Large World of the 1950s

Racism in America: Small Town 1950s Case Study Documentary

Racism in America - Notes

2:30 - “William Mires Jr. and his family are negroes in an all-white community.”
3:10 – “Mires became the main topic of conversation for the people of Levittown.”
6:00 – “For some, the Mires moving in to town constitutes an infringement of their liberties.”
- This is followed by an interview with a woman who chose to live in Levittown specifically because it was an all white community.
- “Property values will immediately go down if they are allowed to move in in any number.”
- 7:30 – “If a Negro family can afford what you can afford, how can you justify your feelings of superiority?”
- 10:10 – A woman speaking on the acceptance of the Mires’ family: “As far as accepting them socially, I could never do that.”
10:35 – Another interview with a woman on the Mires’ family – she’s a progressive woman who believes that an integrated group is one that is and should be representative of a strong society
The video shows both progressive and conservative commentary about the Mires’ family moving to Levittown, PA.
- Note the difference in language – “Negroes” is a politically correct term

Even the style of speaking is distinct to its time and place – some of the women interviewed had a slight lilt to their accent.

One of the famous songs from the 1953 Disney animated film

Peter Pan is

"Who Made the Red Man Red."

"Judgment Day"

(Weird Fantasy #18, April 1953)

This comic was originally

rejected by the publishers because

the main character was black.

Billboard Year-End Top 10 Singles of 1953

SONG

ARTIST

The Song from Moulin Rouge
Vaya con Dios
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
I'm Walking Behind You
You, You, You
Till I Waltz Again with You
April in Portugal
No Other Love
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
I Believe

Percy Faith

Les Paul & Mary Ford

Patti Page

Eddie Fisher

Ames Brothers

Teresa Brewer

Les Baxter

Perry Como

Frankie Lane

McCarthyism

An excerpt from a speech made at a campaign rally supporting Forrest C. Donnell, incumbent Republican senator from Missouri. The year is 1950.

Joseph McCarthy on Democrats and Communism

Today we are engaged in a final, an all-out battle, between Communist Atheism and Christianity

"

- Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin

Fun Facts About McCarthyism

In 1950, .0003% of the American population (50,000 out of 150 million) was part of the Communist Party
Hundreds of screenwriters, actors, and directors were blacklisted due to their political beliefs. Artists could be blacklisted, their careers ruined, for something as simple as attending a peace convention.
Socialism was often equated with Communism.
Thirty-nine states (including Kansas) required teachers and other public employees to take "loyalty oaths."
Banned books in schools during McCarthyism included Robin Hood, Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, and Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
March 21, 1947: President Harry s. Truman signs Executive Order 9835, otherwise known as the Federal Loyalty-Security Program. It was the first loyalty program in the United States, and was designed to root out communist influence in the U.S. federal government.
HUAC, or the House of Un-American Activities Committee, picked up speed during the Cold War, largely due to its first chairman, Martin Dies, who set a precedent for anti-Communist investigations.

Racism in America

"Having taken the constitutional oath of the office required by the State of California, I hereby formally acknowledge my acceptance of the position and salary named, and also state that I am not a member of the Communist Party or any other organization which advocates the overthrow of the Government by force or violence, and that I have no commitments in conflict with my responsibilities with respect to impartial scholarship and free pursuit of truth. I understand that the foregoing statement is a condition of my employment and a consideration of payment of my salary."

1950 Loyalty Oath

Martin Dies

Religious World

Note that church attendance hit its peak in the mid-50's. Post-war economic prosperity resulted in high birth rates (the "baby boom") and pushed many women back into the domestic sphere. This coincided with an increase in organized religion.
"The American family was embraced as an institution by men and women seeking normalcy after WWII"
The "family room" was a new feature in many households.
Many small towns in the midwest had a more than a dozen churches of all sizes and types.
- It was easy to find a denomination that suited your family's needs.
Churches and schools expanded to accommodate the growing population.

A Christmas Message from Reverend Billy Graham (1952)

Reverend Oral Roberts, 1950's

For men and women's fashion in the early 50's, visit Maria's Pinterest board, Picnic - 50's Fashion! https://www.pinterest.com/marialeckey/picnic-50s-fashion/

1950's Futurism

In this video, 1950s fashion experts project what we'll be wearing in the 2000's!

Check out these articles on 1950s Futurism, style, and conspiracies:

1950s Futurism

http://www.nerdlikeyou.com/geeks-past-1950s-futurism/

Project 1947: UFO Reports

http://www.project1947.com/fig/1950a.htm

Top Feature Films of 1953

The Cold War - Timeline

1945

February - Yalta Conference
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and U.S. President FDR met in England to discuss their agreement about Germany's unconditional surrender. They begin making plans for a post-war world.
May - WWII ends in Europe
July - the United States drops the first atom bomb, nicknamed "Gadget," in New Mexico, as part of the Manhattan Project.
August - The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Meanwhile, Stalin and the British divide up the post-war Europe.

1946

January - First East European Communist government is constructed in Albania

1947

January - Communists seize power in Poland
March - Truman Doctrine announced
- "With the Truman Doctrine, President Harry S. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces" - https://www.history.state.gov

1948

June - Berlin Airlift begins (ends May 19, 1949)
- U.S., Soviet, and British forces divide and occupy Germany

1949

April - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established
August / September - The USSR detonates its first atomic bomb.
- The U.S. picks up the first evidence of radioactivity in September.
- In late September, President Truman announces to the American Public that the Soviets has the atomic bomb.
December - Three months later, German-born physicist Klaus Fuchs is arrested for passing secrets to the Soviets during the United States' development of the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project.

1950

June - The Korean War begins. U.S. and other U.N. members fight North Korean forces. The USSR supported North Korea, while the U.S. and most of the U.N supported South Korea

1952

November - In response to the Soviets' detonation of the atomic bomb, the U.S. detonates the world's first hydrogen bomb, "Mike."

1953

Korean War ends July 27, 1953

Civilians in the Korean War, June

NATO is established

"Mike"

Klaus Fuchs

"Gadget"

Things That Haven't Happened Yet...

Racial tensions aren't too high
- Brown v. Board of Education happened in 1954 in Topeka, KS
Rock ’n Roll
- Rock Around the Clock hit the charts in 1954
Rebellious youth culture
Transistor radios
- Development in 1954, became commonplace in 1960's
Interstate highway system
- Construction began in 1956
TV’s in every home
The space race
- Began in 1957

Movie Clips

The Nicholas Brothers on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town"

"Hold My Hand" from SUSAN SLEPT HERE

Marlon Brando - the Wild One

Take Care of My Little Girl (1951)

"My mother says I'm too young to get married and too old to hang around the house!" (start at 11:50, go to 13:25)