How might someone consider the 1950s to be a tale of two Americas or a decade of paradox?

The 1950s were a decade of prosperity in the United States. At the same time, it was a decade of discontent. Because different people experienced the decade in such different ways, we could say the decade was a tale of two Americas.

Today in the United States, supporters of Donald Trump want to “make America great again.” Many feel the 1950s were a time when America was great. One major reason why people feel this...

The 1950s were a decade of prosperity in the United States. At the same time, it was a decade of discontent. Because different people experienced the decade in such different ways, we could say the decade was a tale of two Americas.

Today in the United States, supporters of Donald Trump want to “make America great again.” Many feel the 1950s were a time when America was great. One major reason why people feel this way is because the United States' economy was growing and no other country’s economy was nearly as strong as ours. Because of this, Americans were starting to enjoy a better standard of living and the knowledge that no other country's citizens lived better than they did. The problem, however, is that the people enjoying this prosperity were mainly white Americans (who also made up a higher percentage of the population than they do now). America was great for many of them, but less so for some other groups.

The two main groups who would have felt America was not great were minorities (mainly African Americans) and women who wanted more from life than to remain in their traditional roles. For these people, the 1950s were not a great time. African Americans still faced legalized segregation and discrimination. Racism was an accepted aspect of American society. For women, opportunities to do anything other than homemaking or relatively menial jobs were scarce. Both groups did not feel America was a great place for them.

In this sense, the story of the United States in the 1950s is a story of two Americas. White, traditionalist America enjoyed economic prosperity. People from that group knew they dominated the society in the country that dominated the world. This was a great time for them. For others, however, the 1950s were a decade of oppression and lack of opportunity. Thus, different groups truly experienced the 1950s in the US in different ways.