Mid-century UK and USA

In a nutshell

In this summary, you will find all the information regarding the most important events and changes during the 20th century in the UK and USA.

Mid-century in the UK

The middle of the 20th century was a period of many changes in the UK. First, in the 1960s the technology's influence could be seen in many fields, such as the creation of detergents, frozen foods, and others. Second, many social advances were creating a gap between the new and the older generation, however, the reforms in the 1960s marked the beginning of a fairer society, the most important change was the abolition of capital punishment in 1969. Third, other changes regarding health and adulthood were established such as the Abortion Act, the Family Planning Act which allowed contraceptives, the Sexual Offences Act which stated that homosexuality in privacy was no longer a criminal offense, and the Divorce Reform Act of 1969.

In 1958, a group of people supporters of the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) marched for nuclear research causes. On the other hand, pacifist groups organized a 'sit-in' in Trafalgar Square with Bertrand Russell as a leader. These events shaped the model for marches and protests by the students in the 1960s. Another continuous conflict was race, immigrants were contributing to Britain's economy, however, suffered from discrimination in employment and housing, so, the new Act aimed to fight discrimination, and gave rise to integration and mutual tolerance.

The late 1970s were marked by the decline of the economy and living standards. Violence, racial tension, corruption, and terrorism contributed to the increase in pessimism. In 1974, there was a confrontation between the miners and the conservative government of Edward Heath, as a result, there was an international energy crisis, unemployment rose, and urban riots, drugs, and violence was growing among new generations. In 1973, Britain joined the European Community in order to improve its economic situation, in the 1980s things started to change positively for Britain.

Mid-century in America

After WWII, America became a more prosperous country, wages and production of goods increased, as well as, the purchase of cars, televisions, and washing machines. In 1961, the democratic John F. Kennedy became president of the USA and gave visibility to the nation's problems such as poverty in the ghettos, and racial discrimination. America was often perceived as an antagonist toward communist nations and leaders, for example, the tension with the building of the Berlin Wall (1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), which resulted in the withdrawal of the Russian army. 

In Dallas 1963, President Kennedy was murdered and his death discouraged social hopes. The vice-president, Lyndon Johnson, took over the presidency and carried out some changes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which condemned racial discrimination of any kind, in addition, he began a health care program for the poor and elderly.  

During the 1960s America experienced different social movements and troubles. For instance, American Indians reaffirmed the superiority of the traditional Indian culture. On the other hand, Martin Luther King promoted the Afro-American Civil Rights movement through non-violence resistance, there were other more radical and non-pacific movements such as the 'Black Panthers' and the 'Black Muslims' led by Malcolm X which aimed the separateness from the whites and the return to African roots. Both, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were murdered.

In 1969, Richard Nixon took the presidency and made an effort to end the conflict of America's participation in the Vietnam War. Thus, in 1973, the last American soldiers left Vietnam. Even if many positive events occurred during Nixon's government such as the first moon landing, his government experienced inflation, unemployment, and fuel shortage. Finally, in 1974 Nixon was forced to resign due to the Watergate scandal that involved illegal contributions and political espionage. Nixon's place was taken by Vice President Gerald Ford who was in charge of re-establishing honesty and reliability in the government. Later in 1976, the Democratic Jimmy Carter won the elections and he accomplished the Camp David Agreements between Egypt and Israel. However, he did not achieve the release of a group of Americans held hostage by Ayatollah Khomeini, so he was defeated in the next elections by the Republican Ronald Reagan.