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Period: Jan 1, 1492 to
Entertainment in America
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The Bloody Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience-book
-written by Roger Williams
-produced a huge uproar
-argues against theocracy
-argues for toleration of various Christian denominations -
The First Great Awakening
This was the first religious revival in America and made a huge impact on theology in the colonies. The speeches were made to be intensely personal and talked about how people already part of the religion can live towards redemption and personal morality. This revival united colonists and introduced more African Americans to christianity. At a time when American was just growing, colonists looked to religion as their only form of escape or entertainment.
-Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield -
Common Sense
This pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine and was one of the first widely circulated pieces of writing that the American people could connect with and keep for themselves. At a time when colonists were still disputing on whether or not they wanted to fight for independence against the British, this was able to pursuade the Americans why the fight for freedom was necessary. Paine used biblical references to relate to most colonists and overall from unity and patriotism to the colonies. -
Romanticism in 19th Century
-this was an artisitc, literary, and intellectual movement that emphasized feelings over rationality
-it was a reaction to the excesses of the Enlightenment
-this was reflected in literature and other works of art -
The History of the Revolution
a multivolume piece of literature, written by revolutionary pamphleteer Mercy Otis Warren. -
Life of Washington-book
bestseller by Mason Weems, glorifies George Washington, yet lacking accuracy. -
The Age of Reason-Thomas Paine
-pamphlet written by Thomas Paine
-published in three parts (1794, 1795, 1807)
-attacked traditional Christian values
- a part of the post-revolutionary enlightenment and reason -
Deference of Fort McHenry-poem
-poem written by Francis Scott Key that would become the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem
-this was inspired the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the British pursuit of Baltimore; the British could not get past the fort -
Leatherstocking Tales-James Fenimore Cooper
-series of novels by Cooper
-the first was published in 1823
-emphasized the importance of the individual as well as a stable social order -
Last of the Mohicans-novel
-James Fenimore Cooper
-takes place during French and Indian War
-accurately captured America, and its uniqueness, as with all of Cooper's works -
minstrel shows
-American entertainment acts consisting of music, comedy, and whites in "blackface"
-in 1830s, Thomas Dartmouth Rice's "Jump Jim Crow " performance brought blackface to a new prominence -
Penny Press Newpapers
-significant change in the nature of newspapers
-newspapers were now affordable, and therefore appealed to the masses
-pioneered by Horace Greenley
-reported human interest stories -
Democracy in America-book
-Alexis de Tocqueville, a French civil servant, wrote this book asa response to his observations of the American democratic process -
Self Reliance- Ralph Waldo Emerson
-urges against conformity
-expresses his transcendatlist beliefs -
The New York Knickerbockers
The first organized baseball team in America. Originally a childern's game, this activity was transformed into a professional sport and the "American pass time." -
The Raven, Tamerlane, and others by Edgar Allan Poe
-Poe was one of the great Southern writers
-tales of terror and darkness
-explored world of spirit and emotions
-The Raven-published at 1845 -
The Scarlet Letter-novel
-author Nathanial Hawthorne criticizes Puritan bigotry -
Moby Dick-novel
-Herman Melville
-considered to be on the greatest American novels
-tells the story of of sailot Ishamel and his voyage on a whaleship -
Walden-Henry David Thoreau
-written by Thoreau
-repudiated society, preached civil disobedience and transcedentalism -
Leaves of Graves-Walt Whitman
-poetry collection by Whitman
-celebrated the importance of individualism -
The Hireling and the Slave-poem
-epic poem by William Grayson
-essentially compared slavery to the situation of a northern worker
-he said that if anything, the slaves lived a better life than the workers -he wrote this in support of slavery as a beneficial institution to the slave -
The Impeding Crisis of the South-book
-written by Southerner Hinton Helper
-this claimed slavery to be a backward institution and predicted that in due time, the North would lap the South when it came to productivity
