The 1950s - (Unlocking American History) by James S Olson & Mariah Gumpert (Hardcover)

About the Book

This volume serves as an invaluable guide to key political, social, and cultural concepts of the 1950s.
This volume covers the entire decade of the 1950s, from the uneasy peace following World War II to the beginnings of cultural discontent that would explode in the 1960s. It highlights key historical, social, and cultural elements of the period, including the Cold War and perceived communist threat; the birth of the middle class and establishment of consumer culture; the emergence of the civil rights movement; and the normalization of youth rebellion and rock and roll.

An introduction presents the historical themes of the period, and an alphabetical encyclopedic entries relating to period-specific themes comprises the core reference material in the book. The book also contains a range of primary documents with introductions and a sample Documents Based Essay Question. Other features are a list of "Top Tips" for answering Documents Based Essay Questions, a thematically tagged chronology, and a list of specific learning objectives readers can use to gauge their working knowledge and understanding of the period.

• Provides rigorously and thematically tags of encyclopedic entries, period chronology, and primary documents for ease of reference
• Serves as a valuable reference source for a key period of American History
• Offers features that will help readers understand the period better, including sample Documents Based Essay Question and Top Tips for answering Documents Based Essay Questions

Book Synopsis

This volume serves as an invaluable guide to key political, social, and cultural concepts of the 1950s.

This volume covers the entire decade of the 1950s, from the uneasy peace following World War II to the beginnings of cultural discontent that would explode in the 1960s. It highlights key historical, social, and cultural elements of the period, including the Cold War and perceived communist threat; the birth of the middle class and establishment of consumer culture; the emergence of the civil rights movement; and the normalization of youth rebellion and rock and roll.

An introduction presents the historical themes of the period, and an alphabetical encyclopedic entries relating to period-specific themes comprises the core reference material in the book. The book also contains a range of primary documents with introductions and a sample Documents Based Essay Question. Other features are a list of "Top Tips" for answering Documents Based Essay Questions, a thematically tagged chronology, and a list of specific learning objectives readers can use to gauge their working knowledge and understanding of the period.

Review Quotes

"The volume is comprehensive in breadth and depth of entries. The authors are explicit in outlining the volume's purpose and use, with a thoughtfully written introduction and concise but instructive directions for its application. . . .Students in AP history and in Common Core history classes should find the volume to be an excellent and well-organized guide to the development of the U.S. in the 1950s." --ARBAonline

About the Author

James S. Olson is Distinguished Professor of History at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. A Pulitzer Prize-nominated author, he has published over thirty books.

Mariah Gumpert is a writer and editor whose published works include The Great Depression and the New Deal: Key Themes and Documents. She specializes in American history, world history, and popular culture.