America 1950

• What was the Red Scare in the 1950s USA?

  A fear that Communism was taking over the world
• What was the role of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)?

  To investigate suspected Communists in government and other sectors
• Who was Senator Joe McCarthy?


  A senator known for putting suspected Communists on trial
• What was McCarthyism?


  A campaign against alleged Communists in the US during the 1950s
• What was the public reaction to McCarthy's trials when he targeted army members?

  People did not like it and began to investigate McCarthy
• How much did the American population increase after World War II?

  By 40 million people
• What shift occurred in consumer behavior after World War II?

  People changed from saving money to spending it
• What were the main consumer goods produced in the 1950s?

  TVs and cars
• What was the significance of the suburbs in the 1950s?

  They were areas where rich people lived, allowing more people to own homes
• What percentage of Americans lived in the suburbs by 1960?

  20%
• How were women and family depicted in advertising during the 1950s?

  As common images used to sell products
• What new social group emerged in the 1950s?

  Teenagers
• How much money did teenagers spend weekly in the 1950s?

  Up to $15 a week
• Why were teenagers targeted by advertisers in the 1950s?

  They had their own money and spent it on various products
• What were some popular expenditures for teenagers in the 1950s?

  Cars, music, fashion, and alcohol
• What was the popular music genre among teenagers in the 1950s?

  Rock and Roll
• Who was a famous Rock and Roll star in the 1950s?

  Elvis Presley
• How did older generations view Rock and Roll music and dancing?

  They disapproved of it
• What laws were introduced to maintain segregation after slavery?


  Jim Crow Laws
• What did the Jim Crow Laws enforce?

  Segregation of Black Americans under the principle of 'Separate but Equal'
• What aspects of life were segregated under Jim Crow Laws?

  Water fountains, schools, restaurants, and transportation
• What was illegal under Jim Crow Laws regarding marriage?

  Intermarriage between black and white people
• When were the armed forces desegregated?

  In the late 1940s after World War II
• What was the significance of the Brown vs Topeka Board of Education case?

  It led to the Supreme Court ruling that schools should be desegregated
• Who was Linda Brown?

  A girl who had to travel a dangerous distance to her black school
• What organization helped the Browns in their court case?

  The NAACP
• What year did the Supreme Court decide on Brown vs Topeka Board of Education?

  1954
• What was the outcome of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs Topeka Board of Education?

  Schools should be organized by area, not by race
• What was the impact of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?


  It showed the importance of people power in achieving change
• What event triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

  The arrest of Rosa Parks
• How long did the Montgomery Bus Boycott last?

  One year
• What was the Supreme Court's ruling regarding transport segregation in 1956?

  It was deemed illegal across America
• What was the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

  He was one of the participants and was arrested
• What happened during the Little Rock High School incident in 1957?

  Nine black students tried to attend the school but were prevented by the National Guard
• Who ordered the National Guard to prevent the Little Rock 9 from attending school?

  Governor Orval Faubus
• What action did President Eisenhower take regarding the Little Rock High School incident?

  He sent in 1,100 Paratroopers to protect the students
• How long did the army stay at Little Rock High School?

  For a year
• What was the long-term outcome of the Supreme Court's ruling on desegregation?

  It took decades for schools to fully desegregate
• What was the societal expectation of women in the 1950s?

  That their place was in the home
• What was the average age for women to get married in the 1950s?

  20 years old