Spring Semester Project: Create a Web Site

Have you joined a group? Has the group selected a decade yet? Has your group decided on the four topics? If you like the cultural elements of the 1950's, select movies or movie stars like James Dean or Marilyn Monroe. What about 1960's politics? Think about the Bay of Pigs or Cuban Missile Crisis. If sports interest you, focus on one sport and one team like the UCLA Men's basketball team. Music? Think the 1970's and the Jackson Five.

The Kennedy Administration

Democratic Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy was elected the 35th president in Nov. 1960, replacing President Eisenhower. His charismatic personality in public, as well as his promise to "get America moving again", helped him gain the edge over his Republican opponent Richard Nixon. Kennedy concentrated strongly on military policies intended to improve upon those of the Eisenhower Administration.

After being sworn into office in Jan. 1961, Kennedy put more effort into competing with the Soviet Union’s military program, as the Soviets were gaining support in less developed countries, as well as in nearby Cuba. The increased funding for nonnuclear forces enabled the United States to indirectly fight smaller wars against the Soviet Union’s imperialism while avoiding an all-out nuclear war.

However, one of Kennedy’s critical errors was approving the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, originally conceptualized by the Eisenhower administration. This plan was intended to overthrow Castro, the new communist revolutionary leader of Cuba, with a small force of Cuban exiles and United States soldiers. When the American forces invaded Cuba on April 17, 1961, the Cuban troops backed by Soviet forces were more than a match for the American troops, and most of the invading exiles were imprisoned or killed. Following this disaster, Kennedy was forced to negotiate for the release of the American prisoners, and Castro was able to openly accept Soviet aid without fear of retaliation from the United States.

In addition, Kennedy passed many policies based on his idea of progress called the New Frontier. For the economy, Kennedy had to deal with the recession in America, as well as the high unemployment. Therefore, Kennedy proposed a policy of deficit spending, meaning the United States Government would spend more money than it received. This opened up more jobs and stimulated the economy, reversing the stagnant economy from the Eisenhower era.

As for social issues such as poverty, Kennedy created the Peace Corps - a program of volunteers that helped people in developing nations like Asia, Africa, and Latin America. At home, although Kennedy was sympathetic towards civil rights activists like Martin Luther King, he was reluctant to actively pursue civil rights since he thought this would anger the white Southern congressmen who decided whether his bills got passed. However, Kennedy did overturn selective immigration, which at the time, were mainly European immigrants. He expanded the immigration to Asia and Latin America, placing emphasis on family reunion instead of race.

Although Kennedy's presidency was cut short by his asassination on Nov. 22, 1963, his administration greatly impacted the military, economic, and social policies of America.

Written by: Derek O'Connor

The New Frontier--Space

On April 12th, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin became the first human to visit "the new frontier," or Outer Space. The U.S.A's president at the time, John F. Kennedy, saw this as a challenge between the two super-powers and pledged to surpass it. Less than a month later, American astronaut Alan Shepard climbed into Freedom 7, a small capsule on top of a huge rocket, and blasted into space and back, reassuring the nation of its ingenuity. Later that year, America launched its own communications satellite, Telstar, to send live television pictures across the Atlantic. America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was also constructing new launch facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida and a mission control center in Houston, Texas. The Space Race with the Soviets had begun. Addressing a crowd in Houston on September 12th, 1962, President Kennedy expressed his spirit and excitement for the space race by promising a man on the moon later that decade. Seven years later, on July 20th, 1969, the nation watched breathlessly as astronaut Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon to achieve this magnificent goal.

The Space program stimulated America in ways never expected, as the huge federal funding for research and development led to new industries and technologies, some of which were used in business and industry, and also consumer goods.

