Colleen Schuldeis

Lotan Helfman

Dan Pak

Grace Bridges

Colleen Schuldeis

MYP Unit Question: How can the contributions of one person affect the direction of an entire nation?

 

Guiding Question: How did Culture and the Role of the President Shape Post-WWII America?

 

The 1950s

Featuring President Dwight Eisenhower

 

• June 30 1950- the US enters the Korean War
• February 6 1952- Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen of England
• November 4 1952- Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected president
• July 27 1953- The Korean War ends
• December 1 1953- AT&T decides to lay the first transatlantic telephone cable
• May 17 1954- Brown vs. Board of Education. This decision by the supreme court reversed a previous ruling regarding separate but equal and forced schools to integrate
• July 21 1954- Vietnam is divided into North and South Vietnam by the Geneva Accord
• October 4 1957- Sputnik 1 is launched by the USSR
• December 17 1958- Mau Ze Tung retires as leader of communist China
• January 2 1959- Fidel Castro assumes power in Cuba

 

Step 3: Determine the context for and cultural response to the historical events.  The topics are in a bullet point list.  Your research/writing should be in paragraph form.  You should also create headings.  Consider the influence on your decade on the following topics:

• COMMERCE

   The 1950s were a time of extreme Growth in the American economy. The Gross National Product nearly doubled from $284 billion to $482 billion. This great increase in wealth also led to an increase in consumer spending. With more disposable income, Americans turned their money to seeking pleasure and fun in their goods. Manufacturers responded enthusiastically. Ford and General Motors came out with increasingly flamboyant cars, as the era of the muscle car began. Mattel began production of the original Barbie in 1959, and the mall was invented. This created an easy environment to spend money, where the stores were close, and the advertisements everywhere. This boom was made even more simple by the invention and introduction of the credit card in 1950. America has never bough the same since

•  EDUCATION

  The 1950s was a period of massive change for the American education system. Classrooms became integrated, schools found themselves majorly underfunded, and teachers were in short supply. As the generation known as the Baby Boomers reached school age, they stretched the capacity and funding of schools. With the decision of the Supreme Court, Brown vs. Board of Education, schools became required by law to integrate. This opened a great deal of opportunities for black students, but also raised much public protest. The entire country did not become fully integrated for almost 20 years. This period also changed the idea of what should be taught in classrooms. When the Soviets launched Sputnik, it was a great hit to America’s pride. People began to demand that more difficult sciences be taught in schools in an attempt to keep up with modern classrooms around the world.

   

  FASHION
• Fashion in the 1950s was a reflection of the American sentiment at the time. The economy was booming, and many Americans had newfound confidence in their nation and their potential. This feeling was echoed in their clothing. Many young men copied the style of actors such as James Dean, wearing slightly loose white t-shirts and jeans, with optional big sunglasses. Girls wore tight sweaters and knee length loose skirts. Poodle skirts were a bit fad, and bobby socks and saddle shoes were also popular. These conservative yet creative outfits were the first outreaches of the youth towards greater self expression. Men in the workplace were extremely conservative, basically wearing a uniform. Gray or black flannel suit with a white work shirt and conservative tie. This outfit came to represent the repression and conformity of the newly blooming corporate workplace that was gaining strength in the new America.Women of the day were much more concerned with fashion. This was the beginning of the designer movement, where it was popular to wear clothes designed by a European (Usually British or French) designer. The number of Americans hand making their clothes was declining rapidly. People would buy their clothes with much more fabric, manifested in full poofed skirts and pleated pants. This was a symbol of the prosperity of the era. In contrast with the 1920’s and 30’s, new women’s fashion emphasized the body, often with shoulder or hip padding, as well as the occasional swooping neckline. Women of the era also began to invest in cosmetics, changing the previous notion that only the most risqué of women wore makeup.    