-it also pointed out that the existence of slavery was not economically in the poor white Southerners best interest -
Washington Irving (1783-1859)
-he dies on November 28th 1859
-he is considered to be the best known native wrtier in America
-folk tales and looal color stories -
'Buffalo Bill: King of the Border Men.” -Edward Junson
o portrayed the western frontiersmen as masculine and heroic
o loosely based on William F. Cody -
First intercollegiate football game
Rutgers University and Princeton play the first intercollegiate gameof football in New Brunswick, NJ. This is significant, because the start of intercollegiate football contributed to part of the social growth in the college atmosphere. -
PT Barnum's "Grand Traveling Museum"makes its debut
-he proftted off gullibility...phrase "there's a sucker born every minute" accurately captured this
-he exhibited phenomenon's such as the"Fejee Mermaid"
-he later came to join with Bailey's circus -
"Roughing it"- Mark Twain
o Twain's semi-autobiography
o Portrayed the essence of the mining stampede
o Follows the travels of Mark twain through the “Wild West”
o Exemplifies what a lot of men went through at this time period -
The Comstock Act
This act put a restraint on entertainment during the Gilded Age as part of the Moral Purity Campaign. It was believed that the problem with the poor was their lower-class forms of entertainment, like prostitution, lottery, and gambling. Therefore, in the Comstock Act, oscene literature, tools of contraception and other "vulgar" forms of entertainment -
Creation of the National Baseball League
Team owners formed the National League--put their players under contracts and new rules and regulations limited each major city to only having one team. -
"My Grandfather's Clock"
-song written by Henry Clay, that praised the idea for "wasting no time" and working "ninety years, without slumbering" and at time when America's forms of leisure and entertainment was emerging. -
“Deadwood Dick: The Prince of the Road: or the Black rider of the Black Hills”- Edward L. Wheeler
o marked the beginnings of the glamorized perception of cowboys in the press
o supported the vision of the West being wild, exciting, and lawless. -
Thomas Edison
Edison puts the patent on the phonograph after recording he human voice for the first time 1 year before. -
Department Stores
During the Gilded Age, the display of wealth was common and was a form of status. The first department stores were developed in the early 1880s to represent how high qulity goods could be sold at a low price. They also made shopping a form of entertainment--an exciting experience, and gave women a "home away from home." -
The Blue Laws and Moral Purity
First enacted in MA, these laws prohibited work and businesses from running on Sunday. They were also the beginning of the enforecement of "moral purity." Examples of this was the outlaw of lotteries/gambling, horse racing, boxing, and the selling/production of cigarettes. -
Vaudevilles
-genre of entertainment of the late 1800s and early 1900s
-offered all types of acts such as dances and animal routines, designed for a mass appeal and even working-class women
-popular stereotypes translated into slapstick and caricature
-offered psychological escape from the stresses working-class life -
Ragtime
-sacred and secular songs originated from African Americans and introduced tot he broader public in the 1890s
-entertainment for mainly the middle-class and orginated in black saloons in the south
-contributed to blacks rebelling from victorian standards, but helped whites justify segregation and discrimination -
John L. Sullivan
-known to be the most popular sport hero as a heavyweight lifter, he was popular among immigrants and the middle class
--1st professional fight in 1880 when he knowed out John Donaldson
-was so popular that he stared in a melodrama written specifically for him
-refused to fight blacks to avoid finest boxer, Peter Jackson -
Wild West Shows
o Joseph G. McCoy turned the cattle industry into financial success
o One aspect of this success was the cattle roping and riding demonstrations
William F. Cody was also a popular showman and presented mock battles between army scouts and the Indians, representing good versus evil. -
Ramona-Helen Hunt Jackson
o A wildly popular book by Helen Hunt Jackson
o Antagonistic attitudes towards Mexicans at this time
o Increased sympathy for Spanish-speaking Americans -
The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin
Written by Mark Twain, this novel described the adventures of Huck, a rebellious young white man, and Jim (a slave) down the Mississippi river during the antebellum period in the South. It gave American's a new perspective of the South and of racism. -
"Looking Backward-"Edward Bellamy
o takes place in a futuristic world in which harmony has been achieved through state-run economy
