1963: March on Washington

The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.” But even after the Civil War and the end of slavery, people of color found themselves treated unfairly. They weren’t allowed in many public schools, they had to eat at separate restaurants and use separate bathrooms, and they had to pay taxes and pass literacy tests to vote. The idea was to keep blacks “separate but equal.”

By the late 1950's a movement had started. People were demanding laws to protect their civil rights – rights that all free Americans are guaranteed as citizens of this country. One was Thurgood Marshall, a lawyer who went on to become the first black justice on the Supreme Court. Another was Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to white passengers. One particularly influential speaker and activist was Martin Luther King Jr.

Roughly 250,000 people marched through Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. Called “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” the event called the nation’s attention to the injustice and inequalities that black Americans faced because of the color of their skin.
In support of civil rights for all Americans, the demonstrators made their way from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable and moving “I Have A Dream” speech.

A man with a dream

King was a minister from Alabama who became one of the leading voices of the civil rights movement. One of his first successes was the Montgomery Bus Boycott – a 382-day operation that led to the desegregation of buses.

King was threatened with violence and jail, and his house was even bombed, but this did little to stop him.

From then on King was at the forefront of the civil rights movement. He traveled across the country, organizing protests and marches to call attention to the struggle of black Americans.
Though on several occasions King was thrown in jail, he maintained a philosophy of nonviolence. King believed that fighting back would only make things worse, and the true path to victory could be achieved through preaching truth and acceptance.

In late 1962, civil rights activists started to organize what would become the largest civil rights demonstration in the history of the United States. It took awhile, but by June of 1963, they had put together an impressive group of leaders and speakers – including King – to help them.

The organizers of the march had to make sure people had a way of getting into the city. They had to make sure marchers knew where to go and what to do once they got there. They had to have doctors and nurses in case anyone needed first aid. They had to provide water, security, and be ready for any emergency. And they needed some way to pay for all of it. It was going to take fund raising, planning and lots of work.
On Aug. 28, the city swelled with marchers. They drove in. They bussed in. They took trains. Three student marchers walked and hitchhiked 700 miles to get there. A quarter million people waved signs and cheered and listened to speakers address the civil rights problems challenging America. The last speaker was Martin Luther King Jr.
“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” King began. His ensuing speech is remembered as one of the corner stones of the civil rights movement.
A year later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made segregation in public places illegal, required employers to provide equal employment opportunities, and protected the right to vote of every American, regardless of the color of their skin.

Watch this video..

And this video ...

CBS and ABC both covered the event. 

Comment: Do you think it would have been cool to attend this event? Why or why not? 

1960's: Birmingham Church Bombing

Four little girls were killed in Birmingham, Alabama when Klu Klux Klan members dynamited the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on a Sunday morning as the children prepared for Youth Sunday services.

This terrorist bombing, less than three weeks after the March on Washington, riveted the country’s attention–and led to passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Watch this video on the bombing.
If you cant view History Channel Videos watch this one instead. 

Check out these photos. Click next to see the whole slideshow.

Fabulous Fifties: Culture

The years after the war produced the Baby Boom generation. In 1950 there were twenty-four million young children in America. By 1960,that number was thirty-five million. More families meant the need for more houses. And bigger families needed bigger houses. In 1950 alone, almost one and a half million new homes were built in America. Suburbs were created for the first time, planned communities outside of the city center.  People moved to the suburbs because they thought the schools there were better than city schools. They also liked having more space for their children to play in. More space meant children had room to lay out electric train sets. In a lot of American homes, playing with electric trains was an activity that brought the whole family together.

The late 1950s brought the Barbie doll and a big circular tube of colorful plastic called the Hula Hoop. People had to learn to move their hips in a circular motion, like a hula dancer in Hawaii, to spin it around their body. Hula Hoops became hugely popular in America.

In Hollywood, one of the biggest movie stars of the 1950s was Marilyn Monroe. Her platinum-blonde hair style also became popular among American women. Another famous actor was James Dean, best known for the nineteen fifty-five movie "Rebel without a Cause." That same year he died in a car accident at the age of twenty-four. In music, the rebel was Elvis Presley -- the king of rock and roll. Elvis was a twenty-one-year-old truck driver when he sang on television for the first time. Some parents and religious leaders thought he was a bad influence. They thought the way he moved his body to the music was too suggestive. But young people screamed for more. They listened to Elvis' music on records, on the radio and on the television program "American Bandstand."

