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The Golden Age

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Guvani

The rising popularity of TV in 1953

Between 1953 and 1960, there was an important change called the “golden age”. It was a period of peace, harmony, stability and prosperity. Most Americans, during the golden age lived better than their parents and grandparents in areas such as housing, income, education, diet and recreation. Numerous innovations also came into widespread use in these years, transforming Americans daily lives. These innovations include television, automatic dishwashers, inexpensive long distance telephone calls, home air conditioning and jet air travel. Moreover, services like electricity, central heating and indoor plumbing that only the rich had enjoyed has now became features of ordinary citizens.

An event that was responsible for this change in the golden age was the ‘Cold War”. This is the term used to describe the relationship between America and the Soviet Union. Neither side ever fought the other but they did ‘fight’ for their beliefs using client States who bought for their beliefs on their behalf. This resulted into the golden age because great tasks were accomplished and mankind lived better lives.

Posted in 1953-1960, June 15 assignment | Tagged Cold War, Golden Age, Innovations, Soviet Union | 3 Comments

Economic Freedom of the 1950s

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Thomas

American society and culture of the 1950s was dominated by consumer driven values. These values are heavily influenced by the economic prosperity experienced in the 50s. The United States was still seen as the world’s dominant industrial power. The steel, automobile, and aircraft industry products were the most sought after in both domestic and international markets. The government also supported western state economies by issuing contracts for numerous military weapons due to the Cold War.

Jobs in the service sector also grew and because the economy was growing so rapidly, wages and benefits rose in parallel. There were relatively few strikes, high employment, and low inflation. Americans now had more residual income to spend on themselves. Credit cards and overall credit was also much easier to obtain. Jack Straus said, “The luxuries of today are the necessities of tomorrow.” Luxuries such as cars, air conditioning, dishwashers, and central heating were all becoming common items in households of the 1950s. Discount stores, shopping malls, and fast-food restaurants were also common.

The spending habits of Americans in the 1950s was similar to the spending habits of the 1920s. I believe the change in values was a result of the end of World War II. The 1950s represented the end of the Great Depression and War eras in which many items were scarce and many sacrifices had to be made. The 1950s can be categorized as a period of economic freedom, a freedom not experienced since roaring 20s.

Posted in 1953-1960, Economic History, June 15 assignment | Tagged consumerism, economic freedom, prosperity | 1 Comment

Massive Retaliation

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Yimei

Massive Retaliation was a term created by President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State John Foster Dulles on 12 January 1954. On that day , Dulles gave a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Although Eisenhower was a military solider, he really hated war. In the contrast, his Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was really like to fight. He gave a speech and annuanced that “any Soviet attack on American ally would be countered by a nuclear assault on the Soviet Union” ( Eric Foner,891).

Massive retaliation was a powder-flag of any conflicts beteween Soviet and America. It could bring a nuclear war possiblely at any time and destory the Soviet Union and the Unite States. The impact of massive retaliation was very lasting and widerspread. Citizens were extremely scared by possible impending nuclear war. This affected American and Soviet Union’s daily lives. American government created many programs, such as building underground bomb shelters and school drills. The action of government made whole nation more scared. I personally think massive retaliation not only affect American economy, but also influence the politic stragety of America.

Posted in 1953-1960, June 15 assignment, Political history | Tagged massive retaliation, nuclear war, scared | 1 Comment

Vietnam War

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Sofiya

The most important event of 60’s in American history was Vietnam War. No doubt that this historical event changed forever the mind of American society and leads to creation of civil rights movement, famous Martin Luther King’s march on Washington DC, student’s protests, movement for gay rights and etc. Full responsibility for the beginning of Vietnam War is on Lyndon Johnson, who in 1964 forced US Congress to approve the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The official beginning of Vietnam War is 1965, when 200,000 American soldiers were sent to Vietnam. That war, that no one really needs and whose goal was to take the revenge on Soviets, broke American society believe into the rightness of the politics. The lost generation of American soldiers who survived this war gave birth to the new protest movements for peace and until now being one of the most politically active anti-war and civil right supporters. The book by Kovic “Born on the Fourth of July” and the movie based on this book very well illustrates the historical events of that period in American history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5gaIXI2Mn4

Posted in 1960-1968, 1969-1988, June 14 assignment | 1 Comment

Hippies

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Esmeralda

Some of us remember this amazing time when the word of Love meant so many things. To bad I wasn’t around to enjoy this crazy time and all that it brought with it.

The hippie movement started in San Francisco, california and spread across the United States, Canada, and into parts of Europe. Hippies shocked Amercians with there alternative lifestyle and radical belief.

Hippies brought out Love, Sex and of course Drugs. For a decade they lived the way they wanted and how they wanted. It introduced Marijuana to the world, LSD made people float, and a host of other drugs. Opened up the door to new experiences and allow rock and roll to flourish. Rock and Roll was at its best. This moment changed culture as they know it in the 1960’s, it changed it for good. The world has never been the same after that.

