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History

Health and sanitation

In 1896, disposable menstrual pads become available to the general public.

In 1910 More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.

In 1910 Ninety percent of all Doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and the government as 'substandard.'

In 1910 The five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

When cities began to install sewage works to displace privies, they discharged this sewage raw, into the nearest river.

The most noticeable thing about most cities was the collection of horse manure, cleaned off occasionally by rain, or plowed to one side, or over the sidewalk, to permit driving. The accumulation of horse manure was a major problem in most large cities by 1900.

Education

In 1910 two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Race relations

In 1948, the US Supreme Court ruled that racial covenants in real estate deeds were invalid. Until then, deeds could contain restrictions against selling to people who were Jewish, black or Asian.

Until the 1960s, Asians tended to group together in cities, except for Hawaii. Except in the South, Afro-Americans were in ghettos, and were rarely seen outside except in menial roles. There were occasional athletes.

There were clear divides in thinking between white America and black. For instance, when O. J. Simpson was cleared of the murder of his ex-wife, most whites remained unconvinced. Blacks felt that he had been unfairly prosecuted. His support among blacks waned when he was tried for other crimes later.

Transportation

People used stage coaches for land travel. Because of the implied cost, few people traveled far. Canals and river travel were widely used as fast travel for upscale travelers. Trains in the early 19th century replaced most means of transportation for most people. It was relatively inexpensive, predictable and fast.

In 1910, there were 8,000 cars and 144 miles (232 km) of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 miles per hour (16 km/h).

This was used until the production of the automobile, which only partially replaced trains - there were few good roads until after World War II. Auto travel was discouraged during the war, and trains were packed. When auto manufacturers started again to make cars after the war, they found a ready market. Roads became packed. Travelers found relief starting in the 1960s with the expansion of the limited access highway coast-to-coast.

Until jets became widely available in the 1960s, flying was used by mostly people on business and a few others. People dressed in business attire to fly. When jets became available, flights were faster. Jets flew "above the weather." Until jets took over, people crossed the oceans in passenger liners, considered safer than propeller-driven aircraft. The use of passenger liners was discontinued for awhile to be replaced, later, by cruise liners for entertainment.

People had used ships for essentially entertainment travel since the early 19th century. By the end of the 20th century, nearly all passenger travel by ship was for entertainment purposes.

Until the 1960s, commercial air travel was aimed at the business traveler, with his (not her) family. People dressed up for plane travel as they would dress for church or the office: suits, dresses, and hats. Travelers were provided with free drinks, free cigarettes, and robust meals. This all changed with the use in the 1960s by the Baby Boomers, who traveled in casual clothing. With deregulation of the industry in 1978. The industry was no longer forced to travel everyplace, they could pick the most productive routes. Competition exploded, prices dropped along with amenities.

The 1973 oil crisis caught Americans by surprise. The country had chosen to support Israel in Arabs surprise attack on Yom Kippur. President Nixon had authorized price controls. While cost was not a problem, there could be no relief through supply and demand. Long lines persisted as panicked motorists filled their tanks daily. This was finally relieved when various state governors edicted Odd–even rationing; drivers whose license plates ending in odd numbers could purchase gas on odd-numbered calendar days, and even numbers, even numbered days.

The embargo affected America's foreign policy for decades with citizens suspicious of any Arab overture.

Violence

In 1910, there were about 230 reported murders in the country.

In 1929, the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre shows America that Prohibition has given a group of gangsters sufficient power to ignore the law. The end of Prohibition comes within a few years.

In 1950-1952, the United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was televised to a nation to whom television was new. The hearings showed that a mob still existed.

In 1957, the murder of mobster Albert Anastasia in a public place, reminded Americans that the mobsters are still around and acting with impunity. When police broke up a meeting of mobsters in upstate New York, it made the mobsters look stupid.

In 1964, Kitty Genovese was raped and killed in New York City, while dozens of onlookers acted in a helpless manner. This incident is used to mark the beginning of an era when the rights of perpetrators were emphasized over victims, particularly in the larger cities. It did not end until about 1989. During this era, the population separated itself into two segments: criminals and the justice, versus potential victims, which included nearly everyone else.

1965, Watts riots occurred as the result of a legitimate traffic stop of a black man for DUI by a white police officer. Many parts of the Watts ghetto were burnt and many items were looted.

During the first seven months of 1967, there was violence or disorder in 164 communities. Massive riots occurred after the assassination of Martin Luther King.

In the 1960s and 1970s, loitering laws were struck down by the courts. This prevented police from asking people, often based on appearance or racial profiling to "move along" on public sidewalks. The courts felt this was arbitrary and discriminatory. The public felt threatened by panhandlers and oddly dressed people in downtown areas. in the suburbs, they began avoiding downtown shopping areas in favor of privately owned shopping centers, whenever they could.

In 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in Miranda that if the police did not warn a suspected criminal about his rights in a formulaic manner, he would be freed from further prosecution.

In 1969, Charles Manson instigated several highly publicized mass murders.

In 1970, four anti-war activists destroyed a laboratory in the Sterling Hall bombing, killing a researcher, causing $2.1 million 1970 dollars worth of damage, and destroying 25 years of written research.

In 1970, 2,000 anti-war protestors, at Kent State University, after refusing a legal order to disperse, rushed 77 armed National Guardsmen. Four protestors were killed, several others critically maimed, resulting in a national uproar. The guardsmen and civilians in charge were eventually found blameless, much to the media's annoyance.

In the 1970s, there was an increasing number of airline highjackings. Highjackings had occurred intermittently from the 1950s on. Often these were by troubled individuals who wanted to go to Cuba, which was off-limits to US citizens. Sometimes the highjacker was taken to Cuba and arrested by the authorities there. Usually there was no deaths. The affect on passengers was mainly boredom since after landing in Cuba, they had to make the trip back to the United States and get to wherever they were going; and late. A new set of Islamic-extremist hijackers emerged to make a statement about freedom for Palestinians. Sometimes people were killed and/or the airplane destroyed to make that point. Often the highjackers were killed. The passengers were often deliberately terrorized and terrified. These received a good deal of publicity.

In 1972, Angela Davis was freed after a jury trial for purchasing the weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun, used in killing several courtroom officials during an aborted kidnapping. She had successfully fled justice for two months until arrested by the FBI. After her trial, she resumed her career as an social activist and professor at various colleges throughout the country. She is used a a reliable source on Wikipedia.

In 1973, heir John Paul Getty III was kidnapped. His kidnappers cut off part of his ear and sent it to his prospective ransomers to establish the fact that they meant business.

1973-1975 - SLA kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst, and co-opted her into robbing a bank.

From 1971 to 1978, Dirty Harry film series appear to help gratify the public's need for vicarious vengeance on an increasing crime rate, with the courts taking the side of the alleged perpetrator. From 1974 to 1994, five Death Wish films are produced, portraying a fictional urban vigilante illegally avenging criminal behavior in various urban areas, where justice has failed. They are successful box office. After urban violence subsides, a new genre, aimed at terrorists, begins with Die Hard in 1988 and a sequel in 1990.

The Crime Victims' Rights Movement in the United States is founded on the idea that, during the late modern period (1800-1970), the American justice system strayed too far from its victim-centric origins.

The phrase "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," was lifted from 1976 film Network, it was taken as a sign of America's frustration with increasing urban violence.

The 1980 Miami riots occurred as the result of a jury finding four white officers innocent who tried to stop a black driver for cause, resulting in a car crash and his death.

From 1966-1982, the Black Panther party, a terrorist organization, flourished, encouraged and financed by American liberal elites, including Angela Davis.

The 1981 film Escape from New York portrays the city as a prison wherein the crime-ridden inhabitants are quarantined from the rest of the country. People easily recognize the film as clear satire, but not beyond conception if the city continues down the same path.

In 1980, privately owned malls began to proliferate. Owners could exclude people they wished.

Planned unit developments could be gated communities and exclude whoever was uninvited by residents.

The above, along with the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, established the groundwork for the 1980 election of outspokenly conservative Ronald Reagan.

In 1982, someone poisoned bottles of Tylenol in Chicago, resulting in 8 deaths. Johnson and Johnson's response to the tragedy was swift and considered classic. It recalled all similar products reimbursing the purchasers. It ultimately repackaged it's pharmaceuticals. Most food distributors and other drug companies followed suit so that tampering with most pre-packaged items for consumption can be easily detected. Similar incidents occurred until 1986, when repackaging stopped the potential killers.

In 1982, the Broken windows theory was adopted by a number of cities, including New York, to reduce criminal behavior and restore downtown areas and slums to a condition friendly to most visitors. States began to enact Tough-on-crime laws.

In 1982, Rudy Giuliani was appointed Federal District Attorney for New York, helping to clean up mobster-driven crime. Later, as mayor, he cracked down on accused felons, making the city of New York safe for visitors. On a different timeline, other large cities do the same.

In 1984, Bernhard Goetz becomes a real-life vigilante, wounding several people he felt were threatening him on a New York subway. He is nevertheless convicted and sentenced to a year in jail. He is successfully sued before a mostly black jury for tens of millions of dollars which he cannot and does not pay. The people who had demanded money from him were later found to have plotted to mug him. A judge ruled that imminent danger did not allow Goetz to defend himself. The public is largely incensed, the media and the justice system insensitive. This leads to a backlash against alleged offenders and the justice system which appears to defend perpetrators.

1992 - LA Riots in response to the first trial (state of California) and finding of innocent against the police who beat Rodney King after a road chase. Many places of business were burned and articles looted. In 1993, a Democratic federal administration brought federal charges against the officers. Two were convicted. Subsequently Rodney King was awarded $3.8 million, which he spent or lost. He was subsequently re-arrested on eleven other occasions.

Culture

In 1910 Most women washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

In 1910 There was no such thing as under arm deodorant or tooth paste.

In 1910 canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet

In 1910 There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Crossword puzzles became widely available in the 1920s.

Media

In 1954, about half of American families had a television set.

Until 1963, television news shows were 15 minutes long. There was general lack of video, and the news was often read, as had been done on radio. With the availability of video and the means to transmit it to the studio quickly, the tv channels began extending this time until reaching the current level of 30-60 minutes, or fulltime, as for CNN.

In 1974, the US Supreme Court decided in Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. that strict liability for defamation was illegal. This brought about a condition in the media and in the public generally, of attacking public figures, without fear of being sued for libel. In 2014, this was extended by a lower court ruling, even if the statement turned out to be false and defamatory.

After the facilitation of the copying of printed documents, made possible by the availability of the Xerox 914 in offices in the early 1960, Congress became concerned about Fair use of copied documents, defining boundaries in the Copyright Act of 1976. In 1984, the US Supreme Court extended this use to video copies, in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc..

Music

Music was historically played at home or by bands or orchestras in the 19th century. In rural areas, family members were expected to master an instrument to entertain themselves or visitors.

People were enthused about playing recorded music when it became available. There was less demand for amateur family entertainment. As the economy grew larger, there was excess time to listen to bands. In cities, big bands played music for dancing. The economics of moving and paying big bands for relatively small dancing audiences became a challenge in the 1950s and essentially died out in the 1960s. They were succeeded by much smaller bands playing music for larger seated, or standing, audiences. They paid higher prices for tickets.

As always, young people enjoyed music that annoyed their parents, with succeeding generations pushing the boundaries on dancing and or lyrics. This reached a point in the 1990s, where lyricists used words formerly considered profane or obscene. In 2013, cartoonist Jim Borgman, tongue in cheek, refers to his main characters as attending a fictional "Pottymouth" concert.

Mental patients

In 1975, One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won all the major Academy Awards. It promulgated a strong message against involuntary commitment to mental institutions. The same year the US Supreme Court ruled against confinement of non-violent persons by the state. The court followed this up in 1978 with Addington v. Texas, further restricting states from confining people with mental problems. In 1955 for every 100,000 US citizens there was 340 psychiatric hospital beds. In 2005 that number had diminished to 17 per 100,000. Columnist Marshall Frank has commented that this decision prevented the state from committing such persons as Jared Lee Loughner and James Eagan Holmes, each of whom was mentally disturbed and killed a number of people and would have been committed under the old rules prior to their attacks.

Economy

In 1910 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub. 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

In 1910 eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

One income per household was enough to support a family until about the 1970s. Two events brought about a change. Women's work in the home was lightened by appliances and food packaging. Women became bored at home.

Starting with the 1970s, large companies computed how much they would be paying their mostly male employees in ten years and realized there would not be sufficient income to meet their employees ambitions. These larger companies began a policy of equal opportunity, knowing that women would work hard and help keep wages down. This was followed by the federal and state governments requiring equal opportunity. By the 1990s, most two couple families could not afford to have one of them stay home to talk care of the children and house. To make ends meet in most families aspiring to be in the middle class, each of the couple had to earn an income.

Clothing was relatively expensive until about 1970. Consumers were careful about the purchase of clothes. Intact clothing was often handed down to other family members or friends.

US domestic industry was protected against foreign imports. After 1970, for the first time, there was stiff competition from low-cost producers around the globe. Many rust belt industries faded or collapsed, especially the manufacture of steel, TV sets, shoes, toys, textiles and clothing.

These price drops allowed most consumers to retain more money for discretionary purchases, which were often entertainment.

Homosexuality

In 1986, The United States Supreme Court ruled in Bowers v. Hardwick that a state could criminalize sodomy. This court overturned this decision in 2003.

In 1998, the state of Hawaii passed a constitutional amendment against gay marriage. In 2013 a ruling, by the state attorney general on this amendment, allowed the government to pass a statute legalizing gay marriage.