Crash Course U.S. History: Episode 39 - Consensus and Protest: Civil Rights

Introduction

• Host: John Green
• Focus: The 1950s, a pivotal period in American social history
• Significance:
  • Advent of television
  • Emergence of the Civil Rights Movement
  • Highlight of unsung heroes who contributed to societal changes

The Society in the 1950s

• Consensus Culture

  • Driven by Cold War fears and affluence
  • Economic expansion between 1946-1960
  • Rise in standards of living and gross national product
  • Middle-class lifestyle boomed: 60% lived a middle-class standard by 1960
  • Increased access to consumer goods and services

• Suburbanization and Its Effects

  • Doubling of homes, creation of construction jobs
  • Levittown as a classic example
  • Rise in car ownership, impacting lifestyle and economy

• Criticism of the 1950s Consensus

  • Limited debate on American identity and values
  • Critics included C. Wright Mills, David Riesman, John Kenneth Galbraith
  • Rise of "teenager" culture and rock and roll
  • Literary criticism by the Beats

Civil Rights Movement

• Challenges for African Americans

  • Segregation in housing, jobs, and schools
  • Black families faced poverty and unstable employment
  • De facto and de jure segregation prevalent

• Early Civil Rights Efforts

  • Significant cases: Mendez v. Westminster and Brown v. Board of Education
  • Desegregation of schools as a primary goal
  • Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP's legal strategy
  • Southern "Massive Resistance" to desegregation

• Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

  • Parks' background in activism
  • Boycott organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and the black church
  • Formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

• Federal Government's Role

  • Eisenhower’s intervention in Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Showcased federal support for desegregation

Conclusion

• The 1950s as a "golden age" for some but not all
• Systemic inequality despite economic prosperity
• Emergence of voices of protest critical for civil rights progress
• Preview of upcoming discussions on women's, Latinos', and gay rights in the 1960s

Additional Information

• Support for Crash Course through Subbable.com
• Acknowledgment of contributors

References

• Eric Foner's "Give Me Liberty"
• Supreme Court case on segregation

Study Tip: Focus on understanding the societal dynamics of the 1950s and the early actions and figures of the Civil Rights Movement as foundations for later progress.