 

 

 

• Film &  Theatre

• In the 1950s, the film industry was decreasing its sales due to the increasing number of TV sales. Because more and more Americans owned a TV set at home, they did not find the need to go to a cinema to watch a movie. Aside from the conflicts, the 1950s introduced many classic films such as “Godzilla” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Because of the decreasing sales of the cinemas, film industries very briefly introduced 3-D films in order to lure patrons back to movie houses which one could only experience in movie houses. Many movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe became famous in this time period as well.

 

 

 

• Food &  Drink 

  The beginning of the 1950s was the beginning of a changed diet for Americans all over the country. In 1948, McDonalds was initiated which turned out to be one of the most successful restaurants in the world. McDonalds obtains a simple formula in order to create a profitable restaurant; Propose basic foods and drinks that taste good while selling the products at a reasonable price without altering the menu too much. When McDonalds was first initiated, hamburgers were sold at 18 cents which was a very reasonable price in the 1950s. By doing so, a food industry would be able to become prosperous in a very short period of time. After McDonalds became successful business, many food industries attempted to “imitate” this formula such as Burger King. As Americans began to become lazier when being introduced to advancing technology, food alternatives that would offer faster cooking times. Therefore, food industries invented frozen dinners that which were introduced in 1953 that could be cooked in less than an hour with little effort.

•  

  

• Print Culture

  Throughout the 1950s many classic novels and literary figures became highly popular. Some examples of these famous literary pieces are Frosty the Snowman, Dr. Seuss, and Playboy. Frosty the snowman was initially a song written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins which became a very popular Christmas song in the 1950s and later became a children’s TV program. Also, in the 1950s, the ever-so-famous Dr. Seuss books written by Theodor Geisel became very famous due to classic pictures books that were published such as “The Cat in the Hat” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. A huge change during the 1950s was allowing certain depictions of sex and nudity in the media. The introduction to “Playboy” magazines initiated by Hugh Hefner in December 1953 brought a new type of media to particular groups in society. Hefner had a desire to launch this type of media to the public thinking that he could make lots of money by appealing his magazines to young men. The articles issued in these magazines were about “good life”, sports cars, elegant clothing, and fine dining. Also at these times, many printed material such as novels and lyrics became integrated into the movies and cinema. For example, J.R.R Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy became a best-selling movie trilogy beginning in 2001. As technology developed throughout the decades, the way of presenting media and the perceptions of life developed as well.

• Sports &  Games

  One defining part of 1950s sports was the fact that telvision brought sports into peoples' homes.  This, however, also brought more corruption to sports, although that didn't stop its popularity.  Professional baseball continued to be the most popular sport, while professional football finally surpassed college football in popularity, which has a lot to do with the introduction of the telivision.  In the winter, people turned to basketball; college basketball was more popular, but professional basketball was rising due to the introduction of the NBA.  The most important part of sports in this decade was, however, the integration of sports.  Jackie Robinson had already broken the "color line" in professional baseball in 1947, so in the 1950s more black players were leading professional baseball teams.  In 1950, the NBA allowed black players to join, and black players also did very well in professional bowling and womans' tennis.  Another important part of sports was physical fitness for everyone.  People wanted to be different from the "god-less communists" and decided that played sports was a good way to build moral character.  Sports became something for all ages, with things like Little League Baseball, Pop Warner Football, and Biddy Baseball being created.  Unfortunetly, women and girls did not share in this.  During the war, The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League had gained popularity and was loved by the public, but when the war ended people wanted baseball to go back to the guys.  Only pockets of sports remained for women and girls; most were limited to softball, cheerleading, and play days.  Finally, many toys became popular for kids during the 1950s such as etch-a-sketch, legos, slinky, silly putty, the frisbee, and, of course, the hula hoop. 

