Intro. to Nifty 50s and turbulent 60s - politics, culture, and innovation of the 1950s and 1960s Flashcards

(52 cards)

1
Q

Political issues of the Time: Cold War

A

* cold war- period of military competition, and political and economic tension btw. the Soviet Union and US following the end of WWII

Key Characteristics of the Cold War:

  • space race- race btw. US and Russia to get to the moon first
  • Communism VS Democracy
    -Arms Race- developing more and stronger nuclear weapons; the threat of nuclear warfare

-Proxy Wars- wars fought btw. two or more major powers, but other powers are sent in to do the fighting for them

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2
Q

Rebuilding Europe after WWII

A

* The Marshall Plan- Plan developed by military leader, George Marshall; the US gives $13 billion worth of food, money, and other supplies to European nations to help them rebuild after WWII

Why?
- strengthen allies
-stop spread of communism
-stabilize European economy again

* The Truman Doctrine- US foreign policy that the US would provide military aid to countries threatened by communism

  • Both are examples of the
    Policy of containment- stop the spread of communism around the world
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3
Q

New organizations and alliances `

A

* United Nations- established in 1945; tasked with maintaining international peace, security, and human rights; still exists today

* NATO- members would protect each other if one of them got attacked by the USSR; pro-capitalists, non-communists members; established in 1949, still exists today

*Warsaw Pact- military alliance btw. the communist countries; will protect each other if attacked; falls w/ the USSR in 1991

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4
Q

Social issues of the time: civil rights movement

A

**- the 1950s and 60s, Jim crow and segregation remain legal, but progress is coming….

* Executive order 9981- Truman’s executive order to officially desegregate the US military in 1948

  • **Brown V. Board of education (1954) **- supreme court rules that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional; overturns the Plessy V. Ferguson (1896) > schools are now fully integrated
  • although segregation in schools is now illegal, some states are slow to enforce these decisions
  • in the 1950s sees the rise of civil rights leaders such as MLK
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5
Q

Life in the Suburbs

A

*The GI Bill- allows veterans to receive financial assistance for housing, college, or other job training
-Post WWII Economic Boom- new jobs, affordable housing, etc.

* The Baby Boom- dramatic increase in the birthrate in the US btw. 1946-1964

*Suburbs- neighborhoods outside of big cities typically inhabited by white-collar workers in the 1950s-60s

Why move out of city?
- suburbs were quieter and safer
-better school system
-more affordable
- cities were overcrowded
-Affordable housing - GI bill, end of the depression

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6
Q

New Innovations

A

- Medical developments- better medication and treatments to fight cancer and diabetes; better antibiotics for common illness; polio vaccine

Commercial airlines continue to develop and become more popular
- The TV Dinner- first introduced in 1953
**- Microwave (1945) **becomes more popular in 1950s
- Television- begins to enter Americans homes in the late 1940s

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7
Q

The Birth of television

A

by 1957- 40 millions TVs were in use nationwide
- news, show, sports
- many radio shows transitions to TV shows
-often one TV per home

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8
Q

Beats

A

*Beatniks, teens and young adults who considered themselves “Beats” largely considered themselves as artists or supporters of art that went against typical expectations of the 1950s

  • could also be a word that means opposed anything from young women being expected to marry and stay at home to opposing the anti-communist sentiments that dominated much of the 1950s culture
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9
Q

Prep or Preppie

A
  • meant that you fit in with the norm and didn’t rebel in a serious way.
  • also had other subgroups like the “Jocks,” or athletes, as well as the “Brains,” or
    students who were known for their success in school.
    This isn’t to say that people who weren’t “Preppies”
    couldn’t be athletes or considered a “Brain,” but the majority of students in a school in the 1950s would fall into the “Preppies” category.
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10
Q

Greasers

A

are probably the best known social group of the
decade thanks to movies like Grease and novels like The Outsiders,
“Greasers” weren’t really known as that term during the 1950s. The term
“Greaser” usually referred to someone who was from a working-class
family and often times was associated with Mexican and
Italian-Americans. However, by the 1950s, teens and young adults who
dressed in denim and leather (for men) and wore pants and tighter skirts
(for women) fell into this group. Their fashion reflected their economic
status as being from families who didn’t necessarily profit off the
post-World War II economic boom. Some associate them with being
rebellious and anti-authority, but that wasn’t necessarily true for the vast
majority of people who considered themselves “Greasers.”

