The 1950's
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, such shows as “I Love Lucy” and “Gunsmoke.” However, there was alsoa 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 the 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 websites below to find out more about how the fun and serious sides of the 1950s can relate to the themes of Romeo and Juliet!
A list of sites that contain information about the 1950s
- The 1950s: Happy Days
Part of the From the Depression to the New Millennium web site hosted by Beyond Books.com Be sure to follow the "Focus Topics" links. - American Cultural History 1950-1959
Part of the Kingwood College Library's Research Assignment Guides web site. - Fifties Boulevard
A Graphic Portrait of the Fifties in America. Come home to the fifties you remember with food, fashion, cars and much more. - Slang of the Fifties
Part of the Fifties Web - The Literature & Culture of the American 1950s
Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania English Department.