Freedom riders were men and women black and white who were trying to test segregated buses, especially in the South. Due to a lot of court cases, they thought they had to call for disegregration.
Tennessee KKK creation.
Containement and communism.
After WWII, Truman and Eisenhower knew that WWIII would break out if communism was directly attacked, there were ways to avoid it. This was called containment. In order to contain communism, many things were set up : The Marshall Plan particularly. It was to keep communism back. Joseph Mc Carthy was known to be a drunk and a looser. He was speaking to a group of ladies in West Virginia ( known as the armpit of the nation) and he made a speech and he said that he had documented information that over 205 communist organizations were in Ameica. He wanted to have a new career, it worked for a while. The year after, he accused many people and companies of being communist, he accused also people who wanted to bring down democracy : He accused actors, writers...Americans were afraid and they now wanted to look for people who were not patriotic for example. This lasted about 3 and a half years. It was difficult to find a job . The witch hunt Arthur Miller, accused of being a communist synpathiser. Americans had been scared into the fear of communism. The 1950's red scare. This created a lot of panic fall out shelters.
Eisenhower's term.
COLD WAR : In October 1957, USA were totally speechless with the technologic developement of the USSR. Americans tried to be very competitive. Einsenhower doubled government spending in 1958 and 1959 concerning defense and research. He established a science...and a National aeornotics and space administration ( July 1958 : NASA). That's one of the reason why he doubled the spending budget. American education system wxanted to be also competivite to beat the Russian one. At that time, money was then poured into the school system all over the country and then there was a big progress in math and sciences. The years during the 1950's, it was time of standartization, conformity and it was a decade in which middle class had to stand quo. Keeping up with the Jones : rference to consumerism ( to have better that the guy next door). There was an emphasis on religion, it was thanks to the government emphasis to the " godless communism", there was a new found commitment to religion. 1954 : Congress added these words to the Pledge of Allegiance. Onennation 'under god". 1958 : Something else was added to the American mney" In god we trust". Americans were busy working, there was a very low enemployement, people were being good citizens and people were also preparing for the possibility for a nuclear war. The media talked about patriotism, the family value and the collective values. Most fathers were too busy workign to give attention to their children and women were too worried about volunteering at church or schools and they didn't really pay attention to their children. In reality, America was not the perfect country and little by little in 60's there was a social and cultural upheaval. Not everybody wanted to fit in this conformity.Many people didn't care about foreigh or domestic affairs. There were interested in cars, music. The youth of the 50's wanted leisures, it is the silent generation : their parents went to the war and they lied through war. They just wanted to live their life carpe diem. Another youth rejected conformity : they cried for the civil rights, they rejected the war in Korea, they felt misunderstood and alone. But, people started to wonder about unequalities, in the youth. It was the beat generation. They glorified uninhibited sexuality, they were in search of it, the key of everything. Jales Dean.
But, a lot of juvenil delinquancy, it was the launch kids. 50's : good old days ( even though poverty and segregation). The decade was idealized.
60 : kennedy's election ( democrat)
44 million votes, he won by a minuscule percentage. Southerner and roman catholic.
Wife : Jaqueline. He concentrated in international affairs.january 61 : he's done evrything to uphold american freedom. Peace corps programme
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