Ch. 24: The Golden Age (1953-1960)

Levittowns

Developed by William and Alfred Levitt, were large suburban housing developments mass produced using assembly line techniques, making homes affordable for returning veterans and middle class families (1950s)

Baby Boom

During this period, men and women got married younger, divorced less, and had more children which marked a baby boom. (Lasted into the mid 1960s)

Urban Renewal

When cities tore down poor neighborhoods in city centers that occupied potentially valuable real estate. In their place, developers built retail centers and all white middle income housing complexes and states built urban public universities.

"In God We Trust"

In 1954, to strengthen the national resistance to communism, Congress added the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. Also was included on paper money.

Interstate Highway System

Eisenhower presided over the largest public works enterprise in American history, the building of the 41,000 mile interstate highway system. This highway system created for a rapid exit routes from cities in the event of nuclear war.

Sputnik

First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by Moscow in 1957 and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the space race.

National Defense Education Act

Offered direct federal funding to higher education

Social Contract

When unions signed long term agreements that left decisions regarding capital investment, plant location, and output management's hands, and agreed to try to prevent unauthorized strikes.

Massive Relation

Declared that any soviet attack on US ally would be countered by a nuclear assault on the Soviet Union itself. This was how Eisenhower reduced spending on conventional military forces.

Eisenhower Doctrine (1957)

Eisenhower extended containment into the Middle East by issuing the Eisenhower Doctrine. Pledged the US to defend Middle Eastern governments threatened by communism or Arab nationalism.

Geneva Accords (1954)

A 1954 peace agreement that divided Vietnam into Communist-controlled North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam until unification elections could be held in 1956 (Didn't happen)

The Beats

This cultural group/movement supported bohemianism (rejection of mainstream norms and a focus on artistic, musical, or literary pursuits, often in the company of like-minded people) and harsh critiques of U.S. society; strong influence on 1960s counterculture

League of United Latin American Citizens

A Southwestern group that challenged restrictive housing, employment discrimination, and the segregation of Latino students.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all PUBLIC SCHOOLS desegregated.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

In 1955, after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus, Dr. Martin L. King led a boycott of city busses. After 11 months the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public transportation was illegal.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1956)

Because of King's success, he took lead into forming this group, which was a group of Black ministers and civil rights activists, to press for desegregation.

Southern Manifesto

In 1956, 96/106 Southern Congressmen signed this document, denouncing the Brown decision as a clear abuse of judicial power and calling for resistance to forced integration by any lawful means.

Missile Gap

Belief that the Soviet Union had more nuclear weapons than the United States. (nuclear superiority over the US)

Military Industrial Complex

Eisenhower first coined this phrase when he warned American against it in his last State of the Union Address. He feared that the combined lobbying efforts of the armed services and industries that contracted with the military would lead to excessive Congressional spending.