What was the mood of America in the 1950s?

Answer 1

For the most part, the mood of America in the 1950's was positive. World War 2 had just ended and the veterans had returned. The GI Bill had just been passed, so vets were able to go to college, which provided them with better job choices. Most of the young vets were also married and buying houses in the suburbs, which gave economic stability to the nation. The baby boom had just begun (1946 to 1964), so children were very important part of society.

Though the mood of the country was positive, civil rights for African-Americans were non-existent for the most part. Jim Crow laws were still in place throughout the majority of the South and the schools still were not integrated. We were also in the middle of the Cold War, so tensions were high and most people were worried about a nuclear attack from Russia. Communists became feared and that lead to Hollywood blacklists and widespread McCarthyisim (unjustified attacks against people accusing them of being Communists). We also entered into the Korean War in the 50's, and stayed for about 3 years. We lost. 54,246.103,284 were wounded, 7,104 were captured, and 8,177 are still missing.

So for the most part, this period in our nation's history is portrayed as a happy time, but there was unrest and fear, all of which lead to the cultural revolution of the 60's and 70's.

You can learn more by going to your local library and asking a librarian for assistance in finding books that cover all these issues more in depth.