The Fifties by David Halberstam – Chapters 11-15 Study Guide (Expanded Version)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapters 11–15 of Halberstam's The Fifties.

Atomic bomb

A weapon that shaped 1950s US politics, society, and culture, functioning as both military tool and psychological symbol of American power and fear.

Civil defense

Programs, drills, and public campaigns designed to prepare citizens for a nuclear age.

Duck and cover

A common school drill teaching students to hide under desks and cover their heads during a nuclear blast.

Nevada tests

Public nuclear tests that became media spectacles, often glamorized despite radiation fallout concerns.

Massive retaliation

Cold War strategy of threatening large-scale nuclear retaliation to deter the Soviets.

Nuclear anxiety

A mood of fear of annihilation that permeated culture yet coexisted with faith in science.

Bomb shelter

Private shelters built by households; symbols of patriotism, safety, and the tension between individual and collective safety.

Levittowns

Mass-produced suburban housing developments that spurred postwar suburban growth.

GI Bill

Government benefits enabling veterans to buy homes and attend college, fueling postwar prosperity.

Organization Man

Whyte’s concept of a conformist, loyalty-driven corporate worker who prioritizes the company over individuality.

Suburban conformity

A culture of visual uniformity and gendered norms reinforced by media, advertising, and television.

Grand Ole Opry

Nashville’s iconic country music stage/radio show that helped nationalize country music.

Nashville Sound

A polished, pop-friendly country style that broadened country’s audience.

Hank Williams

Influential country singer whose authentic, working-class songs defined postwar country music.

Elvis Presley

Rock ’n’ roll icon who fused R&B with country, sparked youth rebellion, and became a mass teen idol.

Sun Records

Memphis label where Elvis and others began; key in cross‑genre fusion of blues and country.

Sam Phillips

Founder of Sun Records who produced Elvis and pioneered the R&B-country blend.

Rock ’n’ roll

A new popular music form that merged African American and white musical traditions and fueled youth culture.

Racial dynamics and cultural appropriation

Debates about white artists popularizing Black music and the boundaries of racial culture in music.

Television censorship and promotion

Television both censored Elvis’s performances and served as a powerful promotional platform for mass media.