houses were constructed quickly and cheaply using bulk materials and efficient labor
• Houses looked similar, and housing numbers doubled in the 1950s
• The increase in buying appliances for new buildings stimulated the economy

The Growth of the West

• Coastal areas in the South and Southwest (the Sun Belt) became population centers

The TV World

• Televisions were in black and white and connected via cables or antennas
• Only approximately four channels were available
• TV dinners became popular for eating while watching TV, and advertising increased

Women at Work and at Home

• More women entered the workforce than before, often in part-time roles, to afford middle-class luxuries
• Women earned approximately 60% of what men earned for part-time work
• A decline in the average marriage age coupled with rising divorce rates was observed
• The baby boom, spurred by 12 million returning war veterans, positively impacted the economy
• Advertising often targeted men, reinforcing gender roles

A Segregated Landscape

• Suburbs were often segregated
• African Americans struggled to obtain loans, resulting in lower incomes
• Laws intended to prevent segregation were ineffective

The Eisenhower Era

• Dwight D. Eisenhower, nicknamed "Ike," elected president in 1952 at age 62
• Eisenhower was a Republican who ran against Democrat Stevenson
• He selected Richard Nixon as his running mate due to his youth and political experience
• Nixon became known as a strong anti-communist in Congress

Modern Republicanism

• Eisenhower's presidency was considered a moderate Republican era
• The interstate highway system was created
• Enabled quicker evacuation of cities due to nuclear threats

Massive Retaliation

• The U.S. developed their first hydrogen bomb in 1952, and the Soviets followed in 1953
• Eisenhower initiated the "Massive Retaliation" policy, threatening nuclear strikes if the Soviets attacked the U.S.
• Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was the concept that a nuclear attack by the Soviets would result in the destruction of both countries, deterring Soviet aggression
• Companies began constructing backyard bomb shelters
• The impact of nuclear weapons could extend for miles

Ike and the Russians

• Nikita Khrushchev succeeded Stalin and sought to reduce tensions with the U.S.
• The U.S. and USSR agreed to stop nuclear testing
• Nixon met Khrushchev in Moscow at an international invention fair, leading to the "kitchen debate" about capitalism versus communism
• The U.S. emphasized inventions, while the Soviets valued hard work
• The U2 incident involved the Soviets shooting down a U.S. spy plane

Mass Society and Its Critics

• The teenage population grew during the baby boom
• Conformity was prevalent, reflected in similar houses and expectations
• A small level of pushback emerged

Rebels Without a Cause

• The Beatniks rejected materialism and conformity

The Freedom Movement

• Elvis Presley popularized black styles of rock and roll music
• Black artists were not well-respected at the time

Origins of the Movement

• Black churches and communities were headed by ministers and preachers
• Schools in Black communities faced challenges, including overcrowding and lack of resources
• These conditions lead to a cycle of poverty, with 17 states and DC segregating schools

The Legal Assault on Segregation

• Booker T. Washington's ideals were ineffective, prompting a shift towards legal action
• African Americans filed lawsuits against segregation
• In one case, a man sued after being denied admission to a law school, leading to the creation of a separate, expensive law school for black students

Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas

• The NAACP took five similar cases to the Supreme Court
• A girl had to walk 13 blocks to a black school while a white school was only 3 blocks away
• The Supreme Court ruled that schools must integrate "with all deliberate speed," but implementation was slow

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

• In Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus
• The black community boycotted buses for almost a year, impacting the city's finances
• The city eventually agreed to integrate buses, but the community continued to boycott
• The Supreme Court ruled that public transportation must be integrated
• Martin Luther King Jr., a young preacher, emerged as a leader during the boycott and was arrested

Eisenhower and Civil Rights

• The South Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a nonviolent group, was formed to resist segregation
• Eisenhower supported civil rights
• Congress passed a civil rights law, the first in 80 years, intended to allow more blacks to vote, but states resisted enforcement
• Central High School in Little Rock was forced to integrate, and nine African American students were sent there
• The Arkansas governor, Orval Faubus, used the National Guard to prevent the students from entering
• Eisenhower deployed the Airborne Division to Little Rock for a year

