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PELHAM HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER
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U.S. History Reflective Journal or Historical Novel Project Mrs. Bailly-Burton's Class
Throughout the Decades A Look Back Through My Life in the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s by Ashley
Introduction Looking back on my life, there have been many ups and downs, twists and turns, and successes and hardships. All these events that have taken place throughout my life have shaped me into the person that sits before you today sharing my story with you. Some might say I've gone through things no one should ever experience such as war, poverty, and the losses of loved ones. However, I believe these are the obstacles that have influenced me and my family to become the grateful people we are today. I hope my story will show you and allow you to appreciate this great country we all share. I hope you take away from my experiences the thought that life could be worse and it has been quite hard for most people. I also insist that the younger generations realize they shouldn't take their lives for granted because they have more than anyone could have dreamed of in my day. Chapter 1: My Younger Years 1930-1939 It was my fifteenth birthday, January 1st 1939, my parents always called me their late Christmas present. However, this year was different. You could tell my parents wished they could have bought us all those presents we had asked and pleaded for but the money just wasn’t there. They gave up our usual Christmas just so we’d be able to eat, this of course I understand now but as a young girl it’s not easy to know there will be no presents and not even a Christmas tree. But on my birthday we all had hope that the New Year would be a good one and we would be able to have our life style back which we so deeply missed since that awful Black Tuesday. My younger sister and brother never realized the deep poverty which was about to be bestowed upon us the day we got our first eviction notice. If I remember correctly my little sister said, "Mommy, look a pretty pink note. Today is a good day, Mommy." She of course didn't realize that was the beginning of our strenuous and awful trip to the west coast. I was going to miss everything about Oklahoma. The open fields, our farm, and my favorite swing out back I used to spend hours on just getting lost in my imagination. But when dad said those magic words,"Pack up the truck." I knew I'd never see my beloved home again. Leaving what is now known as the Dust bowl was a depressing scene as we drove towards the ever looming horizon. The dried up crops, the giant government owned tractors cultivating the new fields that the owners were just pushed off of. All of it was almost too much to handle for my mom and dad. They weren't big business people who invested in the stock market, they never asked to risk it all, they just kept their money in, what they thought, was a safe, secure bank. When the banks closed we headed to California for what we thought would be a big break and new life. We never knew we were headed for a Hooverville, and even less money and jobs that we started with. One amazing moment I'll always remember, even though it's hard to imagine anything amazing could happen in such a dark time, I read that a young woman had flown across the Atlantic in her own airplane. Amelia Earhart from that day had become my childhood hero. I realized if she was able to conquer a whole ocean, I could very well make it through the Depression. While this news was more than any young child could have hoped for at this time, my parents also learned some new information. Not amazing, not impressive, but to them disturbing. They had read that both democracies of Italy and Germany had fallen. Following these democracies large dictatorships rose to rule these immense lands. This news came at a hurtful time in America and the thought that problems overseas could be emerging was almost too much to bear. When we reached California, we were one of the lucky ones. This is because my father's brother was an established farm owner out there and gave us all jobs as soon as we set foot in the state. I never knew of my uncle except in a word or two from my dad back in Oklahoma, but he soon became one of the greatest men I ever met. He was the one who gave us hope that we could go on. With his help my family never went hungry, although we were rarely full and never went homeless. He was a good man who would tell me and my siblings stories of the great Charlie Chaplin who had become famous at this time. Also he read us the popular novel Davy Crockett which soon became a favorite of mine. He would also allow us to listen to his Duke Ellington record if we promised not to dance around too much. During the thirties I remember leaving school, I later learned many young adults had because of the pay cuts teachers took and the lack of money for parents to dress and send their children to school. Looking back I enjoyed school, as a young lady I knew I'd never excel enough to go on in my education but I was always eager to pick up little facts here and there. My dad and younger brother would sit by the radio in my uncle's house and listen to the baseball games while I would read and re-read my books. They always chatted about the great player Joe