1950’s Simulation

1950’s Simulation

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A Doll

A Guy

WWII is over and America is entering a decade of prosperity! Suburbs and Drive-thrus, commies and conformity, teenagers and television and so much more await you in the 1950s. But first, will you be making this exciting journey as… A Guy OR A Doll

Welcome to the 1950s!

Get a Job

College

Fresh home from serving your country in WWII, you’re ready to really start your life! President Truman has signed the GI Bill, which includes opportunities to pay for college or get job training. Do you want to… Go to college OR Get a job

You’re a Guy in the 1950s...

Despite your sacrifices during WWII, you’re not really taken seriously. Women were mostly expected to return to being housewives once the war ended. Some worked as secretaries or in other office settings and some even went to college, but the expectation was still that women would eventually get married, settle down, and leave the workforce to be a housewife (and mother!) So, what’s your next move? You can go ahead and

1. Get married and start that domestic life!
2. Live the single life for a bit!

Congrats on being a woman in the 1950s!

JOB

Congrats, you’ve been accepted at College U, where you decide to major in Business. Your days consist of cheering on the football team, studying business stuff, parties, and co-eds. There aren’t many girls at college, but one day you meet a lovely gal in your History 101 class. By senior year, the two of you have decided to get hitched! But first, you need a job...

You’re a College Man

Let's get Hitched

Which one are you? Who cares, you blend right in!

You’ve landed a nice job working for Lucky Strike, one of the biggest tobacco companies of the day! What do you do on a day to day basis? Who knows! But you work in an office, wear the same grey or black suit everyday, and you get to drink at lunch! Plus, free smokes! And now that you’ve got a job, you’re ready to get hitched!

Welcome to Corporate America

Let's get Hitched

You amid a sea of men

You, like 24% of the women in the US in 1950, decide to go to college. Many of your female peers end up dropping out to get married, but you stick to it and get your bachelor’s degree! Unfortunately, there is fierce job discrimination, and despite your education, the only jobs you’re offered are as a secretary or as a saleswoman in a department store. You work for a few years, but one day you meet “the one.” Time to get hitched!

A Single Woman...

Let's get Hitched

You amid a sea of men

You, like 24% of the women in the US in 1950, decide to go to college. Many of your female peers end up dropping out to get married, but you stick to it and get your bachelor’s degree! Unfortunately, there is fierce job discrimination, and despite your education, the only jobs you’re offered are as a secretary or as a saleswoman in a department store. You work for a few years, but one day you meet “the one.” Time to get hitched!

A Single Woman...

NJ

PA

NY

Advertisement for Levittown houses

A Levittown suburb

You have found your other half and you’re ready for marital bliss to begin! President Truman has signed the GI Bill of Rights, so you lovebirds can get a great loan for a house. And good news! William Levitt has built his famous “Levittowns:” affordable suburban houses where you can raise a family! City life is for sucker, so do you want to live in a Levittown neighborhood in… New York Pennsylvania New Jersey

Look at the Happy Couple!

Congrats on your new Levittown home in New York! You sometimes forget which house is yours, but it sure beats living in some tiny apartment in the city. When you moved in, the neighborhood made you sign a “restrictive covenant” stating that Levittown houses “could not be used or occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race." In protest, you join Committee to End Discrimination in Levittown, and in 1948 the Supreme Court rules that Levittown could not have clauses for racial restriction or segregation. Way to stick to your moral compass!

Welcome to your new home!

Now that you’ve achieved the American Dream of home ownership, it’s time for the next step...car ownership! Now that WWII is over, factories are back to making consumer goods, including cars. Plus, living in the suburbs means you’ll need a car to get around and travel into the city. By 1958, there are at least 60 million cars on the road, and you want to own one of them!

Grease Lightnin’: Car Culture

Seriously, which one is yours...

Congrats on your new Levittown home in Pennsylvania! You sometimes forget which house is yours, but it sure beats living in some tiny apartment in the city. When you moved in, the neighborhood made you sign a “restrictive covenant” stating that Levittown houses “could not be used or occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race." In protest, you join Committee to End Discrimination in Levittown, and in 1948 the Supreme Court rules that Levittown could not have clauses for racial restriction or segregation. Way to stick to your moral compass!