​"American Bandstand" became the most popular dance party in America. Every week, young people danced to the latest songs in front of the TV cameras.

Television in the 1950s included dramas acted live on TV. And there were quiz shows, and game shows, and comedy programs such as I Love Lucy. If Elvis was the king of rock and roll, Lucille Ball was the queen of comedy. During the nineteen fifties, millions of Americans watched "I Love Lucy." 

Television shows were all in black-and-white. But one night in 1953, Americans got their own time-machine glimpse into the future of TV. It happened with an announcement during Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows." NBC TV Newsman Richard Harkness: “This is Richard Harkness in Washington. This week will long be remembered in the annals of television, for on Thursday December seventeenth, the Federal Communications Commission approved Compatible Color Television.”

That meant that owners of TV sets could still watch programs broadcast in color, in black and white, instead of having to buy a new set. Color TV’s popularity grew quickly, and the prices of color TVs came down, meaning more color TVs in American homes…and more and more programs produced in color.

During the 1950s, most of the people who appeared on television were white. If black actors appeared, they were usually in jobs working for white people.

This is the playlist for all of the songs presented in Countdown if you ever want to check them out. 

To explore more about the American culture during the 1950’s … do an Internet search and find the following information.

Create a minimum of TWO PowerPoint slides. Email them to Mrs. Tvedt after you are done! 

Cassie:  Why did thousands of American kids wear coonskin caps in the 1950's? Provide images of three toys popularized in the 1950's that are still common today.

Emma: What was meant by the slogan, “I Like Ike”?  Attach an image that best represents this slogan. And also … What was so special about Checkers, the dog?  (attach an image)

Evan: What was the baby boom?  Attach a chart/graph depicting the baby boom. Here is a good source for you: http://www.history.com/topics/baby-boomers 

Jacob: Find YouTube videos  of three famous bands/singers from the 1950's. Embed these videos in your PPT slides. Also, tell us a little about the  “beat movement”?

Kara:  Find two movie posters from the 50's and provide a summary of each movie.  Also, tell us what the most popular TV shows were in the 1950’s and a find a few clips that we can watch on Youtube.

Kelly: Who was Dr. Jonas Salk and what good did he do for society? Tell us what polio was and describe how it would be to have polio.

Lauren:  Attach an image that displays Ray Kroc's contribution to society.  Explain the image and how it relates to the 1950's.

Martin:  Which president is credited with the Interstate Highway System?  Find an image of its construction.  Also, show us what kinds of cars were driven in the 50's. 

MG: Tell us about the first real planned community (suburbia) …. Levittown.  Show a picture of Levittown, Long Island, New York (in the 1950's) and tell us how it was so different from anything Americans had known before.http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/28/levittown-america-prototypical-suburb-history-cities 

Sally: What was the GI Bill for those men returning home from the War? Show us some images of men returning home from WWII. Show us a few images that depict women's roles after the war. 

Tanah:  Share some of the popular fashions for men and women in the 1950's. 

Brek: Show us  images of two popular 1950's athletes - list the sport and major accomplishments for each. 

Jon:  Share some of the popular music from the 1950's. Tell us about at least three famous artists and provide some of their music for us to hear. 

Fabulous Fifties: Teenagers

The term "teenager" was rarely used before the 1950s. 

During the Eisenhower years, young people began to see themselves, for the first time, as a distinct group. 

Earlier in American history, young people often had to work full-time jobs to help support their families' basic survival. 

By the 1950s, that was usually no longer the case. Teens instead worked part-time jobs or received allowances from their parents, giving them money to spend on fun stuff. They owned cars, cruised the highways, and frequented fast food outlets and drive-in movies. They bought records and adopted rock n' roll as the sound of their generation. 

Rock was a form of music created specifically for teenagers, performed by young people, and marked by a more open sexuality than the kids' parents were used to.

Like many in the Fifties, they were restless. But as they grew up, they tended to adopt to the norms of the wider society. 

Almost half the young men of the era were drafted and served dutifully in the United States military. Even Elvis Presley, the epitome of defiant youth, was one of them.

