7) How and why did television shape the consumer culture of the 1950s?
Television shaped the consumer culture in the 1950’s because this is when the market for televisions became larger. As the number of households with televisions increased, the way the networks targeted the audience changed. Television signals were able to reach further into rural areas so events (such as conventions) could be broadcasted to a wider audience. Television greatly influenced what society was talking about and therefore more and more genres started transferring onto the television. Consumers became more reliant on the television for not only news, but entertainment as well.

8) Why was the Montgomery bus boycott successful?
The boycott was successful because it was a non-violent form of protest. The initiators of the boycott actively spread the word to other “blacks” in their neighborhoods and everyone took a stand against riding the buses. Since they came together as a race, the “blacks” were able to make an impact economically. The economic impact combined with their lack of retaliation to instigations from the white community drew attention from higher authorities. Finally, the issue was taken to court and racial segregation on buses was proven to be illegal.

9) Why were the civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 1963 effective and important?
The demonstrations in Birmingham were effective because King never gave up. When the African American adults were staying out of the protests, he encouraged the youth to take a stand. It was important because Birmingham was the center for the KKK, which was actively violent towards the “blacks.” JFK also stepped in to help bail out King and this later brought about desegregation.

10) How successful was the "war on poverty?" Why is poverty such a difficult issue in America?
The “war on poverty” was successful in lowering the poverty levels across all age groups. However, its largest impact was amongst the elderly. Poverty is such a difficult issue in America because we are a nation that believes in equality. With the huge discrepancy between the incomes of the upper and lower class, poverty became more apparent. Poverty is also a difficult issue because of the debate of equality of income vs equality of opportunity.