Welcome to your new home!

Now that you’ve achieved the American Dream of home ownership, it’s time for the next step...car ownership! Now that WWII is over, factories are back to making consumer goods, including cars. Plus, living in the suburbs means you’ll need a car to get around and travel into the city. By 1958, there are at least 60 million cars on the road, and you want to own one of them!

Grease Lightnin’: Car Culture

Seriously, which one is yours...

Congrats on your new Levittown home in New Jersey! It may not be New York, but, well, it’s New Jersey….you’ve got the Jersey Shore and one day Snooki will be your claim to fame. You sometimes forget which house is yours, but it sure beats living in some tiny apartment in the city. When you moved in, the neighborhood made you sign a “restrictive covenant” stating that Levittown houses “could not be used or occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race." In protest, you join Committee to End Discrimination in Levittown, and in 1948 the Supreme Court rules that Levittown could not have clauses for racial restriction or segregation. Way to stick to your moral compass!

Welcome to your new home!

Now that you’ve achieved the American Dream of home ownership, it’s time for the next step...car ownership! Now that WWII is over, factories are back to making consumer goods, including cars. Plus, living in the suburbs means you’ll need a car to get around and travel into the city. By 1958, there are at least 60 million cars on the road, and you want to own one of them!

Grease Lightnin’: Car Culture

You’ve got the house; you’ve got the car; now it’s time to start the family! After WWII, there was a Baby Boom. From 1945 to 1964, 77 million babies were born: 4 million were born each year in the 1950s! You’re ready to contribute to this Baby Boomer generation. How many little angels do you want? 1 Kid 2 Kids 3+kids

Continuing the American Dream

Congratulations on your Fifties Family! You’re living the dream out in the suburbs, but then comes the news that the Soviets have successfully tested their own atomic bomb! In response, President Truman creates the Federal Civil Defense Administration in 1950 to prepare civilians for a nuclear attack. Bert the Turtle, the Administration’s mascot, teaches your kids to “duck and cover” in case of a nuclear attack. Watch the video to see how to help your family prepare. Then go to the next slide.

Ok, BOOMer

basement

backyard

You’re not convinced ducking and covering will do enough to protect your family, and then one day you see an Alert America traveling exhibit about how to build a fallout shelter to keep you safe in case of a nuclear attack. You decide a fallout shelter, equipped with food, water, first aid and other supplies is just what you need. And great news! They sell how-to guides so you can build your own. Do you want your fallout shelter… In your backyard In your basement

The Family Fallout Shelter

Congratulations on your Fifties Family! You’re living the dream out in the suburbs, but then comes the news that the Soviets have successfully tested their own atomic bomb! In response, President Truman creates the Federal Civil Defense Administration in 1950 to prepare civilians for a nuclear attack. Bert the Turtle, the Administration’s mascot, teaches your kids to “duck and cover” in case of a nuclear attack. Watch the video to see how to help your family prepare. Then go to the next slide.

Ok, BOOMer

basement

backyard

You’re not convinced ducking and covering will do enough to protect your family, and then one day you see an Alert America traveling exhibit about how to build a fallout shelter to keep you safe in case of a nuclear attack. You decide a fallout shelter, equipped with food, water, first aid and other supplies is just what you need. And great news! They sell how-to guides so you can build your own. Do you want your fallout shelter… In your backyard In your basement

The Family Fallout Shelter

Congratulations on your Fifties Family! You’re living the dream out in the suburbs, but then comes the news that the Soviets have successfully tested their own atomic bomb! In response, President Truman creates the Federal Civil Defense Administration in 1950 to prepare civilians for a nuclear attack. Bert the Turtle, the Administration’s mascot, teaches your kids to “duck and cover” in case of a nuclear attack. Watch the video to see how to help your family prepare. Then go to the next slide.

