What do you think of when you think of the fifties? Is it Elvis or the H-bomb? Rosa Parks or I Love Lucy? This course goes behind the popular icons of the 1950s to explore the social, cultural, political, and intellectual history of America from the end of World War II through the assassination of President Kennedy. We will use a variety of sources to understand the dynamics of cultural change during this era: music, films and television shows, novels and memoirs. We will also look closely at the relationships between memory and history, celebration and criticism in the interpretation of the recent past.
