Why do some people think that the 1950s were a golden age for America?

Question

From me reading and from stories I heard from my elder the 50s were a horrible and boring time period of conformity and the oppression of women and the height of intistutional racsim against minorties.

Answer 1

that whole pin-up girl, tattoo/rockabilly/ska culture of the 50s appeals to me - that was a lower working class minority thing at the time, so there's a lot about fighting oppression and segregation that is still relevant today. but i even like the whole "happy homemaker" idea. i know that it's mostly fantasy though.
i think mainstream culture always downplays racism and oppression, maybe out of embarrassment, more likely because it's just not fun to think about, and since it didn't happen to them, they just pretend it didn't happen at all.
i think your right to bring this up - it's really screwed up - the last thing we should do is edit out the parts of history that hurt people. that's how revolutions die.

Answer 2

It following two of the worst times in American history. The Great Depressions of the 30's and World War 2 in the 40's. After nearly a generation of people starving, unemployeed and dying, the country was finally enjoying a time of peace and unprecedented prosperity. You are right that there were things wrong - just like there are in any generations. But usually if you feel safe and have food/home/job/money, it is going to be remembered as a good period.

And the same racism and oppression was there in the 40s, 30s, 20s, and before. It is just the revolt against those things in the 60s that make them more obvious in the 50s.

Answer 3

The war had just ended and the GI Bill was used for buying a new home in the newly designed suburbs. People were coming off the farms into cities for the Industrial Revolution because women had taken the jobs of men during the war. People were making money from industry and producing products instead of farming and fighting in the war. Elvis Presley and the new rock n roll groups were replacing the big bands. Radio and Television were bringing the world closer together and people were becoming more knowledgeable of their world.

Answer 4

lol well not being a child of the 50's myself I really can't say how it was to live back then. Oppression of women? was it not a good fight for the ladies of the 50's did they not make good points and stand up for there rights to fight that oppression... so to those woman it would be golden I would think that was not only the oppression of but the turning point of :) bonus and all... Institutional racism was it not also turned around then? Was there not one woman that refused to let it go that way? I believe that if anything the golden years of the 50's sure made many turns for this great America of ours. So I ask why only point out the negative points of it? If you really wanna know why so golden look up your history and find out how Woman and Blacks fought to make it golden =))

Answer 5

In the 50's the USA had the world to its self. The Europeans, Russians, Chinese, Japanese etc were still recovering from the destruction of WW2 (The US sufferred virtually no damage to its country in that war) so the US could grow and 'take over'. It also had the advantage of having salvaged some of the creme of the brains from ww2 and these were driving technological progress. It also had massive moral and economic dominance as it helped the world recover and put in place new regiems in Germany/Japan. The US saw its influence in the world rocket as other cultures increasingly adopted its norms as seen from Americans overseas or through TV/film.

Sinically you could also say, having seen the great powers of the early 20th Century destroy themselves and after forcing the disolution of the British empire (the only challenge to US domination) the US began its own empire, one that still dominates the world today.

Either view it was a pretty amazing time for the US.

Answer 6

because people were so much more friendly and nice! I remember my grandmother told me than in Dallas, Texas they didn't even have to lock there dour at night... WOW we can't do that now!!! but I guess if you're black it might be a different story because whites and blacks think differently of time period like the 1950s or the 1800s ya know

Answer 7

Having grown up in the 1950's, I can confidently say that the most beautiful thing in that decade was the 1956 Chevrolet.

Answer 8

the 50s were golden for the very reasons you mentioned.

Answer 9

Because the nation was not caught up in so much crap as it is now.

Answer 10

Because it was a time of innocence...