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11
Q

TVs shows that were from the 1950s

A
  • Davy Crockett
  • I love Lucy
  • the honeymooners
  • the Disneyland story
  • the ed sullivan show
  • the twilight zone
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12
Q

Movies from 1950s

A
  • singing in the rain
  • the ten commandments
  • the blob
  • Peter pan
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13
Q

Rock n Roll

A
  • rock n roll was seen as sinful by older people
  • jailhouse rock
  • lewis boogie
  • johnny be goode
  • sh-boom

Artists:
- Elvis Presley
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- chuck berry
- the chords

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14
Q

The Korean War Background

A
  • Korea gained its independence from Japan at the end of WWII
  • Korea is split btw. north and south Korea by the US and USSR at the 38th parallel line

-Soviets and Chinese influence North Korea; US influences South Korea

  • Goal is for the split to be temporary, but neither side wants to lose their power> Cold War tensions
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15
Q

The Korean War background Atomic bombs and communism in asia

A
  • 1949- USSR tests its first atomic weapons
  • 1949- China falls to communism under the leadership of Mao Zedong
  • Starts an arms race with the USSR
  • communism is spreading in Asia
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16
Q

The War Begins

A

*N. Korea invades S. Korea w/ the goal of uniting into 1 Korea free from foreign influence

  • N. Korea is backed by Soviets and Chinese; US is caught off guard
  • Most of our attention had been on stopping the spread of communism in Europe
  • UN Security Council calls for **immediate ceasefire, **but N. Korea continues invasion

*UN SC calls for all UN nations to support S. Korea; **General MacArthur **to lead UN forces against N. Korea

  • Truman does not go to Congress for an official declaration of war; refers to it as a “UN Police Action”
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17
Q

The US Arrives

A
  • After landing in Inchon, US forces quickly advance into North Korea; taking Pyongyang and about a month later
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18
Q

The Us is Pushed back

A
  • feeling a threat by war close to their borders; China assists N. Korea troops, pushing the US, S. Korean, and UN troops back past the 38th parallel
  • April 51- Truman dismisses MacArthur over leadership and its end in a stalemate
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19
Q

A Stalemate

A
  • the US pushed back into the** 38th parallel**, but no further> war is a stalemate
  • peace talks begin in 51 w/ no clear winner in site

* 1952 Election- Truman does not seek reflection, knowing he will lose due to the poor outcome of the war

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20
Q

1952 election and ending of war

A

* Dwight Eisenhower wins the election, promising to bring an end to the war
- Eisenhower goes to Korea to help negotiate peace

*July 27, 1953- **Cease fire **is signed( not a peace treaty) ; is the war over?

  • technically no.. fighting has stopped but neither country signed a peace treaty officially declaring an end to the war
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21
Q

Legacy of Korean War and Korea today

A
  • Korea remains splits into N. Korea and S. Korea

*N. Korea- communists dictatorship; continues to have economic struggles today from its isolationists policies

*S. Korea- successfully rebuilt its economy; Democracy and ally of the US today
- a narrow demilitarized zone divides the country today; soldiers still patrol this border today

  • civilian casualties out number soldier casualties
  • Korea loses about 10% of its pre-war population in just 3 years
22
Q

How does the Korean War impact the US

A
  • Strengthened the Power of the Executive Branch (President)
  • Truman did not seek a formal declaration of war from Congress
  • Boosts and lowers the Cold war mentality at home> how?
  • America is taking action against communism around the war
  • but we lost the war and gained very little or nothing at all from it > people begin to question the Gov’t
  • The Korean War serves as a lead up to a much longer and bloodier war in Asia; the Vietnam War (55-75)
23
Q

Domino Theory

A

if one Southeastern Asian country falls to communism, the rest will soon fall to communism in a domino effect; used by Eisenhower as early justification to assist the French in Vietnam in the 1950s

24
Q

Guerrilla Warfare

A

guerrilla warfare- non-traditional warfare tactics, often involving hit-and-run attacks (ambushes, sabotage, traps, smaller disruptive raids)

