The

Flourishing
Fifties
Asia Lew- Douglas & Angeline Mislang
Social Changes

Baby Boom-
World War II ended
Americans were eager to have children because they were confident that
the future held nothing but peace and prosperity
Middle-class people had more money to spend than ever because of the
variety and availability of consumer goods expanded along with the
economy
About 4 million babies were born each year during the 1950s. In all, by the
time the boom finally tapered off in 1964, there were almost 77 million
baby boomers.
Social Changes

Family Life

Marriage and a family were expected from young adults

The birth rate increased due to a rising standard of living
and low inflation.
Suburbs
Women employment rose by 18%
Social Changes

Atomic bomb preparation

1953- Fear of H-bombs

Americans were shocked when the soviets had
successfully created the hydrogen bomb
Fallout shelters
Stocked with canned foods
Duck in cover
Americans prepared for a surprise attack
 Social Changes
Disneyland opens
Walters intention- have educational as well as
amusement value to entertain adults and their children.
Only theme park designed and built under the direct
supervision of Walt Disney.
The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of
former orange groves in Anaheim, California
Today, Disneyland has more than 15 million visitors a
year, who spend close to $3 billion.
Social changes
First McDonald's opens

In 1954, Ray Kroc visits a restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

A small but successful restaurant run by Mac McDonald
Stunned by the effectiveness of their operation. -A limited menu, that
concentrated on just a few items (burgers, fries and beverages) which
allowed them to focus on quality and quick service.
They were looking for a new agent and Kroc saw an opportunity.
In 1955, he founded McDonalds System, Inc., and six years later bought
the exclusive rights to the McDonalds name.
By 1958, McDonalds had sold its 100 millionth hamburger.
Social Changes
Rock n Roll

Teenagers were introduced to African American rhythm and blues music

White musicians started making music that stemmed from the rhythms and
sounds and rock n roll began
Partially bridged the gap of racism
Loud and heavy beats were common
Parents worried that this new loud sound was dangerous and excited the
youth
Created a generation gap
Political Changes
Truman signs peace treaty, ending
WWII

1951- Truman made a speech that was broadcasted across

the nation
Focused on the end of Americas post-World War II
occupation of Japan
Communism was threatening to spread, so the U.S. wanted
to create an ally in Japan.
Political Changes

Civil Rights Movement

Fight for racial equality
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the preeminent leader
Civil rights activists used nonviolent protest and civil disobedience to bring
about change
Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, They riskedand sometimes
losttheir lives for freedom and equality.
Goal to end racial discrimination by including the feelings of political and
economic self-sufficiency, racial dignity, and freedom from any oppression
by white Americans.
Political Changes

Segregation Ruled illegal

1892- Plessy vs Ferguson
Overruled decades later
By being separate it is inherently unequal
 Political Changes
Brown vs. Board of Education
Topeka, Kansas
Opened the door for a broader scope
This decision would be a milestone in equal rights for
black Americans in all aspects of national life
Political Changes

Taxes
The government expanded its role in the economy during the 1950s by
adopting new budgeting practices to fund a variety of programs.
The government created budgets to expand social welfare programs such
as housing assistance and food stamps.
The government also dedicated a significant amount of money to the
construction of highways and airports.
To fund these projects, taxes, continued to rise steadily during this decade.
Historical Events
Alaska and Hawaii become states

Alaskan oil would be beneficial to the nations economy

Hawaii, which had been annexed by the U.S. in 1898, possessed defense
installations that were equally important to national security
Alaska became a state in January 1959. Eight months later, Hawaii joined
the Union
They are the only ones not connected to the other 48 states.
Alaska is the biggest American state, and has a lot of mineral resources -is
the biggest oil-producing state in the US.
Historical Events

Korean war begins

June 25, 1950- 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean Army crossed the
38th parallel
First military action of the Cold War
American troops had entered the war on South Koreas behalf
Americans feared Russia and China joining. Possibly creating a WWIII
July 1953- the Korean War came to an end
The Korean peninsula is still divided today
Historical Events

