Rosa Parks: The 5' 3" hero

     As many know, a big part of the civil rights movement was the African American movement against segregation and inequality. Rosa Parks was an old, short, and peaceful game- changer for the black civil rights movement. As we discussed in class, Rosa Parks "stuck it to the man" and refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person who needed a seat. Rosa Parks, like we all know, refused to give up her seat because she saw it as an unfair and unequal rule. She was arrested and jailed for her action which was a catalyst for the civil this movement against segregation and inequality.

     Rosa Parks, when asked to move didn't comply and refused to do so. She said during her trial that she felt like she didn't have to. She had come from a long day at work and had been on the bus much longer than any of the other passengers. She felt that getting arrested was a sign that white Americans don't know how to treat people of color. This sparked a movement called the Montgomery Boycott. All African Americans boycotted the buses and refused to board. They all started to walk and refuse to give and pay money to the bus companies. The boycott led to bus companies losing many customers and it led to the huge loss of revenue.
     Winning in the end, Rosa Parks and her bravery led to the equality for all in buses all over the country. People could sit wherever they wanted and they have Rosa Parks to thank for that.

Motor Vehicles in the 1950s

     After World War II, the American economy flourished. Part of the economy was the automobile business which saw a happy incline in a consumer market. During the 1950s the big three (not Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin) which included General Motors, Chrysler, and Chevrolet, took their business to the American people. The wide range of new technology was also brought the to the American market. Terms such as mass production and muscle cars became a things of the future.

     During the year 1950, an estimated number of 7,212,469 of automobiles were sold (cars and trucks). At the end of the decade (1960), an estimated number of 8,341,759 of automobile were sold. The high of the decade was during the year 1955 where an estimated number of 9,672,956 of automobiles were sold. From all of these numbers, Chevrolet was the highest selling car. Because the 1950s was a consumer society and time period, the advertisements displayed by Chevrolet may have  led to the increased car sales by Chevrolet. In addition, the technology in the car was a huge decision maker for many Americans.

     Some of the technology in the 1950 automobiles included power windows, improved suspension designs, new and improved engines (V8),chassis designs, and new and innovative AC designs. Though many of the designs and innovations were deal breakers, there many failures with car designs. But though failure occurred, the automobile empire soon took over military designs of automobiles and planes.