25
Agent Orange and Napalm
**herbicides- **toxic chemicals used to destroy plants and vegetation (ex. Agent Orange) **napalm**- jellied gasoline that explodes upon contact with its target; mixes different chemicals that cause it to burn longer, allowing to spread faster **Long-Term Health Effects of Exposure to Both: (Suffered By Both American Soldiers and Vietnamese Civilians)** Cancer Skin Diseases Breathing Issues Birth Defects Skin Burns Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Psychological Trauma (PTSD)
26
Operation Rolling Thunder & Tet Offensive: “The Television War”
**The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution**- Congress gives President Johnson the authority to expand the war in Vietnam; passed on August 7, 1964 **Operation Rolling Thunder**- **March 2, 1965 – November 2, 1968; **series of sustained bombing campaigns against North Vietnam (Viet Cong); failed- heavy American losses, did not fully weaken North Vietnam, and violent images on TV influenced public opinion against the war **The Tet Offensive-** **January-September 1968; **series of North Vietnamese (Viet Cong) attacks against South Vietnamese cities; U.S. is successful in defending the cities, BUT the television coverage of the violence further hurts public opinion of the war- seen as defeat by media
27
Protests and Unrest
**January 20, 1968-** Ron Kovic is Injured in Vietnam; becomes an anti-war activist upon returning home **March 31, 1968**- LBJ announces he will not run for President again due to unpopularity of the war **April 4, 1968-** MLK Jr. is Assassinated **June 6, 1968-** Robert Kennedy (JFK’s Brother) is Assassinated **November 5, 1968**- Richard Nixon is elected on the promise of ending the war in Vietnam **April 30, 1970**- Nixon Announces Expansion of the War; Invasion of Cambodia **May 1-4, 1970- Kent State Protests & Killings May 9, 1970- **Protests in Front of the White House in response to Kent and Expansion of War; Nixon Meets With Protesters in Attempt to Ease Tensions **June 13, 1971**- Pentagon Papers Leak **1972 Republican National Convention- **A group of disabled Vietnam veterans protest against the war; Ron Kovic in attendance said this to reporters: “I’m a Vietnam veteran. I gave America my all, and the leaders of this government threw me and others away to rot in their VA hospitals. What’s happening in Vietnam is a crime against humanity.”
28
Hawks VS Doves
**“hawks”-** pro-war; want further aggression against Vietnam and support for soldiers fighting the war **“doves”-** anti-war; want peace **draft dodgers**- individuals who avoided and refused to comply the military draft
29
The Pentagon Papers
**Daniel Ellsberg-** top military analyst who secretly copied and leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and Washington Post **What did the Pentagon Papers reveal?** - Presidential Administrations Truman Through - - LBJ had mislead Americans on war motives - LBJ covered up how much he intended to expand the war; some expansion without permission from Congress or press coverage - U.S. helped overthrow South Vietnamese government before the war - Government exaggerated what happened during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident - Many more lies about the war as a whole and the government’s real motives in Vietnam - The Pentagon Papers enforce anti-war morale even further as the truth is exposed
30
Vietnamization and Withdrawal from Vietnam
**Vietnamization (“Nixon Doctrine”)- **Nixon’s plan to gradually withdraw American troops from Vietnam; train the South Vietnamese to fight and supply them with weapons **March 29,1973-** America begins to pull troops from Vietnam **April 30, 1975-** The Fall of Saigon (Capital of South Vietnam)- South Vietnam falls to North Vietnam (official end of the Vietnam War); Saigon renamed to Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam today is united as one country
31
The Final Cost of the Vietnam War for the U.S.
**The Vietnam War is the last time the U.S. has used the draft; any military service since this time has been voluntary **
32
Shifting Music: The British Invasion & Hippie Movement
**The British Invasion**- cultural movement when British rock and pop groups grew in popularity in the US due to new sounds and fashion; comes in 2 phases **1: Initial Phase (60s-70s)** The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd **The Hippie Movement- **a youth-led counterculture movement in the U.S. that rejected traditional values and norms: * Focused on peace, love and individual freedom * Greatly influenced by new rock ‘n roll artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix & British Invasion artists * Pro-Environment * Anti-war (Vietnam) * Heavy drug use
33
Woodstock (1969)
**Woodstock**- - a multi-day music festival attended by approx. 400,000 people in August 1969; aimed to be a celebration of peace and love; became of symbol of the 1960s counterculture - Anti-war songs were sung and speeches were made (protest against Vietnam War) Who performed? - Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and many others
34
