Baby boomers: after world war II, returning Gls were eager to buy homes, start families, and pursue the "American dream". (American History).The Baby Boom started in 1946, a year after U.S. soldiers returned from the battlefields of Europe and Asia. Buoyed by victory and an economic boom, veterans rushed to marry; start families, and build homes. Until 1964, U.S. women gave birth in record numbers. All those children tested the limits of school systems, natural resources--and hospital maternity wards. In popular images and ads, boomers are often shown watching TV sitcoms about perfect white families, playing cowboys and Indians, and riding bicycles through quiet streets. But the era had a dark side. While a Cold War raged between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, American blacks struggled to achieve basic civil rights. Later, protests over the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. and women's rights The effort to secure equal rights for women and to remove gender discrimination from laws, institutions, and behavioral patterns. The women's rights movement began in the nineteenth century with the demand by some women reformers for the right to vote, known as suffrage, and would change the American landscape forever. RELATED ARTICLE: TELEVISION By the late 1950s, nearly every suburban living room had a TV set. Boomers became the first generation to be raised on sitcoms, Westerns, and variety shows. But TV served as more than just entertainment, It created a growing market for toys, clothes, and refrigerator/freezers--where families could store TV dinners! RISE OF THE SUBURBS World War II veteran Bill Levitt had a revolutionary idea. In the late 1940s, Levitt razed raze also rase tr.v. razed also rased, raz·ing also ras·ing, raz·es also ras·es 1. To level to the ground; demolish. See Synonyms at ruin. 2. To scrape or shave off. 3. potato fields in Long Island, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , and built thousands of identical homes--giving birth to the suburbs. "Levittown" houses were equipped with such conveniences as washing machines and electric ranges. Soon, similar towns sprang up across the U.S. At first, black families could not live in Levittown. The rule changed in 1949, but it would be decades before diversity came to the suburbs. CIVIL RIGHTS African-Americans grew tired of being shut out of the American Dream American dream also American Dream n. An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: . Their anger and frustration sparked the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders, they staged nonviolent protests, sit-ins, and marches. Eventually, justice prevailed, and they gained rights that had long been denied to them. THE MURDER OF JFK It was a salute that broke millions of hearts. John E Kennedy Jr., known to the world as "John John," raised his right hand as his father's coffin passed on a Washington, D.C., street. President Kennedy had been shot to death days earlier, on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas “Dallas” redirects here. For other uses, see Dallas (disambiguation). The City of Dallas (pronounced [ˈdæl.əs] or [ˈdæl. . Immediately, the nation plunged into mourning. To many people, Kennedy's assassination Assassination See also Murder. assassins Fanatical Moslem sect that smoked hashish and murdered Crusaders (11th—12th centuries). [Islamic Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 52] Brutus conspirator and assassin of Julius Caesar. [Br. signaled the death of American innocence. THE ATOMIC AGE atomic age also Atomic Age n. The current era as characterized by the discovery, technological applications, and sociopolitical consequences of nuclear energy. After atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945 to end World War II, the image of a mushroom cloud haunted the world. Later, the U.S. and Soviet Union engaged in an arms race--and a war of words over the buildup of Soviet weapons in Cuba. Forced to confront the threat of nuclear attack, schoolchildren schoolchildren school npl → écoliers mpl; (at secondary school) → collégiens mpl; lycéens mpl schoolchildren school performed "duck and cover Duck and Cover was a suggested method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear detonation which the United States government taught to generations of United States school children from the late 1940s into the 1980s. " drills in classrooms and headed in single file to fallout shelters. Nuclear tests