DiMaggio. Also my uncle was a big fan of horse racing and was thrilled when fifteen more states legalized it throughout the thirties. Also when my parents and my uncle thought me and my sister had gone off to our room and my brother to his they would sit and discuss something they called the New Deal. It seemed to excite them all and put a little of that sparkle back into my mom's eye that she lost during the earlier years of this decade. The New Deal I later learned was filled with letters; they called it an alphabet soup of programs. Such groups were developed as the CIO, CCC, and the WPA. Also there were some monumental acts set in place during this era, such as the Social Security Act of 1935 this helped the elderly. Also the Wagner Act of 1935 was put in place which gave workers the right to unionize. Towards the end of the decade I met my husband and moved back east with him on a job offer in a factory. I regretted leaving my family but they supported my decision and told me it would be for the best. So for the second time I made my way across the vast emptiness of the country until we reached Massachusetts and our new home. I was a good wife to my husband, I would stay in our one-bedroom apartment and work cleaning the other apartments in our building during the days and have dinner ready by the time he would come home from the factory. Although I was extremely happy in my new life as the thirties came to a close, a dark looming shadow of the European uprisings were cast upon our great nation. While FDR swore to stay neutral all Americans were on the edge of their seats waiting for the news to come that we would go to war with Germany and its allies. Isolationism was a big factor of this time and was greatly accepted by our culture due to the simple fact that we weren't eager to engage in another world war. With treaties such as the Neutrality Acts and the Atlantic Charter, we were able to help our allies without declaring we were joining the war. However, that all was about to change with the start of the forties. Chapter 2: An Extraordinary Gain with an Unbearable Loss 1940-1949 Hitler, it was unbelievable how one man could cause so much destruction. I never thought I would see the day were one man's ideals would conquer miles upon miles of land. I would never assume someone could have the immense power to annihilate chambers full of people just because of their race. Aryans, a superior race, were the only people who avoided the wrath of this awful and terrifying man. I was scared to know I would have to raise my soon to be born child in this kind of cruel world. However, my husband was there and America was still neutral. I would have never guessed how one day my husband would be called to arms and I would be left alone and pregnant. I remember exactly what I was doing; I was washing the dishes after an early lunch when one of the most horrifying messages came across the radio. The base at Pearl Harbor had been purposely attacked by Japanese forces. I remember it so vividly because at that point I knew I would lose one of my most beloved people to the harshness of war, my husband. Being months pregnant and knowing we would now undoubtedly enter the most horrendous war I’d hear of, I had the screaming image in my head that he would had to leave to go fight for his great nation and defend his fellow Americans. When the day came that he had to leave for war I just remember telling him I would wait and our child would wait till he returned. Then he left. In 1943 with a one and a half year old child at home and a husband overseas I was allowed to go to work. I worked in the defense industry like many women were now allowed to do since the majority of men were at war. I would receive a letter from time to time and word that my husband was still alright and he'd be coming home as soon as the Nazi threat was subdued and Hitler was out of power. So I continued to wait. The war effort on the home front was amazing, the scrap drives, rationing, and victory gardens were just a few of the many methods of helping our troops. 1945 would have been the best year of my life, the U.S. was winning battles, Hitler was losing ground, and we were starting to believe that we might get through this. I still remember hearing of the atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. I was overjoyed when Japan surrendered just a few days later. My joy was soon turned to sheer terror when I learned of my greatest loss. My beloved husband had been killed in one of the last battles in the war. He never got to see his daughter, and she would never meet him. I never got over the news of his death nor did I ever forgive the individuals who began that horrible war. Dealing with that loss was devastating however with many people in my position I began to cope and began to encourage my daughter to become as good a person as her father was. She grew fast and by the late forties she was asking for the newest fad. A television set. At this time I had gotten remarried to a wonderful man and was financially secure. We got a TV and it was quite the contraption. I believe there were thirteen channels; we would sit as a family and watch short shows and advertisements and started to be changed into the conventional American family of the time. Not only were TVs publicly issued but the amazing development of the first computer was made. ENIAC, which was thirty