Posted in 1960-1968, June 15 assignment | Tagged Drugs, freedom of expression, Love, Sex | 2 Comments

The Civil Right s Act of 1964

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Juan

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the main events in the 1960’s because changed the life of many people, mainly to the African-American. As a minority person I guess I can understand how it feel to be discrimated, however I can’t compare with thoses humilitation that many African-American people faced in that era. Thanks to this act was prohibited the racial descrimination in the USA. I want to mention that behind a great event also there are a great leaders, in this case I would like to mention the former President John F. Kennedy who took the initiative of this new law, as well as Martin Luther King, who was the voice of this act and who represented the African-American people’s voice. How we can forget Lyndon Johnson, a white president who didn’t care that other white people was opnent to this law, he made this act a dream come true.

Now, we are in the year 2010 and unfortunately a lot people we still facing everyday a lot of racial discrimation. I hope the society we can learn that we don’t have to judge people for their skin color or just for their appareance, we gave to remember that thank God there are diversity in the society and we learn from that. We have to keep in mind that if we enjoy the present is because somebody suffered in the past.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged African American, Lyndon Johnson, the Civil Right Act | 1 Comment

1960s: Freedom for all Americans.

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Mdsyfulislam

1960\’s Civil Rights Movement

The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was officially passed on December 6, 1865 and it abolished slavery and declared the freedom for American citizens. But the freedom was not established until the 1960s, the time when Civil Rights Act passed to abolish the various discrimination in American society. The Civil Rights activists want to free themselves from “the chains of political and economic slavery.” I think that 1960s are playing a significant role in the American history because in this time the economic and political freedom are achieved, and the Civil Right Act of 1964 helped to establish these freedom.

The race and color based discrimination on the employment were exist before the 1960s. The protesters of Civil Rights movement wanted the equal opportunity to get the job, and their posters focused on the “Jobs and Freedom.” The Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped the blacks to get the same opportunities that the whites had. It is clear that 1960s was the time when all Americans especially Blacks start to enjoy their new economic and political freedom.

Posted in 1960-1968, Economic History, June 14 assignment, Political history | Tagged 1960s, Americans, Civil Right Act of 1964, Civil Rights Movement, Discrimination, equal opportunity, Freedom | 1 Comment

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Fernando

In this photograph, President Johnson is signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with Dr. King one of its biggest supporters behind him. This act is one of the most important legislations during this time because it outlawed any unlawful treatment of minorities through voter registration and segregation in the workplace, school or in public.

It later became stronger in its enforcement which led to the election of minority officials in the Judiciary systems and in the US Government as a whole.

Posted in 1960-1968, June 14 assignment, June 16 assignment, Uncategorized | Tagged Civil Rights Act, End of Segregation | 1 Comment

The Death of Che Guevara

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Angie

The revolutionist Che Guevara was executed, October 9, 1967 by the Bolivian government.

Through Guevara’s travels to study medicine he was captivated by the poverty, hunger and illness people faced in South America. He believed that in order to help “these people“ he had to fight for them politically. All of Guevara’s experiences in South America, particularly in Guatemala fostered a drive for him to concentrate in politics; he wanted to fight for the poor in order for them to have a better life.

His efforts lead him to team up with Fidel Castro as a member of the “26^th of July Movement”. Guevara joined forces with Fidel because they shared an anti-imperialism ideology. Guevara was also known for perfecting Guerrilla Warfare during his training, later on teaching and writing a book about it.

Che Guevara remains to this day as an iconic symbol for the poor as well as the youth. He was an intelligent individual, constantly eager to educate the less fortunate. He stressed literacy and education in Cuba which resulted in a literacy reform. Guevara himself trained teachers and read to campesinos. His efforts helped Cuba dramatically increase the literacy rate.

Although Guevara is characterized by his brutal military demeanor and behavior, he contributed greatly to the Cuban government and was a voice for all the people exploited throughout the world. He served as the Cuban representative in the United Nations where he continually fought for aid and criticized America for the treatment of their people based on the color of their skin.

Guevara was admired by many leaders and people all over the world. Till this day, his revolutionary iconic red and black symbol is displayed and his legacy remembered.

I believe he is one of the most people that ever lived.

I obtained this photo from Sonya Rehman’s Archive: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sonyarehman.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/7003-che-guevara-red-80mm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sonyarehman.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/making-sense-of-che-guevara-%25E2%2580%2593-how-clueless-is-generation-x/&usg=__JZ2TsWdQCEEjOXQJme_CWHRwp9I=&h=400&w=320&sz=40&hl=en&start=6&itbs=1&tbnid=NB4FyWxAg5XfAM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dche%2Bguevara%2Bred%2Band%2Bblack%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

Posted in 1960-1968, Uncategorized | Tagged Che Guevara, Revolutionist | Comments Off

Modern American History