By Matt, Paris

Vietnam War

The United States believed they would easily conquer the Vietcong due to their superior military technology, although the jungle terrain and the guerilla warfare tactics were misleading for American troops. U.S. troops had difficulty fighting because they couldn't tell who their enemies were. The Vietcong had intricate tunnel systems from which they would attack from and then retreat. These tunnels connected underneath villages, allowing the Vietcong access into secure areas. The Vietcong also had booby traps that scared U.S. troops because of their brutality. To counteract the Vietcong’s traps, the U.S. used napalm and Agent Orange to eliminate the home terrain advantage. U.S. soldiers used the cause of combating communism as a way to believe in fighting the war. The Nations Selective Service System was enabled during the Vietnam War. Some men that were drafted could bribe doctors or find other ways of becoming exempt from the draft. Women were not allowed to serve in combat, although over 10000 served as nurses during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War started a free speech and protest movement, arguing against war.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, a secretary of the NAACP, was remembered by her courage to refuse to give up her seat to a white man on bus in Montgomery that eventually changed the American society towards the attitude of segregation. Before the arrest of Rosa Parks on the Montgomery bus, she had protested against segregation before. For example, she chose to climb stairs when buildings had segregated elevators.

On December 1, 1955, she sat on the front row seat of the “colored” section of a Montgomery bus. After having decided that she needed to protest against segregation, she refused to give up her seat as the bus driver demanded in order to allow a white man to sit down without African Americans. Parks allowed the bus driver to call the police and she was arrested. After the news of her arrest spread, the NAACP leader E. D. Nixon and Jo Ann Robinson suggested a bus boycott with the support of African-American community. As a result , the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed to boycott riding on Montgomery bus. It was led by Martin Luther King Jr. and lasted for 381 days. Finally, Rosa Parks’ incident led to the Supreme Court to outlaw bus segregation. Rosa Parks’ actions had changed the American society.

By Alvin

Culture in the 1950's

In the 1950s, there was a great change in American culture, in popular media, such as books, music, and in formats that news were broadcast. There were a lot of changes in books, with authors like Isaac Asimov, with his science fiction book, I, Robot, which led to the possibility of living in space. In other books, authors started writing about how people could begin to choose their own futures and not be limited by their past generations. The idea spread about the conformity of society and people began emerging from their past destinies into a life where they could change their own paths to succeed.

In the music industry, there were many legends that began their careers, such as Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley. During the 1950s, the United States was raging about the newest type of music, "rock and roll" which was developed by Southern blues and gospel music with a strong beat. Elvis Presley emerged from the era as one of the most famous artist in the United States and is still remembered today. He brought the African American voice through his music and was greatly praised because the parents did not want their kids listening to "the devil's music". Frank Sinatra had also made a great appearance to the media as a crooner, a type of music that sings popular ballads.

In the news media, many broadcasting companies transferred from their radio stations into television stations. Television sets became popular in the 1950s with rising populations watching it. Many shows like, I Love Lucy, Lassie, Father Knows Best, and other comedies. Many variety shows, such as The Edward Sullivan Show and Disneyland, were very popular for the whole family to enjoy. The television sets changed the ways that American's hours at home, with more hours spent at home more than before, enjoying the television for many hours a night.

By Arthur

Rosa Parks

"I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free... so other people would be also free." - Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks is a very important person in our history. Some say she started the civil rights movement on December 1, 1955. On that day, Rosa refused to give up her seat, on the bus, to a white person. She was then convicted by Montgomery, Alabama ordinance.
Even though Rosa was not the first one to refuse to give up her seat on the bus, she was a part of the NAACP. This greatly helped the situation because she was able to make moves that others weren't able to make. Her arrest caused the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association led by Martin Luther King. This group called for a boycott of city-owned buses. For 382 days since December 5, 1955, African American residents of Montgomery would refuse to take the bus to their destination. The white community would respond with harrassment and terrorism. On November 13, 1956, the United States Supreme Court would end this boycott by making it illegal to have segregation on buses. Rosa received 43 honorable awards and was voted one out of 100 most influential people in Time magazine for her act of defiance.

