Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The 1950s: Happy Days
A brief look at American life and politics in the 1950s with an increase in consumerism and fear of the Soviet Union.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Mc Carthyism
Read about the dangers of paranoia when exercised by people of power. The witch-hunting of the McCarthy era made rash and false accusations against supposed Communist sympathizers that affected many lives.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A New Civil Rights Movement
A very brief overview of the inception of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s, its successes and failures into the 1960s, and a prediction of despair in the 1970s.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Atomic Fears and the Arms Race
Looks at the nuclear arms race in the 1950s as the United States and the USSR both stockpiled nuclear weapons. Includes 1951 propaganda video showing schoolchildren how to 'Duck and Cover' in the event of a nuclear attack. [9:15]
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Sncc and Core
Read about the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), two groups that played pivotal roles in organizing nonviolent protests during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Eisenhower Era
Discusses the domestic and foreign policies of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Curated OER
Us Troops Were Rushed to Western Europe in the 1950s to Deter Soviet Expansion
A fantastic history of NATO. From its inception after WWII to its call to action during the Kosovo crisis, the BBC does a great job of giving readers a well-rounded look at the institution. Includes a map with all member countries as...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Emmett Till
Read about the tragic case of Emmett Till, an African American teenager who was viciously murdered in 1955. The case forced the public to see the brutality of the racism that was rampant in the South and it fueled the civil rights movement.
Country Studies US
Country Studies: Eisenhower and the Cold War
A brief look at President's Eisenhower's commitment to restraining Communism in the Cold War years of the 1950s.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Eisenhower National Historic Site: Presidency
Learn about the ways in which Eisenhower's presidency and personality mirrored the country as a whole during the years he was president (1952-1960). Includes many artifacts of the era, such as campaign paraphernalia and articles of...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Start of the Space Race
Looks at the USSR's launch of Sputnik and the galvanizing effect it had on America's motivation to fund aerospace research. NASA was soon formed and more funding was put in place for public education in the sciences and math.
