The 1950s were remembered as a time of good life and peace. At the beginning of the 1950s, there were mainly white families living in the suburbs, and they didn't have to worry about the cost of houses or the money they needed to pay the government. However, as the 1950s progressed, there were starting to be problems in the world. Those problems surrounded the suburbs and family life and issues for the people. The 1950s does not deserve its reputation as a time of peaceful conformity. The harmonic image of the 1950s was an over-generalization that ignored the realities of what was happening in the country. This is due to black people not being treated like white people and women not receiving the same respect as men.
The first reason the 1950s
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The whites did not allow Chinese families and people of the Chinese race to live with them(Doc 6). The white people disapproved of Chinese living with them because they wanted their neighborhood or where they lived not to be mixed with other races. But keep the race of whites the same. Another reason why that was the cause was that the whites didn't want their children to see other colored kids or their families living next to them. The white families thought that it would cause some change in their kids. African-Americans were treated with respect, but they had to always sit in places far away from white families. They had no control over bus and car seats(Doc 7). Black people were always seated far away from white families because the people arranging them on the buses didn't want the African Americans to begin to think that they weren't more important than the whites. The suburban areas similar to Levittown didn't allow people of color to live in those places in the late 1950s(Doc 2). People of color weren't promoted to live in the suburbs in the late 1950s because others thought it wouldn't be suitable for the colored society to move in. Another …show more content…
Women became housewives during the baby boom. It happened from many men coming out from WW2 and having babies with their wives(Class Notes-Domestic and Economic Changes Notes). If the husband and wife have babies and can't support them, then they would have a more significant impact on losing the babies because of insufficient food resources for the kids and baby. The result of this was that this was unequal for the women's side. When the baby boom began, there were many divorces with the partners. The only people that were left with these babies were the females. Women were seen as housewives who cared for their husbands and children(Doc 5). The reason why females began to think that they weren't that important was that the only thing that they did was help around the house. The only people doing something important were men because they supported their families with a good education for their kids. That is why females wanted to get jobs and begin to pursue them, but they weren't allowed to have jobs. That was because, in the late 1950s, the only people that were supposed to work were men. The intention that men got was to do the incomes and taxes and bring wealth to the family. But women were just looked at as helpers for their husbands. This is why women wanted to do more with their life than be seen as a housewife by the world. Women wanted more advantages than men because they
Those who grew up during the 1950s experienced one of the most influential decades in American history. After World War II, the 50’s was a calm and peaceful era and the society had no worries because the economy was rising which made it easier for people to be involved in the workforce. This was the decade that started rock and roll music, the introduction of the television, and transistor radios. The greatest long-term impact was the rise of rock and roll music. Rock and roll music allowed people to escape the seriousness of reality and get loose.
Women evolved from being merely housewives to performing the same duties as the men. While men were in battle families were in need of consistent income, therefore the women took the role as provider as well as housewife. After world war 1 the men returned home from war expecting their jobs back, but the women refused to give up the jobs. Women then protested for equal opportunity to keep the jobs, because they felt like they could perform the same physical duties as the
1950’s America was a time a prosperity and conformity. The 1960s and 1970s saw a huge step backwards from the 1950s. The social and societal changes showed that there was a lot wrong with the American society and that there needed to be a change. The African American migration toward the cities in the 1950s, led to an urban crisis.
Moral values were lost in the mid 1950s and lasted until 1968. African Americans were considered “lower class” compared to whites. There was a line that the colored race could not pass before authority. If blacks questioned authority, it was paid through crucial consequences. Segregation creates hatred, takes away rights, and kills family heritage.
The 1950s was a decade of economic growth. There was a boom in babies being born due to families being more stable. The 1960s is commonly portrayed as the more chaotic decade because of the Civil rights movement's strong steps toward their goals. Whilst I agree that for many the 50s was a great decade I disagree with the idea of the 1950s being more prosperous and being more unified because for everyone that was not the case. The 1950s created the blueprint for the 60s to be a decade of revolution.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s many problems and reasons played into the desegregation of America. The civil rights people have in America are far better than those in the 50s and 60s. There were different water fountains, bathrooms, and kids of color were denied access to education. Many issues that people will never have to face.
During this decade women started to go beyond the job restrictions set by men. Women were expected to stay at home and tend to the children, clean the house, and cook for their family yet they soon
Before the 1950s, there were issues that were not formally addressed beforehand. It could be stated that people ignored the truth that “they would have to someday work in the fields to secure food.” The food is the equality that was given to them by divine rule. However, that equality was yet an illusion as there were minorities who cried for civil rights movements. Issues of white supremacy around the US surfaced around the mid 1950s and scuffles took place.
Women were able to join the workforce since there was an increased need for workers while most men were out fighting in war. In a photograph in Washington in 1919 we can see women lined up with working attire as they work on the construction of a ship. (Doc. 3A) This is significant because we see that they are able to contribute and work, demonstrating a shift in what their roles were considered to be. The idea that women were meant to be nothing more than housewives were discarded after the increased need for workers.
There were many changes that occurred in the 1960’s in specifically in the goals, strategies, and support of the movement for African American civil rights. While the movement started as peaceful, as the years went along,
Prior to the 1950s while America had just recently escaped from the grips of World War II and was encountering a period of unprecedented economic growth and prosperity, the atmosphere of America was struggling under ideas of social conformity and conservatism. During this time America was greatly opposed to ideas of change and revolution and sought to keep principles of racial discrimination and gender expectations intact. As a majority, racial segregation and discrimination were still widely ingrained in American society, primarily in the southern states. Many African Americans throughout the nation faced daily struggles of systemic discrimination and were largely subjected to Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation and contributed
There really was no problem for women to be doing work, but they also responsible for all the house works before they went to work. This
In the 1950’s the decade had provided the popular belief of “Leave it to Beaver” image of the era. That could be described as the peaceful, prosperous, and smooth sailing of the stereotypical characteristic of all people living in this time period. But, as stereotypes may be looked upon as facts, this was not the case at all. Though, the 1950’s may seem like a peaceful era, it was much more complex than that, the 1950s did not always match up with this popular image.
She bases her information on facts and historical evidence. Coontz discusses that jobs, marriage, birthrate and education were at very high points in the 1950s. Jobs were secure and came with great benefits. Coontz describes that when one takes a closer look at the 1950s they will realize that comparing it to the 1990s or the 21st century is absurd. Coontz also explains that the social society during the 1950s was different than the social society we have today.
The new laws that the government had set in place made lives for black people very difficult at the time. When this law was put in place, the differences between blacks and whites were very clear. Whites got preferential treatment, just for being white whereas blacks had to struggle with daily