50s+Collage

1950s

The 1950s were full of changes. Suburbs, TVs, fast food, baseball (The Ultimate Pastime), Rock n' Roll, fancy cars and motels were all being introduced to America. American people began to watch TV like never before. Marilyn Monroe, as well as Elvis Presley, who was a rock n' roll singer, became huge stars. Many American families began eating dinner in front of the TV, and devoting a lot of their free time to the tube. Meanwhile, William Levitt had the idea of mass-producing houses in areas called the suburbs. The prices were reasonable so many Americans began to move to those areas. Pretty soon there were suburbs near many of the major cities in the U.S. Because so many people lived in the suburbs, it was necessary to have a car to get to work in the city. General Motors were introducing many new styles of cars to the road. The giant amount of cars on the road lead to intense traffic, so more highways were being built. So, many American families were going on trips in their cars and they needed places to eat and sleep. The motels available were not kid-friendly, and were way too expensive so Kemmons Wilson had the idea of building nice and affordable motels for families. He created the Holiday Inn chain. What were these families supposed to eat? Well, fast food was the new answer. Dic and Mac McDonald built a drive in restaurant where the mass-production idea was apparent again. The restaurant was a big hit so Ray Kroc handled McDonald's franchising and soon they were all over the country! It was a glorious time with much prosperity and happiness, but many people were being left out. The suburbs created the "ideal picture" in which men got up, went to work, came back, and then did something such as mow the lawn. The women were expected cook, clean, and do all the other household chores. Finally the children were just suppose to go to school, come back and do homework and then do what there mom asked all the while having fun. This seems perfect, but to the women in this "Picture" it wasn't very fun. Women wanted to earn there rights and show that they were just as good as women. When Betty Friedan started talking and later publishing a book, //Feminine Mystique//, it showed that women were indeed not happy with the live they were living. They wanted to be doctors and jobs that up till now were only run by men. This book and some of the other advocates for women's rights helped women and men reconsidered there role in the economy. To sum up, the 1950s was a glorious time with much prosperity, but it was also a decade that affected the people of the time!