The War was Cold, The Heat was On

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic Study of the 1950's The Fifties was a decade that began in prosperity and international American prominence. Although society so desperately wanted to be happy in the new post-war era, the decade ended in doubt and a yearning for change. The 50's were the "I Love Lucy," rock-and-roll, and "Happy Days" which were overshadowed by racial confrontation, thalidomide, and the anti-communist hysteria of the McCarthy era and a beginning in the Vietnam involvement. Despite the increasing tensions, the most popular images of this time are of a happy time, in stark contrast to the realities of the Fifties.