o in this society, everyone works for the common welfare
o this novel emerges in a time of labor conflict -
Gentlemen Jim Corbett vs John L Sullivan
The extremely popular sport of boxing heats up when the wildly popular John L. Sullivan is defeated by Gentlemen John Corbett.. This is significant because Sullivan was iconic in the boxing industry and one of the most important sports figures of his time. -
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets
A fictional novella by Stephen Crane. It was one of the first naturalist/regionalist novels of fiction in American history--which embraces the topic of escaping from one' heredity when set out into the world. It was an inspiration to American's everywhere. -
Women and Economics- Charlotte Perkins Gilman
This book was a prelude to the Progressive Era. It mainly argued that women should gain econoic independence from their husbands. -
DeLome Letter is published in the New York Jounral
Animosity with the Spanish reaches a climax on this day. William Randolph Hearst's Jounral published a private letter sent by the Spanish minister saying that president McKinley is weak. This adds to the buildup of the Spanish-American War and exemplifies the influence yellow journalism has on this point in history. -
"Maple Leaf Rag" Scott Joplin
- Joplin was given an unusual contract for this song, stating that he would earn one cent for every copy sold. This signaled a new era in the popular-music industry -Joplin was stereotyped for his "negro music" and dream of being an opera composer -Joplin's success represented the upward mobility of many Americans at the turn of the century
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The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- Written to welcome the new female commitment to more freedoms and independence -The character, Edna, violates social conventions and portrays men's narrowminded ideal of women -influnces women to become more active in society through education and "female" jobs
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Sister Carrie
Written by Theodore Dreiser, this novel describes the dream of a young girl to live an expenive and lavish life, and what she will do to live this dream. -
The Octopus-Frank Norris
This novel takes place in California, and depicts the corrupt Southern Pacific Railroad; feeding to the Progressive Era desire for trust-busting. -
The Virginian By Owen Wister
- This novel displays the romantic side of the Great Plains -Wister introduces "the virginian" who was a frontier hero for being strong, compassionate, and quick to help the weak and fight the wicked -this was so popular, that it became a movie in 1929 and a television show in the 1960s -like many other novels about the frontier, authors did not mention the hardships and the reality of life in the west, where there were battles with Indians and Mexican-Americans
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"The Great Train Robbery"- film
Directed and edited by Edwin S. Porter, this twelve minute film utilized the most innovative film-making techniques for the time period. -
The Souls of Black Folk-WEB DuBois
DuBois speaks from his own experience, and talks about being black in a white society. -
"Mother Earth"-montly
This was an anarchist journal edited by Emma Goldman. One of the main themes was feminism. -
The Jungle
By Upton Sinclair
-describes the unsanitary conditions in many meatpacking plants
-helps gains support for the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act
-was originally written against immigrant labor but became popular for the passages about the lack of care towards the food distributed to the public -
Newer ideals of Peace
By Jane Addams
-she insited that the immigrant filled communities proved that national and ethnic hostilities could be over come
-as founder of Hull House, she believed in helping the lower class to prosper -
Following the Color Line- Ray Stannard Baker
In this novel, Baker investigates the racial divide that has always been prominent in America. This goes along with all of the Progressive Era drive for equality. -
The Mann Act
One concept of improving the situation of the poor during the Progressive Era was to improve their morals. Because prostitution was a popular pasttime during this time period, reformers sought to prohibit it. The Mann Act banned the transport of women across state lines for "immoral" purposes. -
"Alexander's Ragtime Band"- song by Irving Berlin
This song is not so much in the style of ragtime, but rather depicts the vivid music culture of African Americans. -
Half a Man-Mary Ovington
This book examines the emotional scras of racism on African Americans. -
Principles of Scientific Management-Fredrick W. Taylor
This book spoke of Taylor's self-named concept of Taylorism.