The VIETNAM WAR In the early 1960s, few Americans could locate Vietnam on a map. But by the start of 1968, the Vietnam War had cost Lyndon B. Johnson the presidency. What happened? After World War II, the French fought Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh (hô chē mĭn), 1890–1969, Vietnamese nationalist leader, president of North Vietnam (1954–69), and one of the most influential political leaders of the 20th cent. His given name was Nguyen That Thanh. , a Vietnamese Communist leader, for control of the country. President Harry S. Truman For other persons named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). Harry S. Truman (May 8 1884 – December 26 1972) was the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953); as vice president, he succeeded to the office upon the death of Franklin D. and other U.S. leaders watched from afar, fearing the spread of Communism. Gradually, the U.S. got involved. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon would all suffer anguish over this unwinnable Unwinnable is a state in many text adventures, graphical adventure games and computer role-playing games where it is impossible for the player to win the game (not due to a bug but by design), and where the only other options are restarting the game, loading a previously saved war. The war divided America. College students protested what they believed was the senseless slaughter of civilians, while returning veterans felt betrayed by the nation they had served. HOT RODS Teenagers loved the look of fancy cars--and the independence those cars brought them. Whether you drove a Chevy Bel Air Bel Air may refer to: Places in the United States:
ROCK 'N' ROLL rock 'n' roll: see rock music. When Elvis Presley wriggled his hips and sang, "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog," giddy teens squealed. A new musical movement--with electric guitars and an amplified beat--was under way. Its name? Rock 'n' roll. The music evolved from rhythm-and-blues tunes heard on black radio stations and country, or "hillbilly," songs. If Presley was the king of rock 'n' roll, then singer/songwriter/guitarit Chuck Berry Noun 1. Chuck Berry - United States rock singer (born in 1931) Charles Edward Berry, Berry was its father. The Beatles Elvis, and other rock 'n' rollers said that Berry influenced their work. A rhythm-and-blues master, Charles Edward Anderson Berry got his start in the church choir at age 6. Boom Box Take this quiz with your favorite baby boomer. * 1. In Leave It To Beaver Leave It To Beaver tranquil life in suburbia (1957-1963). [TV: Terrace II, 18] See : Domesticity , Wally's friends were: (A) Larry and Ted; (B) Eddie and Lumpy; (C) Beaver and Larry * 2. Ed Sullivan's friendly mouse puppet was named: (A) Lamb Chop; (B) Buggsy Paar; (C) Topo Gigio. * 3. This type of bracelet was popular with boomer girls in the 1950s: (A) charm; (B) diamond; (C) leather. * 4. In 1957, singer Elvis Presley was drafted into the: (A) Marines; (B) Air Force; (C) Army. * 5. This rebel actor became a cult hero after his tragic death in 1955: (A) Jimmy Everly; (B) James Dean; (C) Johnny Matthis. * 6. Elvis Presley made this song famous: (A) "Pink Cadillac"; (B) "At the Hop"; (C) "Heartbreak Hotel." The answers to this quiz are in you Teacher's Edition. ANSWERS Boom Box Quiz 1. B 2. C 3. A 4. C 5. B 6. C American History: Baby Boomers OBJECTIVES Students should understand: * the Baby Boom and the causes of this population increase; * the nature of the American Dream in the Baby Boom; * the impetus of the Civil Rights Movement. SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS Grades 5-8: * continuity and change * 20th-century U.S. history * economic cycles TEACHING STRATEGY Have students list things that describe their generation. Consider technology, events, people, problems, entertainment, and trends. Now have them interview people born between 1946 and 1964 to make a list for that generation. Note similarities and differences. THINKING SKILLS COMPREHENSION: Why are the people who were born in the years following World War II called Baby Boomers? (The return of soldiers led to a sharp rise in the U.S. birth rate--a baby boom.) MAKING INFERENCES: How did Bill Levitt react to the boom? (Seeing a need for new homes, he bought farmland in Long Island, New York and Pennsylvania. He built thousands of identical houses with affordable prices. These new suburbs increased demand for schools, cars, roads, and shopping centers. They changed U.S. lifestyles.) EXPLORING SPIN-OFFS: In what ways did TV affect the Baby Boomers? (By the end of the 1950s, millions of families owned TV sets. This was a boon for advertisers and entertainers. However, along with ads and entertainment, TV brought fear, uncertainty, and sometimes hope into people's homes.) ACTIVITIES Research: How did events such as the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and nuclear proliferation affect Baby Boomers? What signs of the Baby Boom era are still with us? RESOURCES * Kallen, Stuart A., The 1950s (Greenhaven Press, 2000). Grade 7 & up. Videos * Postwar Hopes, Cold War Fears PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, Home Video P.O. Box 751089, Charlotte, NC 28275-1089 1-800-531-4727 * The Fifties Time-Life Video 1450 East Parkham Road, Richmond, VA 23280 1-800-621-7026 Web Site * It Seems Like Yesterday www.itseemslikeyesterday.com/BabyBoom/contents.asp |
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