tons and two stories high, was finished in 1945. This was quite the accomplishment. Just as everything was looking forward the word war was brought back into our vocabulary. With my second child on the way I was far from delighted that what was called the Cold War was developing. After World War II the U.S. had instituted the Marshall Plan which helped to rebuild and reconstruct the war torn nations of the world. This was far from the USSR's plan of keeping the countries poor and broken. While we believed the world economy would prosper if we could construct strong nations from the damaged and weak economies of the warring nations, the USSR only thought of what would benefit them. This created a void between the US and the USSR which in turn resulted in the Cold War. Korean War and race of atomic weaponry put a damper on the new world we had created for my family. My son who was born in 1947 would no doubt see the same disasters his older sister had lived through. Although he would sit for hours with the new slinky toy not knowing of the severe threats being made upon our great nation. My daughter who was in school at the time of the Cold War would be put through common atomic bomb drills and was taught to duck and cover. The fear of nuclear war was to well known and becoming clearer by the day. Knowing of the effects of our own nuclear attack on Japan brought the fears even closer to home that we might also become victim to an atomic war. Throughout this insecure time in our country it was evident that anyone communism related to was under suspicion. The Red Scare was in full effect in America and I was sure that if I did anything even slightly suspicious I would be taken away from my family. I knew communism was bad and I didn’t condone it however the suspicions of the American people were unbelievable and not ignorable. So my family continued on and began to realize that we would be fine. Through these rough times I loved to indulge myself in my favorite music of the times. Frank Sinatra was by far the best thing I’d heard in years and was a huge favorite in my house. Rhythm and Blues was also becoming very prominent on the music scene and I enjoyed the style of music and Billy Holiday was also a favorite of mine and my husband. While TV was becoming more popular we noticed our favorite radio shows were starting to materialize on television. Such shows as Abbot and Costello and Bob Hope were usually seen on the TV in our house. The culture of the forties really started to show happier times were about to come for us. From the hardships of the thirties and early forties I greatly enjoyed the change into a happier time for America. Some other things I loved were my first refrigerator; I never knew something could be so helpful to a housewife. Tupperware was also one of my best helpers in the kitchen as it came out in this great decade. While cooking for my family was a pleasure of mine every once in a while my husband would treat us all to a dinner out of the house. We would either go to a restaurant or a diner. Diners were new to us but very popular after being introduced. They were made from old horse drawn carriages with a couple barstools put in them. These nights made the kids' day and also shown how happy our family had become. Although the lost of my first husband and the lonely years raising my daughter by myself put a dark lightening on the forties all the benefits I saw at the end of the decade brought a new light into my life. The marriage to my second husband and the birth of my son gave me a new hope that the fifties could not hold anything I could not handle. Chapter 3: My Golden Decade 1950-1959 Within this tumultuous decade brought forth new ideals and new projects in both US culture and government. With the ending of the war in Korea a sigh of relief swept our great nation. My family was growing faster than I could have imagined and they were happier than ever. With no threat of war on the horizon I believed the fifties would be a great time to start anew. No death, destruction, or hate throughout the country or world for even a small measurement of time was the perfect cure for such an ailing public demeanor. Although we fought racism abroad, racism at home had only now begun to be dealt with. I was glad when such acts were put in place like the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 stating racial and ethnic barriers would be removed from becoming a US citizen. Also segregation in schools was ruled unconstitutional in public schools. These were giant steps in my view towards a more connected American society. Segregation in schools was extremely evident in the southern states. The "separate but equal" rule for educating white and black children separately came under attack during this time. However after the many court cases I heard of one I remember made the most effects. Brown vs. the Board of Education Topeka, Kansas was the springboard for integration in American schools. This created a new turn in our American society showing that eventually we would all be considered equal. It made me proud to raise my children in this nation. It is clear to see that I was overjoyed with the turn of the decade and it might seem as though I overlooked all the negative aspects of my life in the fifties, I have not done so, I saw my troubles during this time as well. One sickness, that was all too