| Term | Definition |
|---|
| rhythm and blues | rock-and-roll can trace its roots back to this type of music |
| nuclear family | consists of mother, father, and the children |
| Elvis Presley | greatest rock-and-roll icon of the time, important in spreading rock-and-roll to white audiences |
| African-American | rock-and-roll can trace its roots back to this group of people |
| home appliances | the largest group of goods bought in the 1950s, helped make housework easier |
| conformity | to be like other people and prove you are not a threat |
| consumerism | buying things |
| economic boom | after WWII, this allowed Americans to buy things |
| These words were added to American money in the 1950s | "In God We Trust" |
| These words were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s | "under God" |
| Jim Crow laws | laws that segregate and discriminate African-Americans |
| Alan Freed | Midwestern DJ that coined the term "rock-and-roll" |
| rock-and-roll | type of new, popular music in the 1950s that was nonconforming |
| credit | businesses allowed customers to use this to buy goods |
| religious revival | with an increase in churches and church membership, this occurred |
| blacklist | a list of names to be barred from unemployment because of suspected Communist ties |
| "return of domesticity" | belief that women should return to creating a perfect household |
| television | the most important consumer good of the 1950s, 90% of households had one by the end of the 1950s |
| "the great unifier" | the television can be called this because Americans saw the same shows and advertisements |
| family sitcom | this type of show portrayed American families without conflict or problems, ex: Leave it to Beaver |
| Communism | Americans feared this set of ideas popular in the Soviet Union |
| westerns | some Americans considered this type of show violent and inappropriate |
| Smith Act | this act made it illegal to affiliate yourself with any party that may overthrow the government |
| McCarthyism | the practice of making wild accusations of disloyalty without evidence, named after a Wisconsin senator |
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