Ok, BOOMer

basement

backyard

You’re not convinced ducking and covering will do enough to protect your family, and then one day you see an Alert America traveling exhibit about how to build a fallout shelter to keep you safe in case of a nuclear attack. You decide a fallout shelter, equipped with food, water, first aid and other supplies is just what you need. And great news! They sell how-to guides so you can build your own. Do you want your fallout shelter… In your backyard In your basement

The Family Fallout Shelter

It cost almost as much as your car, but at least you’ll be safe from the Soviets! And speaking of Communists, it turns out the Soviets got their knowledge of the atomic bomb from spies within the US! A US Senator named Joseph McCarthy has announced that he has a list of over 200 known Communists working in the US government for the State Department! In 1947, Congress investigated the “Hollywood Ten,” believing the Hollywood movie industry was creating Communist propaganda. Then a former Soviet spy named Whittaker Chambers accused a government official named Alger Hiss of being a spy. Hiss ended up being imprisoned for perjury (lying under oath). McCarthy’s new accusations now seem to be sparking a Second Red Scare, and this time you can watch on tv! Click below to tune in.

Backyard Bunker

It cost almost as much as your car, but at least you’ll be safe from the Soviets! And speaking of Communists, it turns out the Soviets got their knowledge of the atomic bomb from spies within the US! A US Senator named Joseph McCarthy has announced that he has a list of over 200 known Communists working in the US government for the State Department! In 1947, Congress investigated the “Hollywood Ten,” believing the Hollywood movie industry was creating Communist propaganda. Then a former Soviet spy named Whittaker Chambers accused a government official named Alger Hiss of being a spy. Hiss ended up being imprisoned for perjury (lying under oath). McCarthy’s new accusations now seem to be sparking a Second Red Scare, and this time you can watch on tv! Click below to tune in.

Basement Bunker

A cartoonist for The Washington Post uses the phrase “McCarthyism” to describe this Second Red Scare. Hundreds of Americans have been accused of being Communists. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) has started conducting investigations and hearings, and everyone is on the lookout for Communists (and hoping no one accuses them of being one!) Click BELOW to learn about spotting a Commie!

McCarthyism...it’s a witch hunt!

Don't Report

Report Them

Luckily you know just how to spot a Communist thanks to these handy pamphlets. You’ve become suspicious of your neighbors, the Rosenbergs. Mr. Rosenberg worked as an engineer for the US Army, and Ethel’s brother worked on the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. They seem nice enough, but something seems suspicious. Plus, they both are from Russian families. Do you want to... Report them to HUAC! Don’t report them

McCarthyism...it’s a witch hunt!

Turns out you weren’t the only one with concerns about the Rosenbergs. Julius and Ethel are arrested, put on trial, and found guilty of espionage after Ethel’s brother testifies that he passed atomic bomb secrets to the couple, who then passed them on to the Soviets. The two are executed by electric chair in 1953. Today, evidence shows that Julius was in fact working for the Soviets. Ethel’s complete involvement is unknown. At the least, she hid her husband’s secrets. At most, she helped Julius pass on information.

Spies Among Us...

McCarthy presenting testimony at the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954

While there were some Soviet spies in the US, McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare were based more on fear and hysteria than actual fact. By 1953, McCarthy’s claims are starting to sound ridiculous. Those 200 names he supposedly had ended up being bogus, and now McCarthy is investigating the army! McCarthy’s hearings are televised, and most people turn against him. McCarthyism and the hunt for “reds” seems to be over, and people are moving on to other events in the 1950s... Click BELOW

Ending the Witch Hunts...

You might not report the Rosenbergs, but someone else does, and they report you, too! You’re hauled in for questioning and investigated for un-American activities, including aiding spies! Luckily you get off without any charges, but Julius and Ethel are arrested, put on trial, and found guilty of espionage after Ethel’s brother tesifies that he passed atomic bomb secrets to the couple, who then passed them on to the Soviets. The two are executed by electric chair in 1953. Today, evidence shows that Julius was in fact working for the Soviets. Ethel’s complete involvement is unknown. At the least, she hid her husband’s secrets. At most, she helped Julius pass on information.

Spies Among Us...

McCarthy presenting testimony at the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954

While there were some Soviet spies in the US, McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare were based more on fear and hysteria than actual fact. By 1953, McCarthy’s claims are starting to sound ridiculous. Those 200 names he supposedly had ended up being bogus, and now McCarthy is investigating the army! McCarthy’s hearings are televised, and most people turn against him. McCarthyism and the hunt for “reds” seems to be over, and people are moving on to other events in the 1950s... Click BELOW

Ending the Witch Hunts...