Watch this video on Teen Culture in the 50's and this on some of the music fads of the time.

Complete your America's first teenagers Worksheet today. 

Comment on the Blog:

What do YOU think would be cool about being a teen in the 1950's? 

What would you not like so much? 

1950's: Civil Rights

Although a lot of good things came from the 50's, there was an ugly side of life too; segregation and discrimination. 

A civil rights movement was beginning to gather strength as legal battles were fought to end racial separation, especially in public schools.

In 1954, the United States Supreme Court made a historic ruling. The case was known as Brown v. Board of Education. The court ruled that the requirement in some states for racially separate schools was unconstitutional. The court rejected the idea that schools for black students could be "separate but equal" to those attended by white students.


By the nineteen 1960s, the civil rights movement would shake American society.

Slavery ended in 1865 with the South's defeat in the Civil War. However, the life of black Americans improved little. Three amendments were added to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing rights to freed slaves. Slavery, though finally outlawed, was merely replaced with racial discrimination and injustice that was upheld legally by Black Codes (laws restricting rights of blacks). 

When Reconstruction ended, in 1877, after the Civil War Southerners began passing new laws enforcing racial segregation (separation of black people from whites) known as Jim Crow laws. It was the Jim Crow laws through which the beliefs about the inferior nature of blacks were spread throughout much of the twentieth century. 

The term Jim Crow comes from a racist fictional character popular in America in the early 1800s. The character, played by a white person with blackened face, expressed racial prejudice against black Americans depicting an uneducated, poor rural black person.

Jim Crow laws strictly enforced public racial segregation in almost every aspect of Southern life. The segregation laws did not exist in the North, but racial discrimination by Northerners was widespread nonetheless. For example, blacks could not buy houses in the same neighborhoods as whites. Economic and educational opportunities for black Americans were greatly restricted.

By 1915, all Southern states had some form of Jim Crow laws. Blacks could not eat in the same restaurants, drink out of the same water fountains, watch movies in the same theaters, play in the same parks, or go to the same schools as whites. Blacks had to sit in the back of buses and streetcars and give up their seats to whites when instructed to do so. Blacks could not nurse whites in hospitals. Signs reading "Colored Only" or "White Only" could be seen everywhere.

Blacks could not eat in the same restaurants, drink out of the same water fountains, watch movies in the same theaters, or go to the same schools as whites.

Blacks could not eat in the same restaurants, drink out of the same water fountains, watch movies in the same theaters, or go to the same schools as whites.

In addition to laws, there were certain unwritten social expectations. For example, a black man was not to shake hands with a white man and he could not make eye-contact with a white woman or else he would be accused of highly inappropriate sexual advances. When speaking, blacks were expected to address whites as "Mr.," "Sir," or "Ma'am."

Jim Crow laws also blocked most blacks from voting in public elections. Local authorities charged fees, called poll taxes which most blacks could not afford, and required blacks to pass literacy (reading and writing) tests not required of whites. 

In addition to legal and social restrictions, terrorism by white supremacists was also used to discourage blacks from voting. These combined measures were very effective. In Louisiana, more than 130,000 blacks were registered to vote in 1896. By 1905, that number dropped to just over 1,300. If blacks violated Jim Crow rules, they could expect swift and perhaps brutal punishment, such as whippings or even death.

Watch this four minute video about Jim Crow Laws. One more that two minute video.

Comment on the Blog:

What are your feelings about these laws? 

Fearful Fifties: Atomic Bomb test

Fearful Fifties: Berlin Airlift  Iron Curtain  Soviet Bomb

Imagine you’ve just climbed into a time machine for the purpose of visiting the United States – in the 1950's.

What would you expect to find?

In the nineteen fifties, America was a nation whose population was growing as never before. It was a nation where the popular culture of television was both reflecting and influencing its lifestyle.

But it was also a nation that believed it was on the edge of nuclear war. Americans were happy to put World War Two behind them. The war ended in nineteen forty-five. People were hopeful. They thought the world would be peaceful for a while.

By nineteen fifty, however, political tensions were high again. The United States and the Soviet Union were allies in World War Two. But, after the war, they became enemies in what came to be known as the Cold War.