He discussed how to increase efficiency in the workplace, which would in theory increase product output, and then increase worker wages. This exemplified how new scientific thought was a part of progressivism. -
The Financier-Theodore Dreiser
This is a fictional story based off the business tycoon, Charles Yerkes. By villifying a huge bisness owener, this novel exemplifies the Progressive era hatred towards big corporations. -
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin emigrated to the United States in 1913. Here in the US, he starred in countless silent films, and became one of the biggest movie stars of the time period. -
A Fool There Was-film
This was a silent film that was directed by Frank Powell. It had soem controversial lines, such as the famous "Kiss me, my fool!" -
St. Louis Blues- song by W.C. Handy
This song embodied the ragtime appeal of the early 1900s, and was one of the first blues songs to succed as a pop song. -
The Birth of a Nation- film
This was an American silent film that promoted racism towards African Americans. It portrayed African Americans as inferior and unintelligent and the notorious KKK as heroic. -
The Passing of the Great Race- Madison Grant
This 1916 book advocated eugenic breeding of humans and argued that "Nordic Superiority" did exist. He wanted the Nordic population to survive above all, which coincides with the new scientific thought of the Progressive Era. -
The Birth Control Review
Margaret Sanger started this magazine in support of birth control for women. This was part of the support for women's suffrage and rights. Women not being allowed contracpetives was a further limit on their rights, so Sanger sought to change this. -
Livery Stable Blues
The first commercial jazz record ever recorded. Recorded by the Original Dixielnd Jass Band (white African American impersonators form New Orleans) -
"Fight or Buy Bonds"
Loans to the government to help pay for the cost of the war for the U.S. Government held parades where flags were displayed, banners flew, and marching bands played to try to get people to buy bonds to help the wartime efforts. Phonographs recorded these prades and played the eent for people to hear who could not go see them themselves. -
The Saturday Evening Post
This and other popular magazines warned American citizens about protection against spies, and told them how to fight people who wanted to keep the peace.( adverstisements for the CPI) The U.S. was goign to war--now was not the time for peace. -
WWI: Wartime Entertainment
-with 4.3 million soldiers, The Commission on Training Camp Activities presented films, lectures, and posters against alcohol and prostitutionto discipline the millions of men
-built morale through shows, games, and volunteer opportunities
-wartime entertainment kept soldiers away from bad behavior
-American Library association contributed books -
The Milwauke Leader
Victor Berger (a socialist) published ariticles about anti-war sentiment in his newspaper the Milwaukee Leader and was then convicted under the Espionage Act in 1919 -
The Chicago Defender
An African American newspaper which spread the word when new job opportunities opened to give chances to blacks to find jobs of substance. -
Dancing in the 1920s
During the 1920s, dancing was one of the greatest sources of entertainment. Women, especially, broke out of their spheres and flocked to jazz clubs to dance the Charleston in great numbers -
This Side of Paradise-F. Scott Fitzgerald
This was a romanticized novel that depicted the affluent postwar young. -
Main Street-Sinclair Lewis
In this novel, Lewis satirizes the smugness and cultural bareness of a fictional midwestern farm town -
Speakeasies
-Created against prohibition
-Hidden bars where people could drink illegally
-liberal celebrities and jazz age rebels would perform and enjoy drinks
-entertainment and urban night life took place in speakeasies -
Radio report of Warren Harding's Election
This incited the start of the radio era. Pittsburg stattion KDKA reported Warren Harding's election, and many tuned in to listen. From there, news reports done in the manner became a common thing. -
Reader's Digest founded
founded in 1921 by DeWtt and Lila Wallace. this offered condensed versions of artcicles originally published elsewhere, and contributed to mass culture. -
The Sheik-movie
Rudolph Valentino offers female moviegoers romance in exotic settings. -
Magazines become popular
By 1922, ten American magazines boast a circulation of more than 2.5 million. This contributed to mass culture, as magazines offered light entertainment and reading. -
Radio: A National Obsession
five hundred new stations began operations in the year 1922. Thus began the national obsession with the radio -
Peace and Bread in Time of War
Book by Jane Addams
-described her her experience from inside the war
-Addams made speeches during WWI to encourage helping refugees and war victims while trying to spread peace
-shows the effect of WWI on American life and future -
The Ten Commandments-movie
Directed by Cecil B De Mille, people are reminded of the consequences of breaking morals laws in this era of rapid cultural change and transgression from traditional standards/ -
The American Mercury Magazine
Henry L. Mencken launched this newspaper for all of the alienated intellectuals of the 1920s. -
The Gold Rush
This movie was a silent film written, produced, directed, and starred in by Charlie Chaplin. A depicted a rush to Klondike in search of gold. This movie exhibited Chaplin with a softened character, as opposed to his attitude in older movies. -
Road to Yesterday-movie
Directed by Cecil B. De Mille, this film used alluring images of a good life and romantic comedy format in a way that stimualted consumption like never before. -
Aimee Semple McPherson
-Evangelist that preached through the radio and was able to reach thousands
-she strongly believed in the literal thruth of the Bilbe
-she influenced many in the mid-west around the time of the scopes trial