The McCarthy Hearings were televised, a new phenomenon in America, and you’re convinced you’ve got to have a tv! How else will you keep up with the news and, perhaps more importantly, all the new tv shows?? You’re not the only one who is becoming tv crazy. At the start of the 1950s, there were about 3 million TV owners; by the end of it, there were 55 million. And if keeping up with the latest trends isn’t enough of a reason, consider this: in 1949 a tv cost $500, but now, in 1953, they’re just $200! Hell, maybe you’ll get two! You get your tv just in time to watch coverage of the end of the Korean War. You’re pretty over that war (where is Korea, anyway?) and you’re just hoping the US is finally done with that place now that they’ve agreed to keep the division at the 38th parallel. It’s not America’s problem anymore...

The Tube (aka the tv)...

Leave it to Beaver (sitcom about a family)

I Love Lucy (sitcom about a married couple)

Gunsmoke (about the Wild West)

And there is plenty to take your mind off that miserable war. There is no shortage of wholesome family tv in the 1950s. Which show will be your family’s favorite? Click the videos if you want to watch a trailer for each show. Then, choose one!

Time for Family Bonding!

Your new tv comes with something else that’s new in the 1950s: tv advertisements! Coca-Cola, cigarette and beer companies, appliances and automobiles–everything is advertised on tv now! Plus, in 1954 Swanson comes out with something called a tv dinner: a whole ready to eat meal you can heat in the oven and eat in front of the tv! So grab your tv tray and check out those ads!

Another tv

Another car

A New Fridge

Christmas ‘54 is fast approaching, and those ads have got you thinking about gifts! The 1950s saw the introduction of the modern credit card, allowing you to use one card to charge purchases just about anywhere! So pick a gift and charge it:

Nothing says domestic like a new fridge! But as much as you like your suburban home, you’d like to get out an explore the country. You’ve already got the car, and now in 1956, President Eisenhower signs the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. The act provides a system of over 40,000 miles of national highways for military transportation or in case there’s need for an evacuation during a nuclear attack, but to you it means one thing: road trip!

Chuck Berry

Elvis

And where will you be going on this fabulous cross country crusade? DISNEYLAND That’s right. In 1955, Disneyland Park (the original Disney World) is completed in Anaheim, California. It’s the only theme park originally designed by Walt Disney himself, and thanks to the new interstate system, you can zip across the country! It’s still a long trip, so you’ll need some tunes for the ride. Rock n’ Roll is all the rage. Do you want to listen to…(watch videos to listen) Elvis “The King” Chuck Berry

That’s a cool new car you crazy cat. And lucky for you, in 1956, President Eisenhower signs the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. The act provides a system of over 40,000 miles of national highways for military transportation or in case there’s need for an evacuation during a nuclear attack, but to you it means one thing: road trip!

Chuck Berry

Elvis

And where will you be going on this fabulous cross country crusade? DISNEYLAND That’s right. In 1955, Disneyland Park (the original Disney World) is completed in Anaheim, California. It’s the only theme park originally designed by Walt Disney himself, and thanks to the new interstate system, you can zip across the country! It’s still a long trip, so you’ll need some tunes for the ride. Rock n’ Roll is all the rage. Do you want to listen to…(watch videos to listen) Elvis “The King” Chuck Berry

You can never have too much tv! And while watching Edward R. Murrow on the news on your brand new tv, you hear that President Eisenhower has just signed the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. The act provides a system of over 40,000 miles of national highways for military transportation or in case there’s need for an evacuation during a nuclear attack, but to you it means one thing: road trip!

Chuck Berry

Elvis

And where will you be going on this fabulous cross country crusade? DISNEYLAND That’s right. In 1955, Disneyland Park (the original Disney World) is completed in Anaheim, California. It’s the only theme park originally designed by Walt Disney himself, and thanks to the new interstate system, you can zip across the country! It’s still a long trip, so you’ll need some tunes for the ride. Rock n’ Roll is all the rage. Do you want to listen to…(watch videos to listen) Elvis “The King” Chuck Berry

Elvis keeps you and the family company, but road trips make you hungry. Good news! Thanks to the surging popularity of the car and the new interstate system, drive up businesses are all the rage, and Ray Kroc has pioneered the fast food drive-thru by founding the McDonald’s franchise. You drive right up, order, and your food is ready almost instantly! Even better, the first ever McDonald’s is located on your route as you pass through Illinois! What are you going to order??

