Post World War II America was a place of seeming peace and prosperity as thousands of servicemen returned home to pick up their young families and move to the suburbs, starting "The Baby Boom" generation. Children played with hula hoops. Teenagers shocked their elders by listening to the new "rock and roll" music. Television began to play a large role in defining society as people began to get not only their daily news from the TV, but also their entertainment, from such shows as "I Love Lucy" and "Gunsmoke". However, there is also a serious side to this decade. The Korean War raged, the first hydrogen bomb was detonated, and the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation to be unconstitutional, setting off a fight for racial equity that would continue for decades to come. The Cold War began, and this threat of Communism led to a veritable witch hunt for Communists in America.
Use the web sites below to find out more about the 1950s!
Father Knows Best was a classic television sitcom depicting a suburban family of the 50s.
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