1answer.
Ask question
Login Signup
Ask question
All categories
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Business
  • History
  • Health
  • Geography
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Technology
  • Arts
  • World Languages
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • SAT
  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Engineering
Mariulka [41]
2 years ago
9

What was the goal of most americans in the 1950s?

History
1 answer:
Alexandra [31]2 years ago
7 0

Answer:

During the 1950s, a sense of uniformity pervaded American society. Conformity was common, as young and old alike followed group norms rather than striking out on their own. Though men and women had been forced into new employment patterns during World War II, once the war was over, traditional roles were reaffirmed. Men expected to be the breadwinners; women, even when they worked, assumed their proper place was at home.

After World War II ended, many Americans were eager to have children because they were confident that the future held nothing but peace and prosperity. In many ways, they were right. Between 1945 and 1960, the gross national product more than doubled, growing from $200 billion to more than $500 billion, kicking off “the Golden Age of American Capitalism.” Much of this increase came from government spending: The construction of interstate highways and schools, the distribution of veterans’ benefits and most of all the increase in military spending–on goods like airplanes and new technologies like computers–all contributed to the decade’s economic growth. Rates of unemployment and inflation were low, and wages were high. Middle-class people had more money to spend than ever–and, because the variety and availability of consumer goods expanded along with the economy, they also had more things to buy.

Suburban developments were being established and created houses that were perfect for young families–they had informal “family rooms,” open floor plans and backyards. However, they were often not so perfect for the women who lived in them. In fact, the booms of the 1950s had a particularly confining effect on many American women. Advice books and magazine articles (“Don’t Be Afraid to Marry Young,” “Cooking To Me Is Poetry,” “Femininity Begins At Home”) urged women to leave the workforce and embrace their roles as wives and mothers. The idea that a woman’s most important job was to bear and rear children was hardly a new one, but it began to generate a great deal of dissatisfaction among women who yearned for a more fulfilling life. (In her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique, women’s rights advocate Betty Friedan argued that the suburbs were “burying women alive.”) This dissatisfaction, in turn, contributed to the rebirth of the feminist movement in the 1960s.

In the 1950s, televisions became something the average family could afford, and by 1950 4.4 million U.S. families had one in their home. The Golden Age of Television was marked by family-friendly shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Twilight Zone and Leave It To Beaver. In movie theaters, actors like John Wayne, James Stuart, Charlton Heston, Marlon Brando, Grace Kelly, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe dominated the box office. The Abstract Expressionism of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning signaled a new age in art, paving the way for the Pop Art of artists like Andy Warhol in the 1960s.  

The 1950s saw the emergence of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and the new sound swept the nation. It helped inspire rockabilly music from Jerry Lee Lewis to Johnny Cash. People swayed to The Platters and The Drifters. Music marketing changed, too. For the first time, music began to target youth.

The booming prosperity of the 1950s helped to create a widespread sense of stability, contentment and consensus in the United States. However, that consensus was a fragile one, and it splintered for good during the tumultuous 1960s.

You might be interested in
According to philippians 2:5-8, what direction did jesus' life take
emmainna [20.7K]
<span>According to Philippians 2:5-8, Jesus' life to a direction of humility. Jesus submitted to the Father, God. He dies for the sins of others. To fully understand suffering, he lived life as a human and died as humans do. According to Philippians 2:5-8 if we believe in Jesus Christ he can forgive all our our sins.</span>
3 0
3 years ago
The source of morphine is the opium poppy, known by its botanical name as papaver somniferum. what does this mean in english?
Oliga [24]
Papaver means that it is a member of the Poppy genus when translated to English, while somniferum means "sleep-inducing". When translated from Latin to English, it basically means "the poppy that brings you sleep" or the "sleep inducing poppy", which is not that wrong considering that it is used to make opium.
8 0
3 years ago
Mark the statement if it accurately describes Magellan’s expedition.
Gelneren [198K]
"<span>d. The expedition did not conduct trade along the way" would be an accurate statement regarding Magellan's expedition, since this expedition was purely exploratory in nature. </span>
3 0
3 years ago
Read 2 more answers
Which of the following does the Communist Party do through its party organization? Select all that apply.
malfutka [58]
I'd say c. e. and possibly b
6 0
3 years ago
Read 2 more answers
Why was racial tension high after WWI?
aleksandrvk [35]
Black soldiers were not treated like white soldiers were, even though they wanted to fight in the war. Whites soldiers feared the way they would coke back from the war. Black doodles revived way less more medal than the whites. And also because blacks were moving into places whites haven't been.
8 0
3 years ago
Other questions:
  • What colony was established for prosecutor Roman Catholics
    11·1 answer
  • Why did human civilizations develop along the East-West axis rather than along the North-South axis?
    10·1 answer
  • Which of the following quotes supports the ideals of the 1st amendment? *
    6·2 answers
  • what are two contributions to civilization made by each of the primary South, Meso, and North American civilizations?
    13·1 answer
  • Which of the statements below best describes why people came to America for religious reasons?
    13·2 answers
  • What was one way world war I affected the political situation in europe
    6·2 answers
  • What does laizzez faire mean
    7·1 answer
  • What if warren harding wouldn't have died and finish his term ​
    8·1 answer
  • Who did the British air force fight in the Battle of Britain?
    5·1 answer
  • Using the passage above, which choice below was the most important reason for annexing Hawaii?
    11·1 answer
Add answer
Login
Not registered? Fast signup
Signup
Login Signup
Ask question!