Grace-Oral+History

__Oral History Research: Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s__ By Zoe and Grace

Life in the 50s in 60s was extremely different then life today. First of all, daily life in the 50s and 60s is significantly different than the daily life today. Milk was brought to doorsteps. Rather then toilets, people used outhouses. To keep clean, people bathed in wringer washtubs. Some popular candy and gum were Black Jack, Beesman, Clove gum, Candy Cigarettes, HeHI Orange soda, Pez dispensers, wax lips, and wax coke bottles. Prices have gone up. Coke was only 5 cents and hamburgers were 15! A popular activity was ride over to and A and W Drive in and get a refreshing root beer float. Car hops were also very popular. Children loved 5 cent bubble gum, baseball cards, Yoyos, Plastic cowboys and Indians, toy soldiers, tinker toys, and lincoln logs. Kids enjoyed playing baseball, flying homemade kites, spinning wooden tops, using tin cans as walkie talked, and playing with marbles in their free time. Barbies, Potato heads, Hula Hoops, and Frisbees were popular toys. Falling in love at a young age was common. There were stores where everything was only 5 and 10 cents! Chevy and Fords were only $2200. Gas was the dream price of 25 cents. Living in the United States was an honor, so was serving your country. People were entertained by Fireside theaters, and the George Gobel show. Before there were TVS, people listened to radio programs. The Civil rights movement really was a big part of the 50s and 60s. The Cold war started and generated a ample amount of hysteria throughout the United States.

RESEARCH:

Daily lives: - milk was delivered to doorsteps -people used outhouses and bathed in wringer washtubs -popular candy and gum included: Black Jack, Beemans, Clove gum, Candy Cigarettes, NeHi Orange soda, Pez dispensers, wax lips, and wax coke bottles -Coke was 5 cents and hamburgers were 15 cents -A and W Drive ins were popular at which you would receive root beer floats -There were 3-plays for a quarter music selectors -Car hops were becoming more and more popular -popular children's toys included: 5 cent bubble gum, baseball card packs, Yo-Yo’s, plastic cowboys and Indians, toy soldiers, Tinker toys, erector set, Davy Crockett Coonskin cap, toy musket, and Lincoln logs -in their free time, most kids played sandlot baseball, flyed homeade kites, spinned wood tops, used tin cans as walkie talkies, and played with marbles -toys such as: Barbies, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Frisbee, and Hula Hoops were popular -young love was popular and many couples eloped

Economics: -5 and 10 cent stores -buy a new Chevy or ford for $2200 -gas was 25 cents per gallon -serving your country was a privilege, living in the US was a bigger privilege

Entertainment: -Your hit parade -Dragnet -Friday Night Fights -George Gobel Show -You bet Your Life -Life of Riley -Fireside theatre

Important people: -Randolph Scott -Hopalong Cassidy -The Cisco Kid -The Lone Ranger -John Wayne -Roy Rogers -Gene Autry -Rex Allen

Weekend activities: -before people watched TV they listened to radio programs -kids read comic books -people went to the drag races, the drive in movies, to dairy queen for a burger and cherry coke

Important events: -1952, parents wore “I like Ike” Pins to support the election of Eisenhower -James Dean was killed in his new sport car in 1955 -In 1956 Elvis Presley appears on Ed Sullivan for the first time -They day the music died” Feb 34d, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died tragically in a plane crash in a corn field outside of Clear Lake Iowa -The Civil Rights movement gained momentum and began to be a bigger deal in the lives of the whites -Cold war starts and hysteria runs throughout the country -MLK was assassinated

__Oral History Research Citations__

"A feature on what it was like to grow up during two ever changing decades." Growing up in the 50s and 60s. Richard Cannon, n.d. Web. May 2011. .

Growing Up In The Fifties. Old Blue Web Designs : Film. .

McFarlane, Darlene. "Toys From the 50s and 60s: Do You Remember? ." Socyberty. Socyberty, August 15, 2008. Web. 29 May 2011. .

__Oral History Questions: Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s__

1. How much technology was available to you growing up in the 50’s and 60’s and what was it? As we advance into the 21st century, how much more technology do we have now than we did back when you were growing up?

2. What were some of your favorite activities or games to play in your free time? Are any of them still around today?

3. What was the economy of the 50’s and the 60’s like? How much have items grown in expense over the years?

4. What was school like for you and how did your education compare to the education that students receive today?

5. Did you participate in any sports? If not, what were some popular sports that were played and how do they compare to the sports we have now?

6. What was the typical age of marriage in the 50s and 60s? Was it younger or older than the age today?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7. During the Civil Rights movement, how was your family effected and what were their views on the problems going on with the Jim Crow laws in America?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8. As a result of the mass hysteria going on during the Cold War and the problems with Communism on the rise, how did your family react?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9. After the assassination of the respected MLK, was there a plaintive feeling throughout your city?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">10. During the 50s and 60s what was the fashion and attire like and how does it compare to what is being worn today?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grace's Grandmother Nancy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSAcZ4c_lr4

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Zoes Grandmother Mary:

http://unit8zoec11.wikispaces.com/Oral+History

__Oral History: Reactions__ After interviewing two people, we found out that many of their answers to our questions were just like our research had said. Overall, life was very different in the 50s and 60s. We would not survive one day there.