When it comes to the fifties we think poodle skirts and greasers and red mustangs, but what was it really like?
There were definitely some major differences in the homes back then and the homes today. Kitchens were the cleanest and most organized areas of the house. In addition to the kitchen, there were bedrooms there was normally a study, a living room and a small room off to the side to do laundry. Depending on the person, the house was decorated in the way that we call “vintage” with flower print curtains and enormous sitting room chairs. Women spent most of their time in the kitchens. They were considered “housewives” that were meant to do all the dirty work. There was even a book published called “The Good Wife Guide: 19 Rules for Keeping a Happy Husband”. Women were expected to honor the husband and have dinner ready when he got home from work. They also had to do all the cleaning, sewing, mending, laundry, and take care of the children. The easiest way to make a women’s cooking job easier and cheaper too was to use SPAM. SPAM is a pop-open can that was filled with processed ham and packed in a gelatinous liquid. Spam became popular during World War 2 because we had barely any money to buy food, but it was still around afterwards so that families could get back on their feet, get a job, and not starve. They would spice it up with cloves and the occasional cinnamon stick, then it would be put in the oven and viola! There would be dinner for the night and possibly lunch for the next day. |
Technology used was very different than having a search engine on a computer and texting your aunt for info on the next family reunion. People communicated by letters, and if you were lucky, the occasional telephone. The telephone works both ways so in order for someone to call family, the receiver would also have to have a telephone too. Telephones were expensive so maybe 1/3 - 1/2 of the United States population had one. If a person didn’t have a pencil, a piece of paper, and a penny they were out of luck communication wise.
Inside the home may seem like an easy way to live life, but on the streets, it was anything but easy. Sure, the fifties was a time of bliss and happiness but it wasn’t that way for most immigrants and blacks. After being fired from having a job in a factory producing war goods, blacks and immigrants were left on the streets to fend for themselves. The civil rights movement was just getting started and blacks were protesting throughout the Nation. Thousands were killed and those that weren’t, were kept away from white people. Segregation had spread to schools, buses, and even water fountains. There was a black section and a white section for everything, but this was just the beginning of a fight that would last for many years to come. |