- Colonial Era
- Revolution Era
- Antebellum Era
- The Civil War
- Industrial/Progressive Era
- Summary on "roaring 20's" to Vietnam
- Roaring '20's
- 1929: Stock market crash and Great Depression
- 1932: FDR elected and New Deal begins
- 1941-1945: Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and WWII
- 1945-1991: Cold War
- 1963-1973: Vietnam War
- 1968-1991: Conservatism Era
- Key Terms
- Essay questions
Summary on the Cold War
The Allies had won and countries were at peace, well not quite everyone. The Untied States and Soviet Russia, which were allies during WWII, had entered their own cold war, competing which country and economic system, capitalism and socialism, held the most world power. The United States wanted to be the dominate world power and try to use nuclear weapons to scare the Soviet Russia and other countries. The Cold War was the development of the nuclear weapons and the Korean War.There was also gripped with the fear of socialism and communism and resulted in restriction of democratic rights. As the Great Depression was over, the United States entered into a another era of prosperity and relaxation while employment had shot up and so did Civil Rights movements.
The postwar period and the 1950's started an era of prosperity, which effected women greatly.
During the time-period of the Cold War (1945-1991), women proved themselves by becoming engaged with the fight for equal rights, against sexism and in the workplace.
This was the era of the change in women’s status.
With the economic boom after the war, women received most of the benefits. Women workers were able to find opportunities in the shops, urban offices, where the majority of new jobs were created. Women took a quarter of American work force in 1950’s. This created a big conflict about the role of women. On the one hand, the popular trend for women in the 1940-1950’s was the traditional role of being a homemaker and mother. On the other hand, millions of women were in the work force. This conflict of roles lead to feminist revolts in the 1960’s. Betty Friedan gave voiced on women's feelings of conflict on staying at home or going to work. Her book, "The Feminine Mystique" became a protest classic and helped to launch the modern day women's rights movement.
Like any other Americans, women lived in fear through the Cold War, wondering whether or not there would be a nuclear war between America and Soviet Russia. Many women were involved in the fight for peace. They were also living under the fear created by the Red Scare; by being accused of being Communists and losing their jobs and reputations.
The work force during the Eisenhower presidency was changing as "white collar" workers outnumbered manual labor workers. With “white collar” employment rising, women were given new opportunities.
When WWII ended, most women ended going back to their homes to return back their female roles as wives and mothers. The “cult of domesticity” was defined for women to be homemakers and to take care for their homes, as shown in “Ozzie and Harriet” or “Leave it to Beaver”, which showed feminine functions of a suburban home with a working husband, children and a wife that didn't work outside the house during the popular culture of the 1950’s.
However, as the 1950’s progressed; the transformation of the roles of women were changing and the idea of how an American family is supposed to be like. With new positions being created for employment, women took the majority of service and paper work jobs.
Civil Rights movement
The explosion of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950's had a profound effect on women and women's rights. Many women played a leading visible role. One great leader was Rose Parks, who started Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott against segregation. This was one of beginning struggles that created a revolution in African American rights and women as well.
The Freedom Riders and Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee were courageous protesters against segregation in the South and women played leading role.
The Civil Rights movement influenced President JFK to support civil rights for African Americans. The movements resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.