The Space Program: The "Space Race"

During the late fifties, the Soviet Union and the United States battled over who could be the first to send something up into space. October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union won this race when they launched Sputnik, a satellite that circled the globe. It traveled 18,000 miles per hour. It completed a rotation around the Earth within only 96 minutes! Immediately after this shocking event, the United States poured their efforts into making their own satellite. Their first attempt failed when the rocket toppled onto the ground. Finally on January 31, 1958 the first American satellite was launched.
Both the United States and the Soviet Union felt a need to push their space program in order to go above and beyond each other. The Soviet Union was the first to send a man into space, which was a risky decision. On April 12, 1961 Yuri A. Gagarin was the first to travel into space, surpassing the American’s for the second time in this “space race”.
The United States government wanted to out shine the Soviet Union, but simply sending a man into space was not going to do it. One month after Gagarin was launched, an American astronaut followed suit. Meanwhile, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was developing a way to send a man to a moon. They set up testing launch sites to develop their plans further.
Finally, after working diligently for seven years, the U.S. was able to beat the Soviet Union for the first time. On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Thousands of American citizens learned of this through television sets that broadcasted it. Kennedy was thrilled to have been a part of this event, which became the biggest bookmark in American history.
With this final feat, the Soviet Union was unable to compete with America’s latest achievement. This concluded the infamous “space race”. As a result of the countless months spent on developing new technologies, space and defense related industries expanded and the federal government provided funding for more research.

By: Liz and Noel

Japanese Concentration Camps

Japanese Concentration Camps

During WWII, Roosevelt signed the executive order that rounded up Americans of Japanese heritage. Roosevelt's executive order was fueled by anti-Japanese sentiment among farmers who competed against Japanese labor, politicians who sided with anti-Japanese constituencies, and the general public, whose frenzy was heightened by the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. More than 2/3 of the Japanese who were interned in the spring of 1942 were citizens of the United States.

The conditions of the camp were overcrowded and also poor living conditions, according the report by the War Relocation Authority, was that the J.A were housed in tarpaper-covered barracks with out and cooking or plumbing facilities at all. Food was rationed at the cost of 48 cents, leadership in the camps were given to Nisei who were the younger American born Japanese, while the older generation which was called Issei did not gain positions while the government ignored them, yet people were allowed to leave the camps only if the enlisted in the U.S army.

The legal issues that were brought upon the us were only concerning the interment in the camps by the defendants arguing that their 5th amendment right was being violated because of their heritage but although they fought hard, the supreme court ruled in favor of the U.S Gov. By the end of 1944, a few years after signing the Executive order 9066 Roosevelt took away the order and closed the camps and the last camp was closed at the end of 1945, many apologies were given.

Senator Joseph McCarthy

Senator Joseph McCarthy was an anti-Communist activist. Many people saw him as ineffective to the legislation. He then realized that being reelected is the answer to his conflict. His reelection came with a thought showing that Communism was taking over. He attacked Communists with suspecting and accusing others. McCarthyism was this act in the early 1950s.

Many people didn’t like Senator Joseph McCarthy’s unfair method. He would suspect innocent people of being Communist without any evidence provided. It showed disloyalty and reason without a proper regard for evidence. McCarthyism also increased the fear in Communists toward the American institutions by the Soviet agents. Many Americans in WWII were accused of being Communist with aggressive investigations and they were continually questioned by the government as well as intruded on their private-industries. Committees and agents were even looked upon. The main targets of McCarthyism were government employees because they were in control of the entertainment industry, many leaders, educators, and union activists. The leadership roles were looked mostly attacked.

There was a large sum of imprisoned people that were victims of McCarthyism. 10,000, to 12,000 lost their jobs and were imprisoned because of this act, then were imprisoned were questioned by committees. Homosexuals were also targeted. This came to thousands of people without jobs and harassed by the acusations. The film industry were also attacked. Over 300 actors and directors were unemployed and denied work because an unofficial Hollywood blacklist.

In 1954, McCarthy mad accusations against the U.S Army which was his downfall. This was spread nationally on television about the Senate’s investigation. The public then saw McCarthy’s plan and attacks, which lost many of his votes. The Senate then condemned him for his unfair and improper actions. It brought dishonor and a bad reputation toward the Senate. A few years later Joseph McCarthy turned to alcoholism because of all of his conflict then he had died.

Space Exploration of the 60's

by: Micaela and Lainey

With the idea that whoever controls the space exploration controls the technological race as well, many countries tried to discover more ways to accomplish tasks of sending people to the outer space.

The most common misconception however, is that most people also believe that once you get to the moon, you can merely sent an missile down to destroy other nations. Science, in present day tells us otherwise, and in fact it is more effective to send a missile down from an airplane in the sky than from a shuttle in the moon.