Communists took control of one eastern European nation after another. The Soviet Union led by Josef Stalin strengthened its armed forces. However, the United States thought America alone possessed the most powerful weapon of all -- the atomic bomb.

But in nineteen forty-nine, a United States Air Force plane discovered strange conditions in the atmosphere. What was causing them?

The answer came quickly: the Soviet Union had tested its own atomic bomb. 

Watch this 2 minute video. 

The nuclear race was on. The two nations competed to build weapons of mass destruction.

A "doomsday clock" on the cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warned of a growing danger of nuclear destruction. Members of that group were afraid of what science had produced, and even more afraid of what it could produce.

By nineteen forty-nine, the time on the doomsday clock was six minutes to midnight.

In nineteen fifty, North Korea invaded South Korea. The Korean War increased efforts in the United States to develop a weapon even more deadly than the atomic bomb. That weapon was the hydrogen bomb. The Soviets were also working to develop their own hydrogen bomb.

Some Americans built bomb shelters in their backyards, hoping to have a safe place for their families in case of a nuclear attack. Other Americans, however, were tired of being afraid. After years of sacrifice, they wanted to enjoy the good life in a growing economy.

Nineteen fifty-two was a presidential election year. Americans elected Dwight Eisenhower, a military hero of World War Two.

No comments required. 

Fearful Fifties: Iron Curtain

THE FEARFUL FIFTIES

• Berlin Airlift
• Iron curtain
• Bomb Shelters

Although they were allies during WWII, it was just a 

matter of  time before the political systems of the Soviet 

Union and the  United States would clash. 

Once the dust had settled, it became increasingly clear 

how  different their goals would be for the future of 

Europe. The  United States was determined to assist

 countries throughout  Europe and form democratic

 governments through free  elections. 

On the other hand, the Soviet Union was more

 concerned about defending its borders against any 

future  attack from Western Europe. 

As a result, the countries along the Soviet Union’s 

border  came under control of the Soviets and soon

 thereafter  established communist governments.

From the Soviet point of view, these communist countries were to serve as a buffer zone (a neutral zone between two hostile nations) between the powers of the west and the Soviet Union. The western powers didn’t see it that way at all. 

Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Great Britain, called  the buffer zone by another name—the “Iron Curtain.” In his words, Churchill famously warned against communist expansion claiming that “an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."

View the two images below. One is a map and the other is a  political cartoon. Respond to the challenges that follow.

A Map of the “Iron Curtain”

A Political Cartoon of the “Iron Curtain”

Source:IronCurtaincartoon, jspivey, Wikispaces

Check out this interactive website about the Iron Curtain. 

Comment on the blog and answer the following two questions: 

1. In the cartoon above, do you think the “iron curtain” is designed to keep people out or keep people in?
   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.
   

   
   
2. Why do you think the artist added railroad tracks to the cartoon? In other words, what message is the artist trying to communicate?

Fearful fifties: Berlin Airlift

THE FEARFUL FIFTIES

• Berlin Airlift
• Iron curtain
• Soviet bomb test

Why is this American Air Force Plane 
Dropping Candy on Germany, a Country in Europe?

Remember, after World War II, Germany and its capital Berlin were divided. The Soviets controlled the eastern part and America, along with its allies Britain and France, controlled the rest.

In June 1948, the Soviets decided to make a move to control Germany, the most important country in Europe. They blocked all the roads and railroads into Berlin, making it impossible for those living in the American and allied parts of the city to get supplies.

In this video the Soviets shut off power to West Berlin.

Beginning on June 26, 1948, America responded with the "Berlin Airlift" to fly in everything a city needed to keep going including coal for heating, food and milk, machinery, soap, medical supplies and newspapers.

The U.S. Air Force even sent a baby camel for the children of Berlin. American pilots were known for dropping candy with little parachutes from their planes for the kids of Berlin.

 Planes delivered up to 2,500 tons of food, fuel, and supplies a day to Berlin. Planes flew around the clock, and during the peak daylight hours, planes landed at the rate of one per minute. The blockade ended in June 1949, but the airlift continued until September 30. In 15 months two million tons of food valued at 224 million dollars had been delivered, and West Berlin remained free. Like Germany itself, Berlin was finally reunified in 1989 which we will explore later.

Click here to Meet the "Candy Bomber." 