  Music

• One defining part of the 1950s music was the introduction of rock-and-roll music.  It had originated from R&B and "race music" (music done by southern blacks that was only avaliable to southern blacks).  Rock-and-roll music brought young people to the dance floors and recording studios like had never been done before, starting a new era of music.  People like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Ray, and, of course, Elvis Presley dominated the new music industry.  One group of people that also gained popularty (which was due to the popularty of rock-and-roll music) were disco jockeys.  They were people on the radio that chose the music that was played on the station and introduced new bands to the public.  In the end, they became celeberties themeselves, such as Alan Freed and Wolfman Jack.  One of the most remarkable things about rock-and-roll is that, during a time of much segregation, the rock-and-roll industry was not very segregated, with both blacks and whites doing very well and them even playing together in bands.  Finally, jazz music rose in the 1950s.  In the 1940s, it had only really been popular in urband areas- mostly with blacks.  However, in the 1950s it was brought out of the cities and became very respected by the general public, especially after the introduction of jazz festivals. 

   

• "They Way We Lived" 
• The 1950s was a decade of family life and stability.  The economy was booming, and, as a result, there were the baby boomers.  Because of an increase in the percent of young people in the United States, people began to pay more attention to the needs of children and teenagers.  This also made the marriage age and dating age of people drop, much the dislike of the older generations.  During this time, people also began to move from the cities into the suburbs, and sales of cars increased as well as the conditions and numbers of roads and highways, which led to an increase in number and popularty of drive-ins, hotels and inns, and shopping malls.  However, despite all of this prosperity and stability, the Cold War was also going on at that time.  People built bomb shelters behind their homes to protect themeselves, and the Army-McCarthy hearings were going on as well, which eventually went on to the entertainment industry and ruined many peoples' careers.  There were also signs of a future revolution; women were not content with their household role and sought jobs out of the house while African Americans protested against the discrimination they faced.  There were also very conservative sexual ideas at the time, so the introduction of things like Playboy magazine and birth control pills meant that a sexual revolution was on the way.

• Government & Politics

  Americans feared that their democratic government was threatened by communism.  This fear was driven by the Soviets when they annexed a large part of Eastern Europe after WWII.  In addition, 1949 China became a communist country.  In 1950 troops were sent to get involved in the Korean border conflict (North Korea invaded South Korea to spread communism) to restrain Communist aggression.

  McCarthyism was developed by Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy, who accused the government, saying that 205 Communists worked in the State Department.  Public anxiety increased as the nation was already concerned that the democratic system would fall into the hands of communism.  This decreased overall presidential power at the time. Eisenhower promised citizens to engage in Communist aggression in the U.S. and other parts of the world.

• Law & Justice

  Another factor that spurred anxiety in society was in the increase in crime rate.  From 1940 to 1960, the crime rate had increased by 128%, more than doubling.  Rumors that the police were corrupt or incompetent further increased tension throughout the nation in the 1950s.  On the other hand, criminal justice system had improved overall.  The attention criminals received by the media, lawmakers, and the courts encouraged policemen to be honest and fair.  New technology allowed for more efficiency between the police and nation.  In addition, ruling in the court was exceptionally biased, basing many judgments on race or class.  When schools were required to integrate, many closed down rather than admitting black people.  Eisenhower sent armed troops to fight those who wanted to keep racism alive.

• Religion

  Over 60% of people went to weekly religious services by 1960 and donations to these religious groups were at an all-time high. Some were doubtful and thought that this upsurge in religious interests was purely for monetary purposes (some books, media attention, and films focused on religion).  Some old quarrels remained but overall there was much more peace than before.  People in the 1950s began to talk of the Judeo-Christian heritage as opposed to Christian America.  During this time, people began to confidently claim themselves to be Christian, Catholic, or Jewish.

  

 

Dwight Eisenhower

 

 

 

 

Where I Lived:

 

Denison TX, Gettysburg Pennsylvania, Palm Desert california, White House

 

Website:

Official White House Biography

Date of Birth:

October 14, 1890 in DenisonTX

Date of Death:

March 28 1969 Washinton DC

Political Views:I was a Republican

Religious Views:

Presbyterian

Years Served as President:

Elected 1952, retired 1961

Occupations:

United States Army ( various positions ranging from 2^nd Lieutenant to Army chief of Staff)

Commander in Chief of Allied West African Forces

Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in Europe

 

 

President of the

United States

Interests/Hobbies:

·         Bridge

·         Western Films and

·         Painting

·         Civil War Literature

 

Education:

·         West Point MilitaryAcademy

 

 

·          Command and

GeneralStaffCollege

 

 

·          

ArmyWarCollege

 

 

·        

Army IndustrialCollege

Sports:

·         Golf 

·         Fishing

·         Swimming

 

During my stint as president, the political, social and economic factors and challenges that I had to deal with (at home) included:

 

Political

• Adopted the "New Look Policy" which supported nuclear containment rather than troop deployment in order to reduce the risk of the outbreak of war.