The competition was mostly between the United States and the Soviet Union. Once the Soviets released the Sputnik 1, in October 4, 1957, Americans felt fear and threat. Given the first artificial satellite launched to orbit the earth, Soviets were impressed by their accomplishments. Americans believe that it will come easy to the Soviets to overtake the country once they make the launch successful because it will enable them to get a hold of more advance and dangerous weapons.



A month later, USSR launched their second satellite, Sputnik 2. This satellite contained the first living organism to ever travel outer space. A dog named Laika, was used to test if the shuttle conditions were appropriate and sufficient to support a man on space. When Laika came back with no psychological damages, they were confident enough to send a man in space.

As the US launched its first successful satellite, the Explorer 1, the government gave way to more studies done in the space exploration field. The Eisenhower administration passed the National Defense Educational Act. This act allowed the government to spend more $1 billion for a wide range of reforms. Such including new school construction, fellowships and loans to encourage promising students to seek higher education, new efforts in vocational education to meet critical manpower shortages in the defense industry, and a host of other programs (1959).

On the other hand, Pres. Kennedy (1962) decided to start a program developing the space race. The goal of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was to send the first man to walk the moon. However, they were not able to send a man outer space until four months after the launching of Sputnik 1.



On July 20, 1969, US achieved their goal, and astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first steps in the moon. With this accomplishment, universities started to expand their space programs. These space programs spent a huge federal funding for research, and development which also gave rise to new industries and new technologies for the country.

Once again, the United States accomplishing this task of sending a man on space opened more opportunities to explore the world beyond the planet. The space race was a good way of proving the country's self worth and allowed for development of better technologies for the future.

A Race of Lunar Proportions

The Cold War inspired many competitions between the United States and the Soviet Union. One of said competitions was the Space Race. The Americans believed they had the edge space-wise until the Soviets launched the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space on October 4, 1957. This increased the worry that Soviets were advancing in technology more quickly than the United States. This fear was further increased when they launched yet another satellite, Sputnik 2, into space a month later. Americans realized they could not let themselves fall behind and so the National Committee of Aeronautics (NACA) launched the US satellite Explorer 1 a short four months afterward. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would replace NACA when founded on July 29, 1958.

Sending technological equipment into space was one thing, but sending a human was another one entirely. The USSR was also the first to achieve this when cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin was sent into space on April 12, 1961. Once again, Americans feared that the Soviets were getting ahead of them. President Kennedy proclaimed that although the Soviets were the first to send a man into space, the United States would be the first to have a man walk on the moon. However, first an American man had to successfully be launched into space and on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard was the man to do so. It wouldn't be until eight years later that Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins would reach the moon. On July 20, 1969, people all over the nation were able to see Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon. America had achieved their goal.

-By Becky

Era of Violence: Assassinations

On November 22nd, 1963, the presidnential aircraft Air-Force One landed in Dallas TX. The president had come to mend political "fences" with the members of the States Democrats. The president and his wife sat in the back of an open air limousine. As the car approached the state building, he was shot in the head. He was raced to a nearby hospital where he died.

As news spread of his death, one question was on everyones mind, "who killed shot Kennedy and why?" During the next for days, Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office on Air-Force One. Television audiences witnessed Dallas Police charge Lee Harvey Oswald as the murderer, because his palm print had been found on the rifle used to kill Kennedy. In 1963, the Warren Commission investigated the weird events that took place and concluded that Oswald had shot the president. Later though, a reinvestigation in 1979 concluded that there was another shooter. There have also been other investigations which have resulted in a wide variety of conclusions. Some people believe that it may have been an inside job by the CIA. They believe this because after reading the Warren report and other testimonies, people found contradictions. Those who feel that the CIA tried to cover it up point to the contradictions and claim that the information is purposely misleading which would be evidence of a cover up. They do not believe that the details are correct, so they feel that there may be some sort of cover up. Others believed that there was a magic bullet, because the trajectory of the bullet is a phenomenom that still can't be explained today. One other theory suggests that this was a plot by anti-castro Cubans. Some also believe that this was fueled by the Cold War and was fueled by the Soviet Union. This has been debated for many years and has been the cause of many conspiracy theories.

