Bombs, Beats, and Bus Boycotts: The Turbulence of the 1950's

At the end of World War II , Americans saw prosperity that they had never seen before. The standard of living had risen, and America was racing for world dominance. Moreover , the events that took place during this decade would change the way we look at this era forever. This decade was an era of turbulence, rather than an era of idealism, due to great fear during the Cold War, the rise of rebellious beats, and the Civil Rights Movements taking place in the segregated south.

First and foremost, the Cold War that began in the 50s created fear about rise of the Communist threat and nuclear power, a fear that dominates the anxieties of fighting a major war today. A very influent man named Joseph McCarthy led the communist threat. McCarthy brought a new word into America’s vocabulary, McCarthyism. The legacy he left can be defined as a time in America’s history when the government questioned people about their personal ideologies and brought negative exposure to thousands of people’s lives. Communism in America during the 1950’s was more like a rumor than a real event. McCarthyism left scars on many people’s lives by his slander and should be viewed as a lesso

n of what simple accusations can do to one’s life. Also the nuclear power created worries and anxieties that probably could have been avoided. After what the atomic bomb had done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the idea of creating a bomb much more powerful raised many eyebrows. In the video “ The Fear and the Dream” people asked, “ Was this the right thing to do to keep peace? How much will it cost? Can this really be done? And what are the risks involved?” All the questions combined created hysteria across the country. I think J.R. Oppenheimer puts its best in the video when he stated, “ fear should not determine whether or not something should be done.”

On another level, the beat generation took the 1950s by storm. During this time of high spending, advertising, and family values, the beats took the time to express the discontent of America youth. The beats drank heavily, smoked dope, traveled on the road, listened to crazy jazz music, and did not hold steady jobs, which was all very uncommon during the 1950s. Poets such as Jack Keroauc and Alan Ginsberg wrote about their discontent with American society and what it has turned out to be: materialistic and selfish. The beats were also considered Communist. Because of their lifestyle choices and the way they expressed themselves, people considered them a threat to mainstream culture. A San Francisco columnist na

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