The Eisenhower Era 1952-1960

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the Eisenhower era, focusing on socio-economic changes, cultural developments, and major events that defined the 1950s in America.

Eisenhower Era

The period from 1952 to 1960 when Dwight D. Eisenhower served as President of the United States, characterized by economic prosperity and the growing influence of television.

Consumerism

A cultural phenomenon in the 1950s marked by the acquisition of goods and services for personal use, largely driven by rising incomes and credit availability.

McCarthyism

A campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions during the early 1950s, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional.

Sputnik

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, which sparked the Space Race and heightened American concerns about Soviet technological superiority.

Rock 'n' Roll

A genre of popular music that emerged in the 1950s, characterized by a blend of rhythm and blues, country music, and a strong emphasis on beat.

Baby Boom

A marked increase in birth rates in the United States between 1946 and 1964, following World War II.

Cult of Domesticity

A prevailing value system among the upper and middle classes in the 1950s that emphasized the role of women as homemakers.

Civil Rights Movement

A struggle for social justice by African Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States, which gained momentum in the 1950s.

Affluent Society

A term coined by economist John Kenneth Galbraith, describing the post-World War II boom in consumer goods and the emergence of a consumer culture in the 1950s.