World History Blog: American Abroad

In the years of 1945 - 1950's America was going through a big change. WWII had just ended and everyone had trust issues, especially between the US and the USSR. This was because both nations wanted to be the leading nation of the world. The US began to worry about communism taking over Europe, so using the Marshall plan they gave away 13 billion dollars to different countries in Europe who worked together and were able to recover from the war.

In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea claiming they wanted to be joined together once more. Because the US had made a containment policy protecting several little countries they decided to come help. The United Nations felt they needed to prove themselves better than the League of Nations so they decided to send troops to help the US. At first North Korea captured almost all of South Korea, but then the US and UN showed up gaining most of North Korea. Then China, supplied with weapons from the USSR decided that they would help get North Korea back. After millions were killed, China and the US decided to leave the border.

America in the 1950's was also booming in pop culture. They had many fads that everyone was doing. One of these things was the Hula hoop. Another fad in the 1950's involved hair. Woman would style their hair to look like the fur of a poodle dog. Families also had a TV. One of their favorite shows was I Love Lucy featuring Lucile Ball. More people watched the feature of Lucy give birth then the inauguration of president Dwight D. Eisenhower.

After WWII in America something called the baby boom began. It was said that almost exactly 9 months after WWII ended you could hear the cry of a baby across the land. In 1946 more than 3.4 billion babies were born, 20% more then the previous year. The average American women married at age 20 and had children as soon as possible. This was probably because the depression of war was over and the comfort and hope of the future looked bright.

The American perfect society was a dream, until the magical suburbs made it a reality. It was a tempting pace to move to, considering they could get out of the stuffed cities, and have a safe place to raise their kids. With the suburbs women started feeling oppressed and buried as the idea came back that they should be taking up the role as mother and wife. This was hard for them because during the war they had been doing the men's jobs while the men were off at war. This was the start of Women's rights campaigns.

In the movie The Secret of the Incas Harry Steele makes a living by giving tours as a tourist guide in Peru, but he plans to steal the Inca treasure the sunburst to make a fortune. He brings along a girl named Elena Antonescu who is a survivor of the iron curtain. They race to Machupichu where they find a archaeological dig. The race is on to find the sunburst when his nemesis Ed Morgan arrives also searching the sunburst. While Ed is sleeping Harry slips away to the temple to find the sunburst. which is hidden in a column. Ed then shows up and grabs the sunburst, shooting his way out of the temple. All of the Incas and Harry fast on his trail. Harry then corners him on a cliff, and when Ed falls to his death Harry realizes that he doesn't want to be like Ed and returns the sunburst the the Incas.

Mother and children going to church on a Sunday, you can see the Coca-Cola sign being advertised in the pizza shop window behind them