• Issued the spread of communism:

  • as the concept of communism began to spread amoung foreign countries, Eisenhower made a strong effort to prevent this concept as it frightened all Americans.

• The atomic bomb is tested under the control of Eisenhower and Truman

  • nuclear weapons are supported by Eisenhower in order to obtain strong defensive power.

 

Social

• Eisenhower formed the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare which greatly contributed arising problems throughout the nation. One issue that was resolved the problem of desegregation and racism relating to the schools and education.

• Eisenhower nationilized the Arkansas gaurd due to his anger brought upon by Faubus and the disupute between enforcing desegregation.

• Built a mosque in Washington D.C in order to confirm America's religious freedoms.

 

Economic

• In the 1950s the American economy was the strongest in the world.  The federal government assisted the nation when there was any economical obstruction, unfortunately resulting in inflation.  

• The government took on the role of keeping labor happy but was cautious in allowing labor unions to become corrupt or made up of Communists. It was Eisenhower’s duty to call in troops lest labor unions threatened to shut down significant U.S. industries.

 

 

During my stint as president, the political, social and economic factors and challenges that I had to deal with (abroad) included:

 

Political

• Rebellion in Hungrey

  • 22 October 1956 - Students and workers rebelled against the government.  The Soviet Union fired back and it resulted in a revolt breaking out.

  • Hungrey asked the US for aid, but Eisenhower did not want get involved in a war in which the US was at a disadvantage and wasn't benefical for the US.

    • Provided food and medical aid, had diplomatic protests, and welcomed Hungarian immigrants, but did not get directly involved

• Geneva

  • Took place on the 18th-23rd of July, 1955

  • Peace talks in order to discuss making Austria free
  • First time the Soviet Union and the USA met since the beginning of the Cold War
  • Eisenhower proposed the "Open Skies" proposel- have the Soviet Union and the USA exchange blueprints of their military operations and inspection flights of each other in order to decrease fear of a suprise attack
    • Khrushchev, the most powerful leader of the Soviet Union's "collective leadership", hinted that he thought it was nothing more than a way for the USA to spy on the Soviet Union
    • Didn't get support and wasn't adapted

• Suez Canel

  • Egypt wanted to nationalize the Suez Canel

    • France and Great Britian saw this as a threat to their economies' and got involved in the conflict along with Isreal

    • US saw conflict as bad for Western relationships with the Middle East but didn't agree with the Soviet Union or Communist China, which was aiding Egypt

      • Eisenhower didn't want the Soviet Union to take credit for stopping the conflict, so he introduced a cease-fire legislation in the UN and voted on the same side as the Soviet Union

      • Huge consequences- Relations with Soviet Union were still bad, Western ones were hurt, and British withdrew from being involved in the Middle East

 

Social

• Korean War

  • Started on June 25th, 1950

  • Eisenhower - Threatened the Chinese the US would use extreme measures (nuclear bombs) if they would not withdaw)

    • July 27th, 1953 - Peace talks resumes and treaty signed - Eisenhower thought his talks were sucessful, although many others believed it was because of the death of the Soviet Union's leader, Stalin

• Indochina

  • 1954 - France had been trapped by Commnists

  • Eisenhower didn't want a Communist win because he feared it would result in future wins by them in neighbooring countries, but realized that miliatary intervention could be fatal to US soliders

    • Established strict conditions for intervention, but they were not met so Eisenhower didn't get involved

      • Instead supported the split of North and South Vietnam and the creation of SEATO in order to limit the expension of Communist Vietnam and China.