-she was a great influence towards religion with her International Church of the Foursquare Gospel -
Book of the Month and Literary Guild
Book publishers began selling popular novels directly to the public via the two organizations "Book of the Month" and "Literary Guild" -
NBC is formed
In the year 1926, General Electric, Westinghouse, and the Radio Corporation of America formed the first radio network, NBC. -
The Sun Also Rises-Ernest Hemingway
In this 1924 novel, Hemingway depicts young American and English people damaged by the war. -
The Jazz Singer
Al Jolson's 1927 film was revolutionary in the way that it intoduced sound to movies -
Babe Ruth hits 60 homeruns
Sports figures, such as Babe Ruth, contributed to celebrity culture during the 1920s. People looked up to them as role models, and followed their lives and careers. Therefore, occurences such as thisin the sports world provided entertainment for Americans. -
Amos 'n' Andy
In 1928, Amos n Andy became the first network comedy show, sponsored by Pepsodent Toothpaste. This show featured stereotyped African Americans played by whites. The significance of this program was that it was nationally popular, and people took time out of their day to tune in to the show. -
Steamboat Willie-film
In 1928, Walt Disney presented the nation with the animated cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse's debut film. -
A Farewell to Arms-Ernest Hemingway
-depicts the war's futility
-shows how Hemingway is a part of the Lost Generation, rejecting modern day America -
Little Caesar
Began the popularity of Gangster movies in the 1930s and "glorified crime" It was made by Warner Brothers. -
The 42nd Parallel By John Dos Passos
- Passos wrote the first novel to a trilogy describing the chaos America's early 20th century -Passos talks about the dark sides of Americans who are money-mad, exploitive, and those lacking spiritual meaning.
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The Marx Brothers
A movie making family from New York City who wrote comedy movies like Animal Crackers (1930) and Duck Soup (1933). The mocked econmoic and social order to connect with Americans -
The Public Enemy
Also began the popularity of Gangster movies in the 1930s and portrayed images which represented comedic crime. Warner Bros. -
Young Lonigan by James T. Farrell
-Farrell suggests the lose of the "American dream" especially for immigrants and those who hoped to prosper in America
-Much of the American culture is also lost after the economic downturn -
Gold Diggers of 1933
Offered distracrions from the troubles people faced in every day life and helped them escape through music, dancing, and comedic plots. -
The Disinherited By Jack Conroy's
-Conroy was a radical novelist that attacked capitalist ways and was one of the many writers encouraged by Communists to write such stories through writer's clubs
-writing these stories became contests for the working-class
-The Disinherited describes life in the coal fields and the dangers of working in mines -
Fireside Chats
-FDR provided reassurance to the American public through the radio during the great depression
-he assured them that there going to be able to trust the government and banks again
-FDR became the first president to sympathize with the people through the radio and became a fatherly figure
-helped boost the public's morale in times of distress -
The Federal Writers' Project/ The Federal Music Project
-this was supported by the WPA
-they assissted writers, performers, and artists
-they employed jobless authors to produce state guides and histories of ethnic and immigrant groups
-the federal music project encouraged unemployed musicians to give free concerts and millions were able to enjoy the music, also as a form of escapism during the great depression -
The Little Colonel
Included tap dancer Bill Robinson and a rising new childhood star named Shirley Temple. This film also took place during the Civil War era. -
Porgy and Bess
An opera written by George Gershwin which portrayed the "back street life" in Charleston, SC. -
Isolationist Sentiment seen in books and movies
seen in late 30s as a precursor to WWII, many people were disillusioned with WW's failure to make the world safe for democracy and rejected potential foreign conflict with isolationist sentiment expressed in books and movies. -
My First Days in the White House By Huey Long
- this book desbribed Long's goal of his "share the wealth" program -he hoped for a 100% tax on all incomes over $1 million and for that money to go to other families that could enjoy a comfortable income, home, education, and other benefits -Long was a governor of Louisiana and later became a senator
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Waiting For Lefty by Clifford Odets
-this play was written to display Communist and socialist views on FDR's new deal
-they believed that the government could have done more to help the poverty stricken
-this also ridiculed Roosevelt's efforts to include big businesses -
Federal Theatre Project (FTP)
-employed actors during the great depression
-created the Living Newspaper which dramatized contemporary social issues, but was criticized to be new deal propaganda
-traveling shows were able to reach people acorss the country who had never experienced such entertainment
-supported the Federal Arts Project which designed posters, offered school courses and decorated public buildings -
The Plow That Broke the Plains
A documentary made during the New Deal about the orgination of the Dust Bowl. -
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
A comedy which was directed by Frank Capra, and starred Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. It glorified Roosevelt's New Deal -
Wedding Present
A romantic story about a man losing his girlfriend starring Joan Bennet as a strong willed and independent woman. -
FSA phtotgraphs and Life magazine