The Election of 1960
**The Candidates**: **Democrat**- John F. Kennedy (wins by very narrow popular vote margin) **Republican**- Richard M. Nixon - The first televised election and debates- heavily influences the results of the election - How does TV make JFK look better than Nixon?
35
Kennedy's New Frontier
**“New Frontier”-** a term used by President Kennedy to describe his vision for America **Key Elements of the “New Frontier”:** -More federal aid to education programs -Expansion of healthcare for the elderly -Space exploration > expansion of NASA > -America lands on the Moon in 1969 -International aid to underdeveloped countries -Expansion of civil rights **The Peace Corps-** a government program created under JFK; Americans volunteer to go to underdeveloped countries to participate in service projects - Kennedy is also tasked with handling Cold War tensions in Cuba (we will discuss this more next week)
36
November 22, 1963
**Kennedy’s Assassination**- November 22, 1963; Kennedy is assassinated while in Dallas, TX to improve relations with Democratic Party leaders in Texas America witnesses the assassination and funeral on TV ***We will talk more about the assassination at a later date… **Lyndon B. Johnson-** JFK’s Vice President, becomes President after JFK’s assassination
37
Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidency:
**Three Main Issues Under LBJ:** **1. The Civil Rights Movement 2. Growing Poverty** **The Great Society**- Johnson’s domestic policy focused on reducing poverty and inequality in America; largely building off of JFK’s ground work and expanding FDR’s New Deal **Key Programs:** Medicare (elderly), Medicaid (lower class), Head Start, Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) **3. The Vietnam War** Johnson expands the war in Vietnam (see previous lessons/slides); costs him his popularity as President
38
The Little Rock Nine (1957)
**Little Rock 9**- group of black highschool students whow ere admitted to central high school in little rock, arkansas **governor orval faubus**- arkansas governor who refused to uphold Brown V. Board; sends arkansas national guard to block students from the school **Dwight D. Eisenhower**- Pres. of the US; send in the US amry to Little Rock to escort students to school
39
Montgomery, Alabama (1955-1956)
**Rosa Parks**- refused to give up her bus seat on Dec. 1, 1955 and was immediately arrested; her arrest sparked a city wide boycott **The Montgomery Bus Boycott**- Dec. 5, 1955-Dec. 20, 1956; a boycott of the bus system in Montgomery, Alabama, led by **MLK**
40
The 2 faces of the Civil rights movement
**Dr.MLK Jr.** - Baptist Minister - **Believed in civil disobedience** - influenced by ideas of Gandhi - **Leader of Souther Christian Leadership Conference(SCLC)** - arrested 29 times - assassinated in 1968 **Malcolm X.** - Muslim minister - **Believed in violence ** - one of MLK's biggest critics - Assassinated in 1965
41
**Southern Christian Leadership Conference**(SCLC)
- founded in 1957 in response to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott - Led by MLK - **Participated in organizing marches in Birmingham, Alabama and the March on Washington 1963; and many other widespread demostrations and protests **
42
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee(SNCC)
- founded in 1960 in response to the sit-in movement - **Largely made up of college students** - continued to organize more sit-ins and demonstrations - **Non-violent direct action**approach- resist without resoting to violence - **John Lewis**- chair of the SNCC from 1963-1966; participated in the March on Washington, continued to work closely with Dr. King afterwards
43
The Sit-In Movement
**movement started by a group of black college students in Greensboro, NC; refusing to give up their seats in all-white sections of public facilities unti served**
44
Letter from Birmingham Jail
- during the Birmingham MArch in 1963, MLK was arrested for defying a court order that prohibited public demonstrations - **letter from birmingham jail**-april 16, 1963; MLK's open letter from jail where he outlined why blacks must advocate for civil rights now 1. blacks have waited to long for equal rights 2. calles for more non-violent direct action 3. calls on moderate leader within the gov't to pick a side and stand up for what is right
45
The March on Washington 1963
- in 1963, congress was debating civil rights legislation; JFK had expressed potential support for civil rights laws - **march on washington for jobs and freedom 1963**- march held on august 28, 1963 to pressure congress to pass these civil rights 1. advocated for voting rights protections 2. protests against segregation 3. advocate for better jobs and wages for blacks 4. advocate for a more fair justice system **king delievers his "I Have a Dream" speech** -- success of March0 heavy media coverage highlighted the need for more activism and action from the federal and state gov'ts
46
The Civil rights act of 1964