• Sputnik

  • Launched by the Soviet Union on the October 4th, 1957

  • Meant that the Soviet Union had powerful enough rockets to send something into space

    • Told the world that the Soviet Union had more missile power than the USA and could fire missiles at the United States more efficiently.

    • Eisenhower told the people that the United States could efficently defend against an attack by the Soviet Union

    • Eisenhower passed the National Defense Education Act in 1958, which made college scholarships for students majoring in science, math, and foreign languages avaliable.

 

Economic

• Eisenhower established the Eisenhower Doctrine during the Cold War period.  It promised military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country that needed help to resist communist aggression.  The purpose of this doctrine was to check increased Soviet influence in the Middle East.  Eisenhower received permission from Congress to use the armed forces to protect the independence of any Middle Eastern country that sought American help.

 

Looking back at my presidential career, I had to wear several "hats."  Wearing these different "hats," these were my most significant achievements and failures:

 

Commander-in-Chief

As commander-in-chief, Eisenhower was a very strong military leader that did not cause very much conflict with other nations but rather prevented dangerous situations. For example, Eisenhower proposed to put more spending money into nuclear warfare rather than troop deployment in order to decrease the risk of an outbreak of war. Eisenhower also resolved many issues during the Korean and Cold War which prevented many potential outbreaks in war during the 1950s

Chief Executive

Eisenhower was a very well rounded political leader as president. When asked certain vulgar war questions, he would respond to them with confidence and the truth without presenting any tactical information in order to leave reporters and the society worry free of a potential war outbreak. In addition, Eisenhower devised a plan to increase foreign trade in order to open certain economic pathways to foreign countries to prevent them from falling into a communist nation. Most of his strategies were divided within certain groups in the government which was also done by Eisenhower portraying his ability to assign tasks.

Chief Diplomat

Diplomatically, Eisenhower didn't do much.  Eisenhower wanted the United States to stay out of wars.  Although this did suceed in him in making peace treaties, it hurt relationships with other countries.  Eisenhower wanted to heal relationships between the East and the West but Ganova was not sucessful, and on the 15th at the summit meeting between the United States, western Europe, the Soviet Union, and many other nations, a U-2 that Eisenhower had sent out to locate possible nuclear and missile sights in the Soviet Union disappeared.  Eisenhower denied that it was spying on the Soviet Union, assuming that if the Soviet Union was able to shoot down a spy plane it would be destoyed along with its pilot and video footage, but the Soviet Union recovered the pilot and released information about the secret mission, which ruined any chances of being able to negotiate with the Soviet Union and restore East and West relations, which had all seemed possible before the U-2 incident.

 

Ceremonial Head of State

Like all other Presidents, Eisenhower took park in things such as laying the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown.  He also comferted the nation in times of fear and hardship, such as the launching up Sputnik that hinted at the Soviet Union's huge amount of power.

 

Manager of the Economy 

Dwight Eisenhower was president during a very prosperous time in American history. He took office during the mid 50’s boom that was generated by the end of World War II. Because of the war, most of Europe was still in shambles. The European economy was down, as was the Asian economy due to the war in the Pacific. America was the only country involved in the war whose shore were left untouched, except for the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This meant that America was responsible for selling the materials that were used to rebuild the world. This led in an increase in capitol that allowed Americans to branch out to more luxury items, further stimulating the economy. Eisenhower promoted this growth by not restricting loan and investing companies, as well as lowering taxes. Unemployment was low during this era and there were few labor disputes. Eisenhower did not have to deal with any major economical downturn during his presidency, and employed the Republican view that the economy worked best on its own. His ran conservative budgets, and even came out with a budget surplus twice in his presidency.