The day after the Assassination, the whole nation got work off to mourn the death of the President. President Kennedy was beloved by most Americans. Still today, Kennedy's killer is still debated today.

Connor and Cody

The Race in Space

On July 20th, 1969, Niel Armstrong would take the first steps onto the moon. This was a monumental achievement, not only for the United States, but for humanity has a whole. Finally, we had reached our goal of interplanetary exploration, and although the moon is just one small step of many, it is a launching point for exploration in space.
These few steps on the moon were the result of more than seven years of diligent work. The whole situation began with the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin, the first human in space. For years, Soviet Russia had been working on sending a man into space, and finally achieved this goal on April 12, 1961. Frightened by the possibility of the Soviets gaining an edge on us, President Kennedy vowed that America would be the first country with a man on the moon. In less than a month, the US also had a man travel into space. Following the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States dedicated a lot of time and money in reaching its goal of having a man skip around on the moon. It would be more than seven years until this goal would be accomplished.
The impact of this historic event can still be felt today in our technology and in our schools. Most of our wireless technology stems from the use of satellites and super-orbital spacecraft, and there is endless possibility for technological and economic expansion among the stars. Also, following the massive federal funding for research and space development, many schools and universities expanded their science curriculum immensely. The steps of one man are followed by years of international cooperation, the growth of business and renewed excitement in the sciences in the schools of America.

-Holt Bowmer

women in wartime

After the attack of Pearl Harbor, many of the militaries’ ships and aircrafts were destroyed. But in order for the U.S. to have a fighting chance against Japanese they had to recreate the lost ships and aircrafts. This opened many jobs for the citizens. Soon after the military started drafting men, and even a sum of 5 million men volunteered. Because of the draft they was an extreme shortage of men left to work in the U.S. So the women had to step up and take their places.
As the government realized that they needed more people to work for the military, they had passed The Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps. This had allowed women to work for the military as long as they would not see the battlefield. In a short amount of time about 6 million women had joined the work force. By 1944, there were almost 18 million working for the war industries. Which was about three times as much there was in 1941. Because of this involvement with the military, women had felt more confident in them selves and in their country

By: Liz Talalai

Space Exploration

Tensions between the US and Soviet Union were high in the late 1950’s. Each nation was trying to better each other’s accomplishments in military and space technology. The Soviet Union launched the first earth-orbiting satellite, Sputnik I, on October 4, 1957, and this caused a crisis in the US. Previously, the US had believed they were the leaders in space exploration, but after the success of the Soviet’s Sputnik I, US citizens became fearful that the Soviet’s military technology was advancing past the US’. When the USSR launched Sputnik 2 a month later, this dealt another blow to the US citizens’ feelings of US superiority.

The US’ space program, the National Committee of Aeronautics (NACA), was quick to respond, and managed to launch a satellite called Explorer 1 into space four months later. This began the space exploration competition between the US and USSR. Soon after, President Eisenhower signed a bill creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on July 29, 1958, and this replaced the NACA. The US continued their internal progress by passing the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in Sep. 1958, which greatly increased funding for education, so there would be a new generation of engineers who could potentially work towards advancing the US’ space technology.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin of the USSR became the first man to go into space (in orbit around Earth). The US, not far behind, got Alan Shepard into space on May 5, 1961. However, the US was still displeased because they felt the world would perceive the US as lagging behind the Soviets. President Kennedy planned to get a man on the moon before the USSR, and thus, NASA embarked on the Apollo project, which involved sending probes and eventually people to the moon. On July 16, 1969, NASA launched Apollo 11, with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin on board – they became the first men to successfully complete the lunar mission. On July 20, 1969, the US made history by being the first nation to have astronauts touch down on the moon. From this point on, the “space race”, which started with the launching of Sputnik I, was considered to be at end, but this did not halt further advances in space technology to the present.