- nov. 22, 1963; JFK is assassinated; LBJ becomes president - following the march on washington and JFK's death, congress and LBJ are more willing to move forward with civil rights - **Civil rights act of 1964**- signed into law on july 2, 1964; outlaws segregation in all public facilities, pushes for integration in schools, and outlaws racial discrimination in employment
47
The Fight for Voting RIghts
**24th amendment**- Jan, 23, 1964; outlaws poll taxes in federal elections **selma marches**- series of marches in selma, alamba led by MLK for voting rights - March 7, 1965- march led by **John Lewis**; marches are attacked by police - march 9, 1965- turned back by lar enforcement - **March 21-25;1965**- largest of the marches, led directly by MLK; marched from Selma to Montgomery - **Voting Rgiths Act of 1965**-signed August 6, 1965; outlaws racial discrimination in voting
48
The Eisenhower Years
**Modern Republicanism**- balanced budget, supported New Deal programs **The Eisenhower Doctrine-** foreign policy of providing economic and military aid to countries in the Middle East to prevent the spread of communism **Little Rock Nine-** see Civil Rights Movement slides **The Interstate Highway Act 1956**- authorized the construction of the interstate highway across the United States Rise of suburbs **“Death By Interstate”**- the decline of small towns in the U.S. as travelers stopped using old roads America’s love affair with the automobile continues to grow **Defense motives**- mobilization if war reaches mainland U.S.
49
The Kennedy Years (1961-1963)
**The New Frontier & Peace Corps (See 1960s Intro. Slides)** -Space Race advocate- get to the Moon - Civil Rights- labels it a moral issue and pushes for major legislation (See 1960s Intro. & Civil Rights Movement Slides) **Bay of Pigs Invasion- April 17-20, 1961;** plan to invade Cuba, start a rebellion, and remove communist leader Fidel Castro from power; mission failed- much of the force was captured or killed **Cuban Missile Crisis- Oct 16, 1962 – Oct 29, 1962; **the most intense moment of JFK’s presidency; nuclear-armed Soviet missiles are placed in Cuba, causing a 13 day standoff between the U.S. & Soviet Union - U.S. & Soviet leaders engage in intense exchanges for 13 days - Comes to an end with the following agreement: - Soviets remove missiles from Cuba - U.S. does not invade Cuba - U.S. secretly had to remove missiles it had stationed in Turkey
50
The Nixon Years (1969-1974)
**The Environmental Protection Agency-** agency of the U.S. government responsible for promoting responsible environmental practices **The Clean Air Act**- environmental protection law that regulates air emissions from industries and vehicles - Visits China & the Soviet Union to open up more stable diplomatic relationships between the two countries - Vietnam War- see Vietnam War slides **Watergate Scandal-** members of Nixon’s re-election team in 1972 broke into Democratic headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in D.C.; Nixon tried to deny any involvement and eventually resigned in 1974 as calls for impeachment grow
51
Nixon Resigns (Not impeached or removed)
**August 9, 1974-** Nixon resigns from office after the “smoking-gun” tape reveals his direct involvement; Gerald R. Ford (Nixon’s VP) becomes President and later pardons Nixon - Congress was drafting articles of impeachment **impeachment-** official charge of misconduct or wrongdoing of a holder of public office (done by the House of Representatives); NOT always ending in removal from office, however it can result in removal if the Senate votes with a two-thirds majority **Three Presidents have been impeached- Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), Donald Trump (Twice- 2019, 2021) **
52
The Reagan years (1981-1989)
**Reaganomics-** tax cuts for the rich, deregulation of business restrictions; **trickle-down economics**- theory that the rich and big business will pass savings on to the consumers and benefit the economy (money will “trickle down” to lower and middle class) - Mixed results- income inequality and national debt grew; inflation is reduced - Deep cuts to social programs - Increased defense spending - Hard stance on the Soviet Union; later negotiates an arms reduction with Mikhail Gorbachev; leads to eventual fall of the Soviet Union **Iran-Contra Affair-** U.S. secretly sold weapons to Iran (violating an embargo) in exchange for American hostages being held in Lebanon; profit from sales was then illegally given to Contra rebels in Nicaragua fighting communists - Initially covered up well; but later exposed by the press - Reagan initially denied any knowledge of the situation; later admits involvement **- Congressional hearings**- Oliver North, National Security Council staff member & one of the main figures involved with the sales, testifies before Congress in an attempt to cover up for Reagan - Damaged credibility of government; but Reagan remained popular until the end of his presidency - Later pardons from George H.W. Bush (Reagan’s VP)