common, almost hit too close to my home. Polio was abundant among the young in my community and I feared it was only a matter of time until one of my own was struck down with this crippling disease. My son's friend passed on due to this horrid ailment, seeing his mother, who was my close friend, crumble from the loss of a child made me pray that nothing would come upon my own. For once in my lifetime I was lucky, neither of my children contracted this horrible sickness, so I never knew the loss of a child to Polio only the loss of friends. This was all until the beloved Dr. Salk provided the answer to all mothers' prayers by developing a vaccine for this unkind disease. During this era my daughter would be the first to tell you that she was a fan of the teen idols of the time. She swooned over James Dean and was crushed on the night the world lost that young star; she danced to American Bandstand in her poodle skirt and just was enveloped in the pop culture of the time. Also during this time many parent, me not being one of them, shunned the new fad of rock'n'roll. Most parents frowned upon the rambunctious beats and the suggestive dance style that went along with this music. However I was a large fan of Elvis Presley myself, my daughter as well. My husband rarely shown interest in this music but also never banned it from our house. Although by this time we'd had our TV for many years it became even more popular during this decade. So many new shows were developed and I could hardly get my kids away from the TV set. They would get up in the morning to watch "I Love Lucy" and then head of to school only to come home and watch "Lassie". They indulged in watching the variety shows of the day such as the Ed Sullivan Show and Disneyland. My husband and I were very impressed with the live television of the times. When the coaxial cable was introduced and live news broadcasts were sent through the TV sets I was just amazed at how far we had come from listening to FDR's fireside chats on the radio to watching live news on a TV. However, one of the newer fads my family fell for was the transistor radio. The moment my daughter saw one she just needed to have it. So for her seventeenth birthday that was her present. While me and my daughter were swept away by music and TV my husband and son were greatly involved in sports still. While during this time football was gaining popularity and baseball undoubtedly became America’s favorite pastime. Baseball heroes like Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson were favorites in our household. Also a favorite sports moment for me was when the All-American Girls Baseball League was created for women athletes to join. Although it wasn't as popular as the men's league it was a push forward for women athletes which I rooted for. During this decade I was amazed by the genius of our fellow country men. When the first US satellite was finished in 1958 and orbited the earth, we then knew we were in the space race. Although Russia had beaten us, we showed they wouldn’t be the only country to gain the vast knowledge of space. The Explorer 1 had shown how powerful we could be and we wouldn't be beaten. While the knowledge of not only this world but the universe was growing so was our actual country. During these years the states of Hawaii and Alaska were admitted into the USA. This created a larger United States and a greater nation. With the growth of technology, economy, and space exploration our country was continuing to show why it was and will stay a super power of the world. Chapter 4: A Simple Goodbye A Summation of the Decades 1930s-1940s From my life as a child much has changed, I've learned to deal with losses and learned to accept and be grateful for the accomplishments I have earned. I learned to love and lose and then love again. Also I have been through war, poverty, homelessness, loneliness, and being frightened. In the decades that have passed I lost my home and had to traverse to a new part of the country I'd never seen before and start a new life. Then I traveled back across this vast land to live in what is still my home state today, Massachusetts. These were years filled with depression and scarcity. These years brought families close and ripped them apart at the same times. The years that have passed have proven to shake our great nation as well as help shape it into a strong society in which I am thankful to be a part of. With the losses my family faced along with the many families of lost veterans and the hardships that embraced the victims of the Depression it was hard to begin a new life and think that we would survive. Even after the cold war had begun and hope was almost lost again we raised up to the challenges of these immense decades filled with everything from the Hoovervilles of California to the rock'n'roll starts like Elvis. The losses of many heroes were also dealt with throughout this time. I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling life. My life has giving me the gift that I do not take anything for granted and I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding thirty years than these. If I had to take the bad in with the good I can accept that because without the bad I'd have no good in my life now.
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Elizabeth
Strauss, Media Generalist
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