1950s U.S. Society, Civil Rights, and Cold War Exam Study Guide

1950s Domestic Society

  • Baby Boom

    • Definition: A significant increase in birth rates following World War II, typically defined from 1946 to 1964.

    • Effects on Society: Resulted in demographic shifts, expanded consumer markets, and influenced education, housing, and economic trends.

  • Suburbanization

    • Definition: The development of residential areas on the outskirts of urban centers.

    • Causes: Affordability of homes, desire for space, and improved transportation.

  • William Levitt

    • Contributions: Pioneered mass production techniques in housing (Levittowns), making home ownership accessible for many Americans post-war.

  • Fears about Youth in the 1950s

    • Concerns included rising juvenile delinquency, rebellion against traditional values, and the influence of rock music.

  • Popular Television Shows in the 1950s

    • Programs included family-oriented sitcoms (e.g., "Leave It to Beaver"), educational children's shows, and variety shows featuring celebrities.

  • Interstate Highway Act

    • Passed by: President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

    • Purpose: Created a national highway system, improving transportation and facilitating commerce.

    • Effects: Increased suburbanization, automotive travel, and weakened urban centers.

  • G.I. Bill

    • Definition: A law providing various benefits to returning World War II veterans, including education, housing, and unemployment compensation.

    • Effects: Enabled millions to attend college and purchase homes, contributing to post-war prosperity.

  • Truman's Major Policy Objectives

    • Focused on containment of communism, economic recovery of Europe through the Marshall Plan, and civil rights advancement.

  • Taft-Hartley Act

    • Definition: A 1947 law that restricted the power of labor unions.

    • Reasons for Passing: Reaction against perceived union excesses and strikes.

    • Truman's opinion: Opposed the Act, calling it a setback for workers' rights.

  • Causes of Increasing Materialism

    • Rise in consumer goods production after the war and advertising expansion.

    • Economic prosperity allowed more Americans to own homes, cars, and appliances.

  • Gender Roles in the 1950s

    • Promoted traditional roles of men as breadwinners and women as homemakers through media and literature.

  • White Flight

    • Definition: The phenomenon where white residents moved to suburbs as minorities moved into urban areas.

    • Causes: Racial tensions and fear of declining property values.

  • Social Conformity

    • Definition: The tendency to align attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with group norms.

    • Developments increasing conformity: Cultural homogeneity from television, corporate structure influence, and peer pressure in suburban settings.

  • Impact of Cars on Society

    • Expanded mobility, leisure travel, and shaped suburban growth.

  • Impact of Music

    • Introduction of rock and roll challenged societal norms.

    • Provided cultural expression for the youth and promoted social change.

  • Bomb Shelters Trend

    • Reflects Cold War anxieties and fears of nuclear war.

  • Beat Movement

    • A literary and cultural movement that rejected materialism and promoted non-conformity through art and literature.

  • Desegregation of the Military

    • Order by President Harry S. Truman in 1948 to eliminate racial segregation in the armed forces.

  • Television's Impact

    • Changed the way information was disseminated, promoted consumer culture, and influenced public opinion.

  • Jackie Robinson's Role

    • First African American to play in Major League Baseball, symbolizing the beginning of the civil rights movement by breaking racial barriers.

The Cold War

  • Creation of the United Nations

    • Founded in 1945 in San Francisco, aimed at fostering international cooperation and peace.

  • U.N. Security Council Powers

    • Has power to make binding decisions for member states.

    • Permanent members: United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China, each with veto power.

  • Cold War Definition

    • A period of geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from roughly 1947 to 1991.

  • Eastern Europe Post-WWII

    • Countries fell under Soviet influence and control, establishing communist governments.

  • Iron Curtain

    • Term coined by Winston Churchill referring to the division between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and Western democracies.

  • Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, N.A.T.O.

    • Marshall Plan: U.S. aid to Western Europe for economic recovery.

    • Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism.

    • N.A.T.O.: Military alliance formed for collective defense against the Soviet threat.

  • Major Cold War Events

    • Yalta Conference, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and others that exemplify increasing tensions and competition.

  • Containment Strategy

    • Policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism based on the domino theory that one country's fall to communism could trigger surrounding nations to do the same.

  • Post-WWII Germany

    • Divided into four occupation zones controlled by the U.S., UK, France, and Soviet Union.

  • Effects of Nuclear Bomb

    • Massive casualties, destruction of infrastructure, psychological trauma, and long-term health effects from radiation exposure.

  • Red Scare

    • Fear of communism in the U.S., orchestrated by figures like Joseph McCarthy who accused individuals of being communists.

  • Lavender Scare

    • A campaign against homosexuals in government, paralleling fears of communism.

  • Cold War Start

    • U.S. perspective identifies events leading to geopolitical tension post WWII, while the Soviet perspective attributes it to Western aggression.

  • Chinese Civil War

    • Conflict between the Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Communist Party led by Mao Zedong, leading to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

  • HUAC's Role

    • House Un-American Activities Committee investigated suspected communists and affiliated organizations during the Red Scare.

  • Hollywood Ten and McCarthyism

    • Hollywood Ten were blacklisted for refusing to testify before HUAC.

    • McCarthyism refers to campaigns against alleged communists, spearheaded by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

  • Berlin Wall

    • Constructed in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West.

    • Torn down in 1989, symbolizing the end of the Cold War.

  • Korean War

    • U.S. involvement in 1950, where North Korea invaded South Korea.

    • China entered the war in support of the North.

    • General MacArthur advocated for escalating military action, leading to his dismissal by Truman.

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    • 1962 confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba, resolved through negotiation to prevent nuclear war.

Civil Rights Movement

  • Civil Rights Movement

    • Movement aimed at ending racial discrimination and promoting equal rights in the 1950s and 1960s.

  • Desegregation of the Military

    • Order by President Truman in 1948 marking a step toward civil rights.

  • NAACP's Goals

    • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People worked to end racial segregation and discrimination.

  • "Separate but Equal" Doctrine

    • A Supreme Court decision allowing segregation under the premise that separate facilities were equal, established in Plessy vs. Ferguson.

  • Brown vs. Board of Education

    • Supreme Court case declaring that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.

  • Emmett Till's Significance

    • His murder and the subsequent trial raised awareness of racial violence in America.

  • Rosa Parks' Arrest

    • Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, significant act of civil disobedience.

  • Martin Luther King Jr.'s Philosophy

    • Advocated for nonviolent resistance against discrimination and inequality.

  • Major Civil Rights Organizations

    • NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, and CORE played crucial roles in organizing protests and advocating for rights.

  • Freedom Riders

    • Activists protesting segregation in interstate bus terminals.

  • Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

    • Delivered at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in 1963, advocating for racial justice.

  • Civil Rights Acts (1964, 1965, 1968)

    • Landmark legislation aimed at eliminating discrimination, protecting voting rights, and housing equality.

  • Solidarity of Civil Rights Movement

    • Fragmented by 1968; new organizations like Black Panthers emerged advocating for more radical approaches.

  • Women's Rights Movement Influence

    • Books like "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan awakened awareness about women's inequalities in society.

  • Workplace Disadvantages for Women

    • Limited job opportunities and unequal pay compared to men.

  • Kennedy Administration and Women's Rights

    • Took steps to address gender discrimination and push for equality.

  • Title IX

    • A federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in federally funded education programs.

  • Changing Role of Women

    • From wartime labor to increasing rights through legislation like the Equal Pay Act and Title IX, evolving societal expectations.