Watch one more: Today Show

Comment on the blog:

Share one fact from any of the videos that you found interesting. 

Fearful Fifties: Bomb Shelters

The United States detonated the first atomic weapon in July 1945. Americans believed that they would have the monopoly and control over atomic warfare for many years. 

Russia surprised the U.S. by launching its own atomic bomb in 1949. Thus began the “arms race” and “cold war” rivalry between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. This fierce competition created a frightening situation for American citizens. Were the “Reds” coming? Where would they hit? Could the bomb be beat? The mentality of the time believed that attack was imminent. The Soviet threat was a part of everyday American life. It wasn’t about “if;” it was about “when,” to many people. Would the plane flying overhead be “the one?” 

The U.S. Government responded to this hysteria by introducing bomb shelters. Seminars were held to display deluxe and economic models and supplies that were vital. Door to door salesmen approached families convincing them that they would be safe if they purchased a shelter. Evidence was shown that human, animal, and plant life were negatively affected. Didn’t you want to keep your family safe?

Unlike earlier conflicts, the incredibly powerful nuclear weapons held by the Soviets and U.S., and later other countries, threatened a war that could end life on earth as it was known. The "arms race" involved each side increasing the number and power of its nuclear and regular weapons.

These weapons made made any confrontation between the U.S. and Soviet Union very dangerous.

Nuclear missiles and bombs meant that just about everyone in America and the Soviet Union was a risk. Kids at U.S. schools had to practice for an attack. They would hide under their desks or in the hallway.

Families were urged to build or purchase fallout shelters in order to protect themselves in case of a nuclear attack from Russia. 

This video was made by high school students to depict life in the 1950's. 

One more video showing what students were taught in schools to be safe during a nuclear threat.  

Comment on the Blog: 

What are three things you couldn't live without if you were forced to spend a month in a fallout shelter? 

Complete the Fallout Shelter Assignment.

1950's Introduction

The 1950's or simply, the Fifties, was a decade that bore a deep-rooted impact not only on America, but on the entire world. People who lived through the decade, have multitude of memories, good and bad. Those who were born afterwards, heard a lot of stories about "the era". 
All in all, the decade was an eventful one. A lot of new ventures began, giving way to a lot of new ideas and inventions. 



People were enjoying their family lives to the fullest and the economy was booming. Marilyn Monroe was rocking and Elvis Presley was making the audiences roll. 

But, at the same time, it was also a decade when a number conflicts, internal and external, cropped up which were to have long-lasting effects on the future. 

Following are some of the interesting facts about the Fifties:

Science and Technology

✫ The United States successfully carried out its first ever hydrogen bomb explosion test. Code named Ivy Mike, this test was conducted on November 1, 1952 on the coral island of Enewetak in the Pacific Ocean.

✫ The polio vaccine was invented and first tested in 1952. Subsequently, it was launched in 1955 and over seven million American students were injected with the same. The world has been using it since then.

✫ In the year 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) was established in the northwestern suburbs of Geneva. It was aimed at being the world's largest laboratory of particle physics. 

✫ In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first ever artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik 1. This was an important advancement because valuable information about the ionosphere could be gained through radio signals generated by the satellite.

✫ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established and became operational in 1958. Since then, most of the space explorations conducted by the United States have been led by this organization.

Popular Culture

✫ The decade also saw the rise of cultures such as Beatniks, wherein a group of teenagers rebelled against social norms. The Beatniks are considered to be the predecessors of the Hippie culture.

✫ Hollywood movies such as Ben-Hur and Sunset Boulevard were released. Also, the 'thriller' genre grabbed many eyeballs, with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock making their mark with movies such as Rear Window and North by Northwest.

✫ Walt Disney's Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland were released in 1950 and 1951 respectively, and were smashing hits.

✫ Amongst the various genres of music, bebop and variations of jazz became hugely popular in the 1950s. The teen icon was Elvis Presley, known for his classic rock 'n' roll style.

✫ Pop art as an art movement emerged in the mid 1950s. Artists took inspiration from television, advertising, movies, etc. and created art works that became very popular.

Here is the link for your worksheet ..

Check out the slang terms that were common in the 1950s. 

Comment on the blog: 
Write a few sentences as though you are talking to a friend using 1950's slang terms.