 

Party Leader

 

Eisenhower was a lifelong Republican, and held with many of the Republican beliefs. He upheld the idea that the federal government should not become too involved in the affairs of the States. He was not a fan of integration, like some Republicans, but he did enforce the integration of schools, and signed several voting rights bill for blacks. He did not tolerate fellow Republican Joseph McCarthy’s witch-hunt for communist sympathizers in Congress, his dedication to bipartisanship, with some favoring of republicans made him a very average President in his party affiliations.

 

National Leader

Eisenhower's strength as a political leader rested almost entirely upon his disinterestedness and his integrity. He had disliked political maneuvers and managed to avoid being biased. His party lost control in 1954, forcing him to rely upon both Democrats and Republicans during his presidency, which was made easier by his personal qualities.  He was not a dynamic leader; he took a position in the center and drew his strength from that.  He gave a lot of power to those he trusted, particularly his advisors and cabinet members.  Eisenhower was a strong believer in teamwork, accomplishing harder tasks with such a method.  He did his best in every task, training troops at home rather than leading them abroad in battle.  Being a Conservative, he believed in limiting the role of the federal government and granting control to states.  Much of his attention was devoted to international affairs, establishing treaties, and promoting peace initiatives while trying to limit the spread of Communism.

 

Favorite Quote About Me by a Famous Historian:

"First in war, peace, and the hearts of his countrymen." - Steele

 

 

How Historians View Me

During his presidency, Eisenhower was well loved by the public bacause of the peaceful and economically prosperous times of the 1950s. In the two decades following his presidency, he was viewed more a a complacent individual who did not act enough during his presidency.The 1950's were in the early stages of the cold war, and it has been speculated that Eisenhower could have done something to limit the arms race that followed in later decades. This view changed after the release of some of his correspondence and diaries. It was concluded that this nonchalant attitude was a ruse to throw off his enemies, and he was actually a very cunning and aware man who did an excellent job guiding america through the 1950s.

 

 

Positive Political Cartoon

 

 

Negative Political Cartoon

 

 

After all this research you should now be able to answer the guiding question.  Do NOT assign this to one person.  The whole group needs to participate in a discussion and then write up the answer.  Yes, you can do it on-line or in person.  It should be several paragraphs and the answer to this question is the most important part of this assignment!!!

 

The 1950s were a time of prosperity and relative social peace. America was again firmly established as the leader if the free world, and was increasing her economic and political influence on the world. This was evidenced both in America's choice of president and pop culture.

This era is seen as conforming and limited, but it sowed the seeds for other movements in the future, and gave the USA a firm economic base to build upon after the great Depression and World War II.  The economic growth during the 1950s was staggering. America had emerged from the largest war in history victorious and relatively untouched. The rest of the world was rebuilding, so they turned to the US for their supplies and loans.

 

Dwight Eisenhower promised economic growth and lower taxes. He delivered on these promises. His decision to adopt a laissez-faire attitude allowed for unchecked growth that allowed for great growth during that period, but set up for potential problems in the future. However, America did experience some of its most prosperous times during his presidency. This growth allowed for much more expansion of leisure consumer items, which fueled the market for toys, sports cars and designer fashion. It also allowed families to create college funds for their children, leading to much higher enrollments, and creating a new standard in the professional workforce. Eisenhower’s policies put forth towards the integration of schools and general acceptance eventually aided in spurring the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

Ultimately, Dwight Eisenhower’s decisions on the economy not only changed America’s pocketbook, but its lifestyle and education.  The rapidly growing wealth of America was perceived as strong evidence by both Americans and foreign nations to validate the American way – a Democratic nation, free market economy, and human rights.

 

 

 

Works Cited:

 

"1950s: Commerce." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Eds. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: U*X*L, 2002. 643-644.5 vols.

 

"1950s: Fashion." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Eds. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: U*X*L, 2002. 657. 5 vols.

"The 1950s: Education: Overview." American Decades. Ed. Vincent Tompkins. Vol. 6: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 119-120. 10 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL. 9 June 2009 

 

Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2009. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC 

 

"Dwight D. Eisenhower." American Decades. Gale Research, 1998.

Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

 

 YOU MUST USE ACADEMIC SOURCES!