1950′S Essay, Research Paper

Crystal Zander

English, Period 7

Leviene

America in the 50?s: A Time of Dramatic Change

Life in America changed tremendously between the dropping of the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in 1945, and the baby boom of the 1950?s. During this period of time, America experienced the first scares of the cold war, the peacefulness of suburban life, and the excitement of getting out and boogying to new rock and roll. This era is what I like to call, ?a roller-coaster of emotions.?

On July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb, referred to as ?Little Boy,? was tested by the United States Armed Forces in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Within less than a month, during the evening of August 6, the Enola Gay, flown by Pilot Paul Tibbits, dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was bombed three days later, were chosen as experiments on virgin targets to see how much damage to the human population could be done with an Atomic bomb. The damage caused by the bomb was horrific beyond anybody?s belief. The making and dropping of the bomb was extremely top secret, and no one on board the jet, except Tibbits, knew about their mission, until the space craft was airborne. President Truman commented on it, saying, ?I?m glad God gave us this bomb first. We pray that he may guide us to use it in his ways and for his purposes.?

The United States was the only country to come out of the war stronger than when they entered, which made Russia jealous. Throughout WWII, Russia and the United States were allies, and it is said that the United Stated dropped the bomb on the sixth, so Russia would not be able to enter the war against Japan, like they had planned, on the eighth of August. This action brought conflict between the two countries, and started what is now known as ?The Cold War.? The Cold War did not consist of any true battles, but was a very frantic and crucial time for the United States and its citizens. The war was based on who could make the most atomic bombs. Russia tested its first bomb on an island, called Bikini Atoll, in 1949. Both countries made bombs until they had enough to destroy the world three times over. In 1950, when President Eisenhower came into office he quoted something that Einstein had earlier stated; ? The advances in science have out-raced our social consciousness. Which means we don?t have enough morality and ethics to handle the weapons we possess.? He was against the idea of us using or making these deadly weapons, when we didn?t totally understand the consequences.

The dropping of the bomb and the start of the cold war made a huge impact on all of society. It changed the ways each and every man or woman thought about life, and their whole human race. From this point on, there was a knowing that if enough bombs were created life as we know it could be totally eliminated from this world. There was a great fear of annihilation. Families put together atomic emergency kits, with non-perishable food, bottled water, and first aid kits. There were now not only fire, but also bomb drills in schools. Parents made their children put on anti-atomic ray suits made of aluminum, before they left the house, and every city became a chaotic and nervous wreck.

Throughout the early 1950?s, there was a war being fought in Southern Korea. China had turned communist in 1949, and the Soviet Union was already that way, which put pressure on Korea to switch to that form of government, so they were like their neighbors. North Korea wanted to switch to communism, but South Korea didn?t, so the war was held between the Soviet Union and North Korea on one side and South Korea and the UN on the other. This started a big outcry in the United States, which were afraid of communism invading this country. President Truman and Joseph McCarthy were totally against communism, and did everything that they could to deport communists from the US. Joseph McCarthy developed an organization, called the House on Un-American Activities Committee. He used this committee to hold trials and prove that there were ?communists lurking in every office and department of the US government.? People were accused without any evidence and were convicted for openly criticizing American foreign policies, advocating equal rights for women, owning books on socialism, and attending foreign films. One of McCarthy?s trials was the Rosenburg case of 1953. Ethel and Julius Rosenburg were accused of telling secrets on how to make an atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Without much evidence they were sentenced to death by the US government. They were offered many times, that if they helped prosecute others, they would not have to die. Julius said in response, ?Since we are guilty of no crime, we will not be party to the nefarious thought to bear false witness against other innocent progressives, and heighten the hysteria in our land.? Many people protested against their being executed, but it didn?t work and they were both sent to the electric chair on June 19, 1953, at 8:06 p.m. When people first heard about McCarthy?s doings, he gained much public support, because citizens thought he was making the country safe for democracy. After Eisenhower became president, he ignored McCarthy, and eventually McCarthy did himself in by trying to convict the US Army.

While all this chaos was going on in the US, upper middle class Caucasian families were trying to experience the ?American Dream.? They were moving into the suburbs of the city to create new and better lives for themselves and their families. Some families moved to escape the crime and congestion of city neighborhoods, and others moved because of prejudices against minorities that were starting to move into the city. Everyone was able to experience the American Dream, except for African-Americans and Hispanics. Critics of the 1950?s said that suburban life was a ?cookie cutter? lifestyle, where everyone did the same things and there was a major decline in individuality. Personally, I think that this is not the case, having grown up in a Suburb of Portland. Yes I attended private schools, like most of my neighbors, but my house isn?t made from a cookie cutter, and my family has individuality.

Along with an increase in the economy, there was a huge increase in population. Since the depression, the birth rate had increased by twenty percent, and babies were booming out everywhere. It is said that in the 50?s a baby was being born in the US every seven seconds. This brought on a big need for mothers to stay home and take care of their many wonderful children. A mother of the 50?s assumed all responsibility for the daily routine of child rearing in addition to cooking, shopping, washing clothes, and participating in school and community activities. While this was all going on at home, the father was out making money to support the family, and every night when he came home he expected his kids to have been fed, bathed, and dressed for bed.

During a family?s free time they had a chance to experience the greatness of rock and roll, and the new television. Teens would go out on Friday nights with poodle skirts and rolled up jeans, to the club where they danced the twist, created by Chubby Checker. At home families gathered around the TV to watch shows, like ?Father Knows Best? and ?Mary Tyler More,? or listened to Dick Clark on the radio. Many Americans sought security in this uncertain world, and really had time to go out and have fun.

So, during the 50?s the cold war began, the Korean War happened, McCarthyism changed its first of many American citizens? personal freedom, TV became popular, the American economy and population boomed, and we dreamed the ?American Dream.? As Dickens said in the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, ?It was the best of times, It was the worst of times.?