CW+Fifties+List

This essential question is one that must be answered to understand the era of the Cold War and the 1950s ... so let's begin! Take a look at the resources provided and begin a list of the positives and negatives of life in the 50s. We will use these in class on Wednesday to make a creative conversation!

ABC-CLIO readings - [|THE COLD WAR AT HOME] , [|THE ECONOMY BOOMS] , [|THE SKY IS THE LIMIT] , [|BOOM-TIME FOR BABIES AND HOUSES] - usmstudent, historyrules

- Postwar economic growth -More products were made and sold - Birth rates raised after the Great Depression because soldiers came home and were ready to start a new life - Women had more oppurtunity for jobs -The American manufacturing economy produced consumer goods at the end of WW2 and by the end of the 1950s, one in six working Americans were employed in the Automotive industry - The United States became the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles -Organizations such as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis sponsored huge medical research projects, while the U.S. government poured money into developing a viable space program. || NEGATIVE -red scare (McCarthyism) which leads to domestic hysteria -people were randomly accused of being communist -bomb threats -nuclear arms race - more than 20 percent of Americas population lived in poverty - homeownership, luxury, and convenience were not available to all Americans. - Many of the government agencies established before World War II, including the Homeowners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration , practiced race and ethnic discrimination. ||
 * The 50s were "Happy Days" || The 50s weren't "Happy Days" ||
 * POSITIVE