The Farm Security Administration not only helped the struggling poor farmers in the west, but it also employed the nation's best photographers to take photos of tenents and struggling farmers. These photos developed a documentary style of presentation and pervaded Hollywood and the magazine Life (Henry Luce) -
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Walt Disney's first color full length animation film. Previously he created cartoon shorts like Steamboat Willie, Three Lilttle Pigs, and Donald Duck's--Orphan Benefit. -
Their Eyes Were Watching God
A novel by Zora Huston which explored a black woman's search for fufillment in her life. -
The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein
-radical musical that was supported by the Federal Theatre Project (FTP)
-the funding was cancelled by the WPA who were nervous that this show would cause conflict between parties, but the show continued in another theater
-was able to show the public the difficulties all of America was going through and allowed an escape for many people -
The River
A short documentary film about the importance of the Mississippi River and how America dealt with soil erosion and massive flooding in the the Mississippi Valley. -
Our Town
Thorten Wilder's drama about an every day town in New England which seems normal and unimportant but becomes memorable and precious to the individuals which reside in it. -
Billy the Kid
A composition by Aaron Copeland that revolved around American legends and melodies -
"A Call to Arms"-Lewis Mumford
Issued by Lewis Mumford in the "New Republic", Lewis Mumford warns Americans of the "cancerous" spread of facism, and encouraged Americans to mobilize against facism as a precursor to WWII. -
Benny Goodman
A white clarinetist who created an inter racial orchestra which included Teddy Wildon, Lionel Hampton (both African American) and a few other white musicians. In 1938, the orchestra performed at Carnegie Hall. -
Statistic
65 percent of Americans were going to the movies at least once a week. -
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
This was a drama (movie) starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about how one man could change the political world. It was directed by Frank Capra. -
Gone With The Wind
A 1939 film about Civil War and Reconstruction from the south's point of view. African American actress Butterfly McQueen played the maid. -
The Grapes of Wrath
A fictional novel by John Steinbeck written about the struggles of the Great Depression by sharecroppers -
The Native Son
A novel by Richard Wright describing the awful conditions of families in Chicago slums during the depression. -
Hollywood supporting WWII
Hollywood highlighted the heroism and unity of American forces and negatively portrayed the Japanese during WWII. This contributed to the pro-war propaganda of the time period -
"Goodbye Mama I'm Off to Yokohama"-song
song of in early world war two, featured patrotic themes -
"They're Either Too Young or Too Old"-song
expressed laments of women during wwii, separated from their significant others. -
"One World"-Wendell Wilkie
fastest selling book in publishing history at the time. expressed a euphoric vision of a world without military alliances...expressed a desire for peace and democray post-war. -
"We're the Janes who Make the Planes"-song
this song expressed an encouragement for women to participate in the WWII effort. It encouraged them to participate in ways they had never done before, and represented changing sentiment in the nation. -
"Saturday Night is the Lonliest Night of the Week"-song
This song revealed impatience for the end of wwii -
"An American Dilemma"-Gunnar Myrdal
this was a massive study or race problems in the United States. It called for a necessary change in these race relations. The magnitude of this change was to be the largest since Reconstruction. -
Film industry reaches a highpoint
In 1945-46, 60 million-100 million Americans attended the movies a week. There was initially a patriotic wartime focus, but as people got bored with that, there was a shift to romance and nostalgia. -
Amerasia- magazine
-pro-communist magazine
-revealed that state government workers and naval officers had communist ties and sent articles to the magazine
-this showed that government officials could have been a treat during the cold war and could have harmed America during WWII -
The First Computer
It was called ENIAC developed by the U.S. army. It was enormous and slow but was the beginning of the universally glorified electronic device. -
Commen Sense Book of Baby and Child Care
A book published during the development of Suburbia and the Baby Boom. Written by Dr. Ben Spock about the importance of stay at home mothers and the love necessary to bring up your children the right way. -
Jackie Robinson
-Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball
-He faced many threats during his career, but ended up winning Rookie of the Year, won MVP in the National League, and placed a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame
-This was the start of major league sports integrating different races -
The Red Manace
- this was one of several films that were explicitly anticommunist -those who watched foreign films were even accused of being communist -these American films could promote democracy
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Hollywood Blacklist
-This was used to accuse any celebrities that may have had communist ties
-this included the Hollywood Ten which consisted of suspected communists and some that were just very democratic
- these people were convicted of contempt and sent to prison -
TV culture of the 50's
The following is a list of the many television shows which entertained Americans during the 1950's: The Goldbergs (a working class family), The Honeymooners (suburban upper-middle class families), The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet & Leave It To Beaver (frisky children, stylish mothers, and stressed fathers), I Love Lucy (a woman leaving the city for suburbia) -
Them!