Cold War
After WWII, America and Russia disagreed over how to
deal with Germany
1953- Soviets successfully tested the H-bomb
America and Russia both knew that engaging atomic war
would cause immediately eradicate both countries
It was called the Cold War because there was no use of
hot atomic bombings during the war
When Stalin died, tension weakened but gained strength
again with the launching of the Sputnik
 Historical Events
Vietnam War Begins
During WWII, both Japan and France fought to occupy Vietnam
Japan lost hold of Vietnam while France held on and maintained
South Vietnam.
War began in 1954 after communist rise in North Vietnam
1955- Eisenhower pledged his firm support in South Vietnam as it
was in opposition of the communist North Vietnam
The American military presence was weak in the 50s with fewer
than 800 troops
Important People
Truman

33rd U.S. president (President after FDR)

Made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan -one of the most
controversial decisions of any president
Helped rebuild postwar Europe
Worked to contain communism
Led the United States into the Korean War

Instituted the
Marshall Plan
Fair Deal
Important People
Eisenhower

Supreme commander during WWII

Managed Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union
Social Security and Interstate Highway System
Made efforts to enforce the Supreme Courts mandate for
the desegregation of schools in Brown v. Board of
Education
IMportant People

Rosa Parks
December 1, 1955- refused to change seats on a bus in Montgomery,
Alabama
Jim Crow segregation laws were still in place
Two police officers escorted her off the bus and she was taken into
custody
Led a peaceful and silent boycott against busses that promoted
segregation
Boycott lasted one whole year (382 days) until the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled segregation in busses as unconstitutional
Important People
Martin Luther King Jr

Graduated from a segregated high school at 15

1954- He was an executive National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP)
Participated in the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, and was arrested
1957- elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
He directed a peaceful march at Washington DC where he gave his
famous I Have a Dream speech
He was the youngest to receive a Nobel Peace prize at the age of 35
April 4, 1968- assassinated while standing on his motel balcony in
Memphis, Tennessee
Important People
Elvis Presl
ey
The King of Rock n Roll
Known for his arousing dances as well as his music
and phenomenal voice
Influenced generations of rebels
Sold over one billion records
First rock star to cross over into films with consistent
high levels of success
Died in the bathroom of his home called Graceland
IMportant People

James Dean
Famous actor with a short-lived career
Died in a car accident
East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, & Giant
Young people all over the world considered Dean a symbol of
their frustrations
Die hard fans believed he wasnt dead, only injured
SCience and Technology
First modern credit card
Ability to purchase an item they can not yet afford.
Frank X McNamara had the idea for the credit card after forgetting his
wallet at a restaurant
At first, people needed to bring dozens of these cards with them if they
were to do a day of shopping
McNamara had the idea of needing only one credit card.
Diners Club was the middleman, the companies who accepted the Diners
Club credit card were charged 7 percent for each transaction while the
subscribers to the credit card were charged a $3 annual fee
The Diners Club credit card continued to grow more popular and didn't
receive competition until 1958. In that year, both American Express and the
Bankamericard (later called VISA) arrived.
Science and Technology
First organ transplant
June 17th 1950- Dr. Richard Lawler performed the first successful kidney
transplant.
The recipient was Ruth Tucker, a 49-year-old woman who had polycystic
kidney disease
The surgery was quick, and 45 minutes after removal of the kidney from
the donor, the operation was complete

Polio vaccine
Invented by Jonas Salk
First tested on himself and his family
March 26, 1953- announced on national radio show
Declared safe and available to the public in 1955
Science And Techno
logy
DNA discovered

Watson and Crick, the first scientists to figure out the structure
of DNA
One of the most important discoveries of the twentieth
century.
Turning point: our understanding of life was changed forever
that day, and the modern era of biology began.
Since discovered in 1953, biology has evolved into a global
industry.
We have seen the emergence of genetic modification and
synthetic biology
Science and Technology
Nasa
After World War II, the Cold War began (capitalist United States v. the communist
Soviet Union)
The U.S. competition with the U.S.S.R. for technological dominance encouraged the
U.S. to be the first-ever landed on the moon.
In the late 1950s, space became another competition. Each side sought to prove the
superiority of its technology, its military firepower and its political-economic system

- Sputnik
1957: Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik, the worlds first
artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earths orbit.
Sputniks launch was a surprise
In the United States, space was seen as the next frontier
It was crucial not to lose too much ground to the Soviets
 Science and Technology
Color tv
January 12th, 1950- General public was introduced to
color television for the very first time
CBS demonstrated its field sequential color system on
eight television sets in the Walker Building, in Washington
The CBS system was disliked because it was expensive,
the image flickered, and it was incompatible with
black-and-white sets which made the eight million sets
already owned by the public obsolete.
Thank you, Thank
you very much