As the World War II came to an end, Americans found themselves confronted by issues that needed to be addressed back at home. To begin with, there was rising tension between American capitalism and Communism spirit that was spread by USSR. Then, there were domestic issues like racial discrimination, wealth disparity and poor working conditions that needed to be looked on. In this paper, I will look on the American standards of living in 1950s, the civil rights movements of 1960s and their effects to America society.
The Americans standard of living in 1950s, was majorly shaped by the World War II. The Americans had just concluded a decade that was more of a war. 1950s was more of post war boom; there was a booming economy, emergence of suburbs and a baby boom generation. The government was spending more money; in constructing interstate highways and this meant improved transport facilities and educational institutions enabling the returning veterans to access higher education, distributing rewards to war veterans and buying military equipment’s. This made money to be accessible to most citizens as wages were good. This enabled the citizens to buy the consumer goods they wanted at ease (Trident University Library, nd).
The post war construction boom enabled the citizens to acquire houses in the suburbs like Levittown’s that were coming up. Many of the veterans were able to acquire houses through subsidy that was given by the federal government. The wages that were on the upward trajectory, wartime saving and availability of hire purchase terms made the citizens to buy consumer goods they wanted. The appliances like televisions, washers, refrigerators and the like were common in homes. As homes became more of suburbs the demand for vehicle also rose since there was a problem of public transport in the suburbs. The families that owned automobiles rose by around 20% in 1950s (History.com, 2021).
In 1960s, civil movements gained momentum due to several reasons that included; involvement of student organizations in the civil rights activities, civil rights advocates participation in freedom rides, formation of Albany Movement, religious leader’s involvement in advocating for equal rights and federal government intervention. The student’s organizations like Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) came on the frontline in advocating for equality. These organizations participated in civil rights boycotts, protests, sit-ins and marches. The efforts of the students though marred with arrests, ridicules and attacks they did bore fruits. For example, the Woolworth’s integrated its departmental stores (Trident University Library, nd).
The civil rights groups participation in Freedom rides that involved sit-in in areas meant for the Whites only also bore fruits. The Interstate Commerce Commission ensured the buses and trains adhered to desegregation rules. The formation of Albany Movement that brought together civil right associations like SNCC, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) also contributed in strengthening the civil rights movements. Though, the coalition met police resistance their activities were successful because the police feared media attention. It is through this coalition the religious leaders like Martin Luther King Jr became focal in terming racial discrimination as a social evil. The federal government also enabled the civil movements to thrive because it sent troops to maintain order when the clashes occurred. For example, when James Meredith was admitted at the University of Mississippi as the first Black student chaos arose and the federal government sent U.S marshals to contain the situation. The federal government under the leadership of President Kennedy seemed to be an ally of civil rights. After the assassination of Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson embraced civil movements and he signed several acts in the favor of these movements, for example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights of 1965 (Trident University Library, nd).
The social movements in 1960s contributed a lot in bringing changes that America needed. One, they tamed the racial supremacy that was flourishing in America, especially in the South. Even after slavery abolishment, the Southern Whites continued discriminating the non-EuroAmericans based on their skin color. The social movements brought forth Civil Rights Act that changed that situation. Two, they contributed in reducing the wealth gap in the American society. The approval of the Civil Rights Act made the Whites to move from urban areas to suburbs that were of the Whites only, this made economic and social ills to emerge. These problems were solved by President Johnson’s domestic program that made medical care, jobs, housing and education accessible to all (Trident University Library, nd).
In conclusion, the happenings of 1950s and 1960s contributed a lot in forming a good American society. The booming economy helped the American in building financial security and in the process the wealthy realized material wealth was not enough for human satisfaction. Therefore, the wealthy Whites joined or formed social movements in conjunction with other races to advocate for changes that would ensure equal treatment and access to basic rights and services by all the Americans.
