The 50s

The 1950s was a decade categorized by the Post WWII boom, the beginnings of the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.

The United States was the worlds strongest military power, with an economy that's recovery from the Great Depression was more than successful. In the 1950s, the "American Dream," truly was shown; however, the 50s were also a time of great conflict. Including, (but not limited to,) the Civil Rights Movement, the Korean War and the overall division between the haves and haves-nots.

"Boom" was used to refer to many things during this time period: economy, suburbs, and more commonly the so-called, "baby boom." The boom began in 1946, when a record breaking number of 3.4 million babies were born in the United States alone! About 4 million babies were born each year during the 50s; and, by the time the boom was over, there were almost 77 million "baby boomers."

After WWII ended and the soldiers came home, the "independent woman" was a minority once again. There was clear gender roles: the men were the breadwinners, and the women were used as breeders. Most families had a set of parents, 3-to-4 kids, and a pet. This time was only a happy time for the people who had it all. If you didn't, it was hard to buy things as there was high demand and therefore, high price. The G.I. Bill sponsored low-cost mortgages for many returning soldiers, which meant that it was often cheaper to buy one of these suburban houses than it was to rent an apartment in the city. These houses were great for young families. The suburban houses earned the nicknames of "Fertility Valley" and “The Rabbit Hutch.”

But suburban homes were not so great for the (mostly white) women living in them. They were expected to cook, clean, have kids and also take care of them. All while fitting the confining beauty standards. It was seen akin to a sin to be single, and divorcing was almost never an option. This caused the rebirth of the Feminist Movement of the 1960s.

The 50s overall, entertainment, fashion, fads, music and more!