The Election of 1960

• The Democratic party elected John F. Kennedy, facing hostility due to his Irish Catholic background
• Republicans nominated Richard Nixon, the previous vice president
• The first televised debate highlighted Kennedy's better appearance, giving him an edge
• Kennedy chose Lyndon B. Johnson as his vice president, appealing to older voters

The Cold War and the Idea of Freedom

• The popular vote was close, reflecting a divided electorate
• A third-party candidate, Byrd, ran on a segregationist platform
• The Berlin Blockade and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Berlin airlifts increased the popularity of capitalism in Berlin
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) included the US, Canada, and Europe, with member nations agreeing to protect each other
• NATO aimed to combat the Warsaw Pact and Russian aggression
• The Warsaw Pact existed with the Soviet Union

The Growing Communist Challenge

• In 1949, Berlin airlifts stopped, and NATO was formed
• Communists developed their first bomb in 1949
• China became communist under Mao Zedong
• Land reforms were implemented, offering free land from wealthy landowners
• The US supported government fled to Taiwan

The Korean War

• The Korean War was between WWII and Vietnam War
• The Soviets wanted to claim from Japan and did not help the US fight Japan during WWII
• Korea was part of Japan's empire
• The Soviet Union sent troops into Korea, spreading communism into North Korea
• The US split Korea into North (USSR) and South (US)
• North Koreans used Soviet weapons
• Communists wanted to retake South Korea
• US forces were sent back to Puscan, South Korea
• Mac Arthur planned a naval landing in Inchon to push up from South Korea, but wanted to attack China
• China threatened by advance, sending troops into North Korea to fight South Korea
• The war ended on the original borders (38th parallel) with a DMZ line
• An armistice (truce) was created

The Cold War and the Idea of Freedom

• Communists often did not support religion, prioritizing loyalty and identity towards the nation and leader
• North Korea almost worshipped their leader
• The US added "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance

The Truman Presidency

• Truman's presidency occurred after World War II
• Truman was the first president to get a welfare check
• He oversaw the transition to a peacetime economy, leading to changes in industry and layoffs
• The GI Bill enabled WWII veterans to attend higher education
• Some veterans struggled due to PTSD
• The Postwar Strike Wave
• Truman developed the Fair Deal
• Truman's social programs aimed to improve the quality of life for veterans, but faced congressional opposition
• Congress was controlled by Republicans who didn't want a powerful government

Postwar Civil Rights

• Only 3% of Black Southerners were registered to vote initially, increasing to 20% by the end of Truman's presidency
• Jackie Robinson became the first African American MLB player in 1947
• Slow integrations helped reduce effects of discrimination

To Secure These Rights

• A commission formed a report saying that the government should end segregation and promote equality in jobs, education, housing, and criminal justice
• Truman proposed a Civil Rights program, but Congress rejected it
• Truman passed an executive order that integrates the military

The 1948 Election

• The Democratic party split three ways, with Dixiecrats (States Rights Democratic Party) nominating Strom Thurmond advocating for segregation
• Liberal Democrats nominated Henry Wallace
• Truman was nominated for reelection
• Republicans nominated Thomans Dewey
• Dixiecrats believed Soviets supported ending segregation
• Truman won the election, despite divisions in the Democratic party and opposition from Dixiecrats
• Strom Thurman became a Republican senator for South Carolina who apologized for racism

The Anti-Communist Crusade

• The Loyalty Review Board required government employees to demonstrate loyalty and targeted lesbians and gays
• HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) launched hearings on communist influence in Hollywood
• Walt Disney, Gary Cooper, and Ronald Regan were accused
• Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury for sending documents to the USSR
• Richard Nixon gained popularity from the Hiss case
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and sentenced to death for conspiracy to pass atomic secrets to the USSR during WWII
• Joseph McCarthy, a Winsconsin senator, made false claims about communists in the State Department