A first of many mutant movie films pouring out of Hollywood-this one was about a giant ant take over. -
Mutant Movies of 1954
The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Attack of the Fiftey-Foot Woman, Came From Beneath the Sea, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Attack of the Crab Monsters. -
George Orwell's Animal Farm
The rights for this film were purchased by the CIA in 1954 to make the message delivered by the film more anti-communistic than everything else. -
Elvis Presley
He was 19 in 1954 and recorded his first two songs by paying 4 dollars to a local recording studio. He quickly became a hit with songs such as Hound Dog and All Shook Up. He was a wild artist and did not meet the approval of many middle class white adults. -
Elvis Presley
He was 19 in 1954 and recorded his first two songs by paying 4 dollars to a local recording studio. He quickly became a hit with songs such as Hound Dog and All Shook Up. He was a wild artist and did not meet the approval of many middle class white adults. -
Encounter: Magazine
A magazine taken over by the CIA so that more articles would be published supporting America's anti-communist foreign policy sentiment -
Davy Crockett
A Walt Disney TV show which brought about a fad of the classic "coonskin cap". Shows lie this were enjoyed typically in suburban areas along with TV dinners. -
The Blackboard Jungle
A film about juvenile delinquents which caused parents to put rock and roll hand in hand with teenage angst -
American Express credit card
A card developed i order to help people buy large pieces of furniture or appliances on credit and pay back the money they owed later. -
Nixon/ Kennedy- First Televised Presidential Debate
70 million viewers tuned to watch the first-ever presidential debate. Kennedy, being more attractive and likable, appealed to the public as more than a president, but as a celebrity as well. This was a turning point politics, being exposed on television in unprecedented ways. -
The Pill
A method of birth control which gave woman more flexability to be sexually active without the high risk of pregnancy which had always existed. -
Young liberals of the 60's
Liberal arts majors were typically part of the political left at this time and they admired the outsiders of the 1950's such as Mort Sahl-a comedian, Allen Ginsberg-a poet, and James Dean-a "pop culture rebel" -
Hippies
- Hippies represented the countercultural generation of the 1960s that were rebeling from conformity and focused on personal change rather than political change -they believed in sharing with others and world peace -hippies led the cultural revolution of the 1960s with protests, concerts, and experimentation with drugs -they rejected work ethic, materialism, and inhibited sexuality
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Bands of the 1960s
These included artists like Jim Morrison, Aldous Huxley and The Doors, and Jefferson Airplane. These all got inspiration from hallucinogens and produced music that was characterized as "acid rock" -
The Other America: Poverty in the United States
A book by Michael Harrington about the poor people of this time period who were trapped in a "vicious cycle" where they were left wanting more and left in deprevation. -
Silent Spring- book by Rachel Carson
This book exposed the danger of pesticides in the environment, and the hazards of DDT. Due to this warning, many people pushed for environmental reform, hence the Clean Air Act of 1963. -
The Feminine Mystique
A novel by Betty Friedan which challenged the narrow view of women in soley domestic environments. She pushed women to pursue jobs and become educated. It was sympathetic to many women and touchd them across the nation, as well as helped them express their unhappiness in the home. -
The Feminine Mystique-book by Betty Friedan
In this book, Friedan criticizes the deep-seated view that women should relegate their potential to the position of homemaker. This book is critical in the way that it raises awareness for women, reassuring them that they are not alone in their desire to achieve something more in life. -
Marijuana
A drug experimented with by hippies, the counter culture, and college students/young people everywhere during the early 70s. The dangers of the drug were not known at this time -
Ken Kesey
A writer in the west who experimented with LSD "acid" and promoted other hallucinogen drugs. He and his fans created the "psychadelic" craze-drug induced rock and roll under strobe lights and dancing -
Muhammad Ali wins the world heavyweight championship
In the year that he wins the title of heavyweight champion of the world, African-American Ali converted to the NOI and changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, advocating principles of Malcolm X. -
The Autobiography pf Malcolm X