Written by: Derek O'Connor

1960's Space Exploration

• Russia had their foot ahead in the space race. On October 4, 1957, Russia was the first to launch Sputnik 1, a satelite, into space. Four months later, the US would launch Explorer 1 into space. Later,in April 12, 1961 Russia would send the first human into space. The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin landed on the moon. This influenced all of the companies and programs related to space. Because of this, the United States multiplied the Soviet feat in that year. The technology increased and there was more communications in satellite, the Telster, depended on the technology. Television pictures were needed across the Atlantic Ocean. Some creators of these machines were the America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. NASA was established in 1958It created more facilities around Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Texas.

• As the space program progressed, new jobs were formed that needed employees to fill. President Kennedy called this the New Frontier. There were many uncharted areas in space that still needed to be explored. After WWII there was a major economic recession and the space program helped everyone out. Since the Soviets were the first to outer space, the United States wanted to better them. The US did so by being the first ones on the moon on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong would be the star that walked on the moon. Russia would then send planetary probes to Venus and Mars in 1960. Then in 1974, the US would send Mariner 10 to Mercury. This race has gone on for many years, and will still continue to go on because there is still a whole galaxy to explore. Even though this race was competitive based, we have been able to learn more about our neighboring planets.

McCarthyism

McCarthyism is defined as the sets of unsupported “communist” accusations made by republican senator Joseph McCarthy. At times, McCarty had claimed to have names of hundreds of “communists” within the State department. Although McCarthy made these claims, he never provided a single one of these names. McCarthy had also claimed that the Democratic Party was guilty of “20 years of Treason.” He claimed this was because they had allowed communists to infiltrate our government. McCarthy only claimed specific people of being communist within the senate, otherwise he could have been sued for slander. In 1954 McCarthy made accusations against the US army, which led to a nationally televised investigation on the senate. McCarthy improperly interrogated the “communist” whiteness, which lost him his public support. The senate condemned McCarthy of improper conduct which “tended to bring the senate into dishonor and disrepute.” In 1957 McCarthy died from alcoholism. After McCarthy died, the senate made it illegal to violently overthrough the government.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks stood up for her freedom or should i say sat down solid and strong for her freedom.On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama the brave woman refused to give up her bus seat for a white passenger. Rosa was obstinate and still refused to give up her seat,she was arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance, but her pride that day later resulted in ending the legal segregation in America and made a great impact of inspiration to freedom everywhere.Rosa and many other African Americans were adamant and sure that they were going to stand up strong to fight this time for there freedom, Mrs. Parks recalled in an interview, "we didn't have any civil rights. It was just a matter of survival, of existing from one day to the next. I remember going to sleep as a girl hearing the Klan ride at night and hearing a lynching and being afraid the house would burn down." Jo Ann Robinson and NAACP leader E. D. Nixon suggested a boycott due to her action and they also had help from minister Martin Luther King to help lead the group.On December5, 1955it was an estimate of 5,000 to 15,000 people boycotting it was the day to stand up for freedom. African Americans filed a lawsuit and boycotted and refused to ride buses for 381 days, all because the brave woman Rosa Parks reused to give up her seat.

By: Paris B. and Matt M.  

Culture in the 1950's

by: Lainey and Micaela

Coming from World War II, the United States industry and manufacturing is still recovering from the traumatic experience that the war had put it through. However, the era of the 1950's is considered to be one of the turning points of American History due to the economic rise as well as its dominating industrialization. It allowed the recovery to be a fast and easy transition and made it able to progress.

During this time period, there are many inventions that have helped make America more efficient and known for its capabilities. Inventions such as automobiles helped transportation from city jobs to home much more convenient. In these times, suburban living made owning a car a necessity. jobs, churches synagogues schools stores and doctor's and dentists' offices were not walking distances it was essential to owning a car. Cars also added better ways for leisure by traveling and made people more connected with family from distant towns.


Also drive-ins and drive-thru's were very popular. families would go and watch a movie at the drive-in or go to drive-thru to get some fast food. waitresses would wear fancy uniforms or roller skates which was added to the fun of front seat dining.


In addition, there are also media improvement and the entertainment of the American citizen is now one of the sources of income for many businesses. More technological outlets for radios and movies are becoming even more popular to the average citizen. More and more people are accustomed to these areas of entertainment available to them. in 1948, there are 18500 movie theatres that draws in 90 million paid admissions for week. However, the invention of better television decreased the number of moviegoers. by 1954, 50% of movies were in color, and this helped attract more and more audience.

