US History MT 13

What were the effects of suburban expansion?

- bigger demand on cars and roads - more conformity - more leisure time

What were the effects of the dramatic increase of the automobile?

- bigger demand on the roads and decrease in rail roads - nationwide highways were built - shopping malls, drive-ins, and driving on vacation became popular - traffic jams and air pollution increased

What were the effects of business expansion (franchising and conglomerates)?

- company men were hired more - decrease in blue collar jobs - unions increased

What were the effects of the rise of consumerism?

- household appliances and recreational items became popular - planned obsolescence was a new marketing strategy - advertising grew - private debt grew

What were the effects of the dramatic increase in leisure time?

- more books/magazines were being sold - sports became more popular - youth leagues and programs became more popular

What were the effects of the baby boom?

- polio decreased due to vaccine - increase in schools and funding for schools - mothers stayed home

American GI Forum

A group of Mexican Americans that fought injustices to Mexicans, such as veterans rights, pensions, etc.

Jazz

A style of music characterized by improvisation

Who were two famous beat writers and what did they write?

Allen Ginsberg wrote "Howl" and Jack Kerouac wrote "On the Road"

What two important civil rights actions occurred during Eisenhower's presidency?

Brown vs. Board of Education and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

What did developers such as William Levitt do to solve the housing shortage?

Built suburbs that were similar and affordable.

What changes took place in the American workplace in the 1950's?

Businesses grew by making conglomerates or franchising, and offered good-paying and secure jobs if they gave up their individuality (aka company people)

How was consumerism encouraged in the 1950s?

By making products advertised and built with planned obsolescence in mind.

Franchise

Company that offers similar products or services in many locations

What were rock n rolls characteristics?

Complex rhythms and simple melodies, often about love, cars, problems of being young

What did the Truman administration and Congress do when veterans didn't have jobs when they returned to civilian life?

Created the GI Bill of Rights to give veterans an opportunity to persuade schooling and other jobs

What were some issues Truman fought for?

Desegregating the military, the fair deal, pro-labor, civil rights

Dr. Jonas Salk

Developer of a vaccine to prevent polio

Who introduced on-the-scene reporting?

Edward R. Murrow

Who helped to popularize rock n' roll?

Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets

Consumerism

Excessive concern with buying material goods

Termination Policy

Federal government decision to end its responsibility for Native American tribes

How did the radio change to compete with television?

Focused on news, music, weather, and local reporting

Rock n' roll

Form of popular music, characterized by heavy rhythms and simple melodies, that developed from rhythm and blues in the 1950s

How did Native Americans work for equal rights after WW2?

Formed the National Congress of American Indians to fight for civil rights and their own customs and traditions.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Government agency that regulates the communications industry

Why did Eisenhower win?

He was nominated by the Republicans and won against Democrat Adlai Stevenson.

What role did the radio play in popularizing African American culture?

It played African American musicians and the music they made, such as rock n' roll and jazz. It also advertised to black audiences.

GI Bill of Rights

Law passed by Congress that provided financial and educational benefits for World War II veterans

Who were two popular TV comedians?

Lucille Ball & Milton Berle

Why did blue-collar workers decline after the World Wars?

Machines and mass production became more popular.

What kinds of subjects did television tend to present?

Mainstream white suburban families

conglomerate

Major corporation that owns smaller companies in unrelated industries

mass media

Means of communication that reach large audiences

Braceros

Mexican workers brought into America during WW2 when there was a shortage of farmers and other similar jobs.

Why did moving a mass amount of Native Americans to large cities fail?

Native Americans didn't have the skills that employers were looking for and didn't succeed in the city. They were also cut off from medical care and discriminated against at the few jobs they could get.

What were the beat movement's chief characteristics?

Nonconformity; Anti materialism; Interest in a higher consciousness; The shunning of structure in life and art

urban renewal

Plan to tear down decaying neighborhoods and build low-cost housing

Fair Deal

President Truman's economic and social program

Harry S. Truman

President after World War II

planned obsolescence

Purposely making products to become outdated or wear out quickly

What did the Truman administration and Congress do about rising prices and inflation?

Put economic control back on wages, prices, and rents.

What did Truman and the Supreme about the discrimination and racial violence in America?

Put laws and orders on eliminating segregation in the military and government-related positions.

What kinds of subjects did television tend to avoid?

Racism, equality, poverty, women's rights, minorities

What are examples of mass media in the 1950's?

Radio, television, newspapers, magazines

What did Truman and the Eisenhower administrations do about low worker wages?

Raised minimum wages and other incomes such as social security.

Baby Boom

Soaring birth rate from 1946-1964

What caused the baby boom?

Soldiers coming home after the war and the decrease of childhood diseases

Dixiecrat

Southern Democrat who left the party

How did the end of World War II affect America?

Suburbs were growing, increased demand on consumer goods, unemployment grew.

What media helped rock n roll become mainstream?

Television and radio

How did the Mexican American's fight for equal work rights after WW2?

They fought against injusticias and discrimination, created American GI Forum, got help from the Unity League of California and other organizations to help get registered for voting or running for office.

How did movies change to compete with television?

They started to use colored film, stereophonic sound, and wide screen to make spectacular movies.

What did the Truman administration do about the labor strikes that threatened to cripple the nation?

Truman threatened to draft those on strike into the army and force them to work.

What was life like in the suburbs in the 1950's?

Uniform, where people would stay home and drive to the city to work, while enjoying leisure activities in their free time.

Union memberships in the 1950's

Unions that fought and won automatic pay raises tied to the rate of inflaton. They fell when they were reported to have corruption and became associated with organized crime.

What was white flight?

When white people left the cities for suburbs, leaving prominent populations of African Americans

What were some of the reasons for the decay of America's inner cities?

White flight, loss of farmers, loss of jobs, loss of taxes

Beat Movement

Writers who made fun of the conformity and materialism of mainstream American society

subarb

a residential town or community near a city