Even after assassination, Black Power Leader, Malcolm, X. lived on through his autobiography. This book preached the same ideas that Malcolm X preached while living, including standing up for the rights of African Americans, using violence if provoked, and self-love. -
The Doors
- similar to many other bands of the 1960s, this band's music was dillusional and reflected the effects of drugs in their music -the music in this time period was very reflective of their feelings towards the government, peace, and living life -they believed magic and mysticism replaced science and reason
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Haight-Ashbury
-located in San Francisco, California
- this became the capitol for all hippies to unite
-this was the west coast's place to escape, enjoy music, and had availability of hallucinogenic drugs -
1960s Drugs
- drugs were promoted as harmless social relaxants -drugs such as marijuana and LSD promoted hallucignogens that the youth and hippies found as a way to escape and the effects were reflected in their music and art during that time period -Timothy Leary and Ken Kesey promoted the use of drugs and also conducted "acid tests" when distributing free tablets -the musical "Hair" and the film "Alice's Restaurant" depicted drugs as natural and safe
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Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy
-during the 1960s sexual revolution, many people rejected pornography and obscenity
- in 1970, congress repealed all of the obscenity and pornography legislation and there were few barriers on expression of sexuality
- these two 'X' rated films expressed the counterculture of drugs and hippies as well as homosexuality. They were very popular and "Midnight Cowboy" won the Academy Award
-books about the sexual revolution were also popular, such as Myra Breckenridge and Portnoy's Complaint. -
D-I-V-O-R-I-C-E
-this was a very popular song in the late 1960s
-showed that the practice of divorce beacme much more acceptable during this time period
- the idea of an "open marriage" also became popular at this time
-the birthrate also plunged as people saw that marriages were only restraining people from freedom -
Woodstock
-this concert brought together 4 thousand of America's young people in New York's Catskill Mountains to celebrate music
- they expressed their vision of freedom
- the concert lasted three days and nights with rock music and an abundant use of drugs
-this represented their belief in love and sharing -
Hair and Alice's Resatuarnt
Musicals and films during this time period depicted and represente themes revolving around "tripping" on drugs and diaplying drugs as welcoming, safe, and natural -
TV and movies of te 1970's and 80's
The Brady Bunch, a family of teenagers living in surburban America, similar to the 50's
Jaws (1975)
Star Wars ('77)
E.T. ('82)
All three provided an escape from society, as did the World Series, and the Superbowl.
Saturday Night Fever ('77) was a popular musical movie starring John Travolta -
Little Big Man
A movie which idealized Indians and showed an improvement over the common past steretypes and cowbay-Indian films. -
Earth Day
Environmental consciousness led to more environment friendly laws and the first Earth day to raise awareness for nature -
Personal Computers
IBM was the first the create the PC and in the early seventies the cost of computers was too high for average americans and were only afforable by corporations. Microsoft and Apple Inc. stared developing small scale, more afordable computers in the late 70's and early 80's -
The Culture of Narcissism
A book written by Chrisyopher Lasch, which summed up his view of the time period. This included ideas on how self-improvement was turning to selfisheness, later defined as the "Me Genereation" -
Yuppies
A "young urban professional" who nusied themselves with physical excecize, healthy lifestyle changes, and consumer goods. They ate food without pesticides, and stopped smoking when it was deemed hazardous to their health. -
Bruce Springsteen
A musician from Asbury Park NJ who wrote songs about local happenings and America, like Born in the USA. They described blue collar, and post Vietnam life. -
Forbes
A business magazine made popular in the 1980'a -
Wal-Mart
A discount chain that transformed U.S. mass marketing post 1960. They dotted the nation, and it promoted discount selling and buying. -
The Trip to Bountiful
A film about an aging woman from Texas living in a small city home with her son and son's wife, and finds the harsh realization that the farms that she knew as a girl are beomcing sparse. -
VCR's and CD's
By 1990, 70% of households had VCR's which allowed owners to record television shows or movies and watch them later.
CD's (compact disc's) created quality sound for music an personalized music and entertainment at home -
Farm Aid
Concerts used to raise money for struggling small farmers. Performances from Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Nelson, and Roy Orbison