In the musical genre, there are more kinds of music being discovered. Music such as rock and roll were becoming popular with the generation and those such as; Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Bill Haley were becoming icons for the teens. They help involve more people in the musical department which helped boost the production of instruments. This started the era of musicians and other forms of artistic talents begins to surface.


Even though many other countries were trying hard to salvage what is left after the second World War, United States was able to turn their luck around and start the era of production and entertainment. This not only made America able to give itself a whole new meaning, but it also allowed the country to prosper.

Rosa Parks: One Woman

On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama NAACP secretary Rosa Parks refused give a white man her seat on a segregated bus. In response to the bus driver telling her to move, she said, “it was time for someone to stand up, or in my case, sit down. I refused to move.”

After it became clear that she wasn’t going to move for the white man, Parks was arrested. Her case went to the federal court where it was overturned due to the fact that the form of segregation used on the Montgomery buses was unconstitutional. When her case went to the Supreme Court they agreed with the previous court’s decision and claimed the “separate but equal” no longer applied.

Meanwhile, Martin Luther King Jr. led the boycott of the Montgomery buses. A system of carpools was used to ferry around African Americans when needed. This proved that African-Americans could unite to peacefully protest unfair actions.

Parks, once just a seamstress with an interest in boycott segregation, did a lot of things in her everyday life to combat the unfairness. She wouldn’t use colored elevators and instead used the stairs. Similarly, she refused to use segregated water fountains. In the summer of 1955 she attended a workshop promoting inter-racial living for students. Her actions prove that one person can make a world of difference.

-By Becky and Liane

Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam war started as an American effort to help the French. Vietnam was a French colony, and many Vietnamese wanted to self rule the colony. In 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam and formed the Vietminh, an organization whose goal was to obtain independence from France. France had no intention of relinquishing its colony; and as a result, they sent troops into Vietnam in 1945. In 1950, the United States entered the struggle and sent 15 million dollars in aid to France. Over the next few years, the United States sent over 1 billion dollars into France's war effort to defeat a "Man" the United States had once supported. In 1954, the French surrendered and the Vietminh controlled Vietnam. Many countries met in Geneva along with the Vietminh and the South Vietnam Anti- Communists to make a peace- agreement. The agreement divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. Communists were in the north, while anti communists were in the south. By 1957, the communist group in the south, known as the Vietcong, began attacking the south vietnamese government. The north Vietnamese supported the group and began attacking the south Vietnamese government.

As the South Vietnamese government failed, because of ongoing corruption, the Vietcong presence in South Vietnam meant that the U.S. needed to get involved. In order for the South Vietnamese government to stabilize, the leader Diem would have to be assassinated. In 1963, the U.S. military killed him. Diem death ultimately brought more chaos The destroyer Maddocks was off the North Vietnamese coast, and the crew said that they saw torpedoes being launched. The alleged attack was an excuse for the U.S. to go into war.

The Vietnman war ended up lasting from 1959 until 1975. It is estimated that the U.S. killed 90,000 civilians in the war. 1,100,000 Vietnam's people army and the Nation Front for liberation of Vietnam were killed. 58, 260 american troops were killed in action, while 303, 644 were injured.

Connor

Cody

1950's Culture

The 1950’s were revolutionary times in which Americans celebrated the return of their soldiers. The baby boom during the fifties involved the birthrate skyrocketing after soldiers began returning home. With men home from war, women happily returned to their positions as housewives, yet not all gave up their jobs.
With the baby boom, education systems were forced to grow in order to accommodate for the incoming students; 10 million new students entered elementary school during the 50’s. There were increased jobs in the toy business due to the demand for child entertainment.
Adult leisure became more widespread. Home appliances, like the invention of the washing machine and dishwasher, made it easier for women go out without worrying. Fans went out to sports events and participated in bowling, fishing, and hunting. Magazines and comic books entertained millions of readers. The populace read more fiction books, for their amusement, rather than educational ones; they indulged in romance and mystery novels.
With the growing population, came the automotive boom (auto mania) and in five years car sales rose by one million. Commuting workers needed cars to get from their suburban neighborhoods to more urban areas. With the influx of cars, more efficient routes of travel were built such as highways and interstates.
During the 1950’s advertising flourished, creating mass consumerism. On television, billboards or in magazines, these advertisements brought customers to stores. Housewives were drawn to advertisements for the newest appliances to make their work at home easier. Planned obsolescence became a system for manufacturers so that owners would need to replace an item after a few short years. The credit system allowed people to spend more freely knowing that they could buy now and pay later. Because of this rise in credit, private debt increased by over $100 billion.

