History of America 1945-1960 (Members Only)

A busy multi-level highway interchange with trucks and cars driving in various directions, set against a city skyline under a partly cloudy sky. Greenery and grass surround the roads.

History of America 1945-1960

A drawing of a male figure with outstretched arms and legs, superimposed over a circle and square, illustrating anatomical proportions. This is Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

Experience the History of America 1945-1960 with WisdomMaps: The Future of the Past!

Perspective

Our digital history of America 1945-1960 begins with a period of much-needed peace and unprecedented prosperity. America’s economy responded quickly and creatively to pent-up consumer demand for everything from cars to homes. This golden age of postwar America was harshly interrupted in 1950 by war in Korea, and Americans reluctantly returned to war in distant places. Moreover, the Cold War and its “proxy war” in Korea created an oppressive political climate at home with the advent of McCarthyism.

This anti-communist witch-hunt made a mockery of the sacrifice that Americans had made in the Second World War to safeguard their democracy and civil liberties. Senator McCarthy pursued his Inquisition in Congress, the government, and then the military. But he was finally censured by the Senate and his political career ended in disgrace. Still, the damage had been done, and political conformity and conservatism continued to dominate the national angst. With Americans alarmed over the Soviet Union’s atomic test in 1948, its 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite worsened anti-communist sentiment and fears of nuclear conflict. But to a lesser extent, the 1950s were also a time of rebellion, as the Beatnik movement anticipated the social protest that would arise in the Sixties in response to the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.

That said, here’s our assortment… please enjoy! When you’re done perusing a map, click the ⇠ back arrow link in the upper left of your screen (not the < link), and you’ll be back here. Any problems, please get in touch at terrence@wisdommaps.info.

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Index

1945-1960 Index | Society: Black Life | Culture | Power: Dwight Eisenhower | Economy

A black-and-white aerial view of a suburban neighborhood showing rows of small, similar-looking houses, each with its own yard, separated by grid-like streets.

1945-1960

A black-and-white photo of a family in a living room: a man with a newspaper sits on an armchair, a woman sits beside a radio, one child tunes the radio, and another child plays on the floor with a book.

Society

A Black man drinks from a water fountain labeled Colored in a segregated facility. Nearby signs indicate separate areas for White Women and Colored Women. The photo is in black and white.

Society: Black Life

Eight women in one-piece swimsuits and city sashes stand arm-in-arm, smiling, on a wooden boardwalk with columns and a pier in the background. The photo appears to be from a mid-20th-century beauty pageant.

Culture

Large crowd holds signs beneath a massive banner reading “Mr. President: VETO THE HARTLEY-TAFT SLAVE LABOR BILL” at a protest rally in a stadium or large indoor venue.

Power

A formal portrait of an older man with a bald head, wearing a brown suit, white shirt, and dark tie, posing against a plain light-colored background.

Power: Dwight Eisenhower

A black-and-white photo of a lively street at night in old Las Vegas, featuring neon signs for casinos such as the Golden Nugget, Hotel Apache, and Eldorado Club, with vintage cars parked along the road.

Economy

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Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man sketch shows a nude male figure in two superimposed positions with arms and legs apart, inside both a circle and a square, illustrating human body proportions.