Disneyland was a blast, and driving across Route 66 allowed you to see so much of the country! You even got to stay in one of the new Holiday Inns that have been popping up along he growing highways and interstates. And they had a pool! But now it’s time to return home. 1957 has a lot in store for you… Click BELOW

Chuck Berry keeps you and the family company, but road trips still make you hungry. But good news! Thanks to the resurgence of the car and the new interstate system, drive up businesses are all the rage, and Ray Kroc has pioneered the fast food drive-thru by founding the McDonald’s franchise. Even better, the first ever McDonald’s is located on your route as you pass through Illinois!

Disneyland was a blast, and driving across Route 66 allowed you to see so much of the country! You even got to stay in one of the new Holiday Inns that have been popping up along he growing highways and interstates. And they had a pool! But now it’s time to return home. 1957 has a lot in store for you… Click BELOW

The National Guard escorts the “Little Rock Nine” into Little Rock High School amid protesters.

The 1957 school year starts with controversy. Schools across the country were supposed to end segregation and integrate after the 1954 Brown vs Board of Education decision overturned Plessy vs Ferguson and ruled segregation unconstitutional, but there has been a lot of resistance in the South. Living in the northern suburbs, the decision did not impact your children's’ school, although you have heard there isn’t much equality in the city schools. But now out in Arkansas, President Eisenhower has sent troops to Little Rock High School, where the Arkansas Governor Faubus was trying to prevent 9 Black children from attending what used to be an all white school. This case of the “Little Rock Nine” seems to show that the times they are a-changing...

Science Camp

Work for NASA

A recreation of Sputnik I in orbit

Times are really changing in October, when you and the rest of America learn that the Soviet Union has launched Sputnik, a satellite, into orbit. It seems the Soviet Union has new technological advancements that are superior to those of the US...the US is falling behind in the Cold War and the race to space! If the Soviets can launch satellites into space, they might be able to launch missiles from there or spy on the US. The US needs to get into space ASAP. Luckily, President Eisenhower is taking steps to help the US win the race to space. He creates NASA to conduct research and send a manned vehicle into space ASAP. He also signs the National Defense Education Act, to increase funding of math, science, and foreign language education. You want to do your part. Do you want to... Move to California to work for NASA Send your kids to science camp

Kennedy

Nixon

Congratulations, you’ve landed a job at NASA in California! You and the family pack up and join the growing migration to the Sun Belt regions of the South and West. You’re working on a project to help launch a man into space before the Soviets! Meanwhile, the decade of the Nifty Fifties is coming to a close, and an election in nearing. A young Democratic Senator from Massachusetts named John Kennedy is running against Republican Richard Nixon, who was Eisenhower’s Vice President. This election is special: for the first time, there is a televised debate. You swear that Kennedy won the debate, but your friend who listened on the radio thinks Nixon won. How do you want to vote? Nixon Kennedy

Kennedy

Nixon

The increased funding for math and science education allows you to send your little one(s) off to science camp, where they develop a real knack for rocket science. They even befriend a kid from West Virginia, and by the end of the summer, they’ve build some working model rockets. Looks like they’ll have a future working for NASA… Meanwhile, the decade of the Nifty Fifties is coming to a close, and an election in nearing. A young Democratic Senator from Massachusetts named John Kennedy is running against Republican Richard Nixon, who was Eisenhower’s Vice President. This election is special: for the first time, there is a televised debate. You swear that Kennedy won the debate, but your friend who listened on the radio thinks Nixon won. How do you want to vote? Nixon Kennedy

It’s the Sixties, Man! If you thought the ‘50s were exciting, just wait: protests and war, hippies and drugs, counterculture and conservatism and so much more. As for that election, Kennedy wins, becoming the 35th President of the United States. There seems to be an air of youthful optimism surrounding his administration and his young family. At his inauguration, he famously states “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,” and calls on all nations to fight “common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.” The 1960s will certainly see plenty of fighting...

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