by Noel Thompson and Liz Talalai

Mother of the Moder Day Civil Rights Movement

Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Tuskegee, Alabama to a carpenter, James McCauley, and a teacher, Leona McCauley. At the age of 11, she went to a private school founded by liberal minded women in Montgomery. Her mother told her as she was growing up to "take advantage of the opportunities, no matter how few they were. As she grew up, she didn’t have any civil rights. She went to Alabama State Teachers College. After she graduated, she married Raymond Parks and settled down in Montgomery. Together they joined a chapter of the NAACP in 1943 to improve the African-American segregation in the south.
December 1, 1955 was a turning point for Mrs. Parks and for all historians. She took a seat in the front row of the "colored" section of a Montgomery bus. As the bus started to fill up, the driver ordered Mrs. Parks to leave the front of the bus so a white man could sit down not next to an African American. She refused to move. The bus driver threatened to call the police. Mrs. Parks replied, "You may do that."The word of her arrest spread quickly.
That incident led to the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association, lead by Dr. Martin Luther King, a young pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The Association called for a boycott of the city owned bus company. It lasted 382 days and brought the Association a lot of attention. It proved to the world that one community could unite and organize a successful protest movement.
After the protest, A Supreme Court decision struck down on the Montgomery ordinance under which Mrs. Parks was fined. They also outlawed racial segregation on public transportation.
Mrs. Parks and her husband moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1957 where Mrs. Parks served on the staff of U.S. Representative John Conyers. In her honor, the Southern Christian Leadership Council established an annual Rosa Parks Award.
Her husband passed in 1977. She then founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. It sponsors an annual summer program for teenagers called Pathways to Freedom.
Mrs. Parks passed away in 2005 at the age of 92 in Detroit. Rosa Parks changed many lives and liberated many people.

The Space Program

In the 1960's, the United States feared that they were lagging behind the Soviet Union in their technology. As Russia shot their first human into space through the spacecraft called Vostok, the United States decided to launch their own spacecraft. The United States launched a Mercury spacecraft, that was known as Freedom Seven. After being self-confident about the success, President John F. Kennedy decided to take a step further towards victory. After positive reinforcements, Kennedy stated in a joint session that he wanted to take the space missions on the moon. As Russia had more missions in space, there was a lot of tension between the two countries. The United States was then informed that Russia have had their first spacewalk, they were about to launch their secret weapon. The United States was at its peak when they decided to launch Apollo 11, which contained Neil Armstrong and his crew. He was the first man to walk on the moon and the excitement was brewing as he planted the American flag onto the moon's surface. The crew was also able to return to Earth with no problems at all. The success told the Soviet Union that the United States had won the Space Race.

By Arthur Cheung

McCarthyism

During the Cold War, anticommunist feelings were common among United States citizens. Joseph McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, saw this as an opportunity to win the reelection in 1952. He began to claim that Communists were taking over the government, and made false accusations against individuals working in the government. This tactic to attack fiercely on suspected Communists was known as McCarthyism. Using his legal immunity from slander in the Congress, he accused officials from the State Department and people of the Democratic Party of being Communists and spreading communism without any evidence. Even though McCarthy’s approach towards combating communism was radical, the majority of the Republicans did not stop his actions because they thought his actions could aid the 1952 presidential election. However, there were six senators led by Senator Margaret Chase Smith who condemned McCarthy’s irresponsible behavior in Congress. Eventually, McCarthy’s popularity plummeted when the public saw a televised Senate investigation on U.S. Army where McCarthy interoggated the witnesses harshly. In response, the Senate condemned his behavior as “dishonor and disrepute”, and he died three years later from alcoholism.

By Alvin