postwar america 1945-1960. readjustment and recovery gi bill of rights- granted soldiers a variety...
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Postwar America 1945-1960
Readjustment and Recovery GI Bill of Rights- granted
soldiers a variety of benefits Received one year
unemployment pay Financial aid for college Low interest loans for
building homes and starting businesses
$500 dollars a year for college
$50 dollars for living expenses, $75 if married
Housing Crisis There was a severs
housing shortage in 1945-46 and this led to the suburbs
Identify William Levitt - he mass produced homes (Levittown's)
Economic Readjustments End of 1945 12 millions
Americans were in the military
American factories churned out the weapons
Overnight the need for a huge military machine and production came to an end
Converting From a Wartime Economy Skyrocketing prices Postwar rush for goods
caused inflation Too much money to spend
on too few goods Price rose 18% in 1946 Price of beef doubled in a
year Unemployment Many
defense workers were laid off
US Dominates World Economy End of wartime restrictions
on goods opened floodgate of consumer consumption
Demand soared Businesses employed more
people People bought more goods Businesses hired more
people Who in turn bought more
goods
The Nation Recovers From War President Truman ordered
the troops home Demobilization- sending
home members of the military
By July 1946 only 3 million left in the military
One poll in 1945 said 605 of Americans expected earnings to fall
Remarkable Recovery Economists predicted another
Depression, but they were wrong
Americans had saved around $135 million and were ready to spend
How did the Cold War contribute to the “Booming Economy”
Helping rebuild European nations created markets for US goods.
Truman Overcomes Huge Obstacles April 12, 1945 Roosevelt
dies Truman only VP for 4
months Truman had to preside over
one of most difficult times in our history Cold War Spreading of Communism Inflation and labor unrest
Grappling With Congress and Labor Restless labor movement and
combative Republican Party Trade unions demanded pay
raises Employers refused labor’s
demands Millions of steel workers,
railroad and automotive workers went on strike
Truman threatens to draft strikers
Grappling With Congress and Labor Largest strikes in US
History Congress enacted the Taft-
Hartley Act A law that outlawed a closed shop Place where only union
members can be hired Rolled back workers rights Truman vetoed the act Congress overrode the veto
Truman as President – Domestic Problems Americans were ready for a
change 1946 Republican Party won
control of both houses of Congress
First time since 1928
Social Unrest Persists After World War II a wave
of racial violence erupted in the South
African Americans began to demand their rights as citizens
Truman Supports Civil Rights Truman established a
special committee on civil rights To investigate race relations
Committee made several recommendations for civil rights reform
Congress rejected recommendations
1948 Truman orders military to desegregate
The 1948 Election Define Dixicrats- Southern
Democrats who were opposed to Civil Rights
Democrats were split among several candidates
Many predicted (Thomas Dewy)would win
Truman used “do-nothing Congress as a campaign tool -Blamed Congress for “doing nothing help the American people
Truman Upsets Dewey 1948 Truman’s standings
had sunk Some Democrats left the
party to form State’s rights Party
Others formed the Progressive party
Republicans nominate Thomas Dewey Governor of New York
Truman Upsets Dewey Few people thought Truman
could win Whistle stop tours by train
300 speeches and 31,000 miles in a matter of weeks
Truman attacked the “Do nothing Congress”
“Give’em hell Harry” people would yell from the crowd
Truman won a narrow victory Upset of the century
Truman proposed Fair Deal Fair Deal would strengthen New
Deal reforms and establish new programs Success-Urban renewal plan Failure-National Health
insurance Congress did not approve Korean War caused a loss of
popularity Truman did not run in 1952 Many historians applaud
Truman’s common sense approach
Republicans Take the Middle Road Truman decides not to run
in 1952 because of Korean stalemate
And rising tide of McCarthyism
Democrats choose Adlai Stevenson (governor of Illinois)
Republicans choose General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eisenhower Charts a Middle Path Both Republicans and
Democrats wanted him to run
Nickname was Ike Friendly smile reassuring
personality Record of service and
honesty Adlai Stevenson-
democratic candidate
Eisenhower Charts Middle Path Spent nearly all adult life in
the military Never held political office Thought Eisenhower would
balance between liberal and conservative
Charted a middle course Did not repeal new Deal
programs Social Security Minimum wage
Walking Middle of the Road Goes to Korea and ends
the conflict there. Ike tried to avoid many
controversial issues Growing civil rights gained
national attention Ike for the most part stayed
away from this issue
US Dominates the World Economy End of WW II US only not
to suffer devastation US had 6% of world’s
population Produced 50% of world’s
total output Americans had a higher
standard of living than anywhere else in the world
Technological Progress Boosts Productivity Atomic energy Use of computers
Businesses began to depend on them
Worker Productivity- rate at which goods are produced or services are performed
Government Spending Supports Growth Increased spending boosted
the economy Outbreak of Korean War Us
committed parts of budget to defense
Military spending led to new technologies Plastics New metal alloys
Rebuilding European nations created markets for US goods
The American Dream
The American Dream in the Fifties After WWII Americans
turned their attention to families and jobs
The economy prospered The American Dream of a
happy and successful life seemed within the reach of many people
Americans Move to the Suburbs Between 1940 and 1960
40 million Americans move to suburbs
Shortage of urban housing By 1956 majority of
Americans hold white collar jobs
Conglomerates Major corporation that
includes a number of smaller companies
Examples AT&T and GE Multinational corporations-
companies that produced and sold their goods all over the world
Franchises Allows companies to
distribute its products and services Through retail outlets Independent operators
Holiday Inn- started because a builder could not find inexpensive lodging
McDonalds People started to conform
to company standards
McDonald’s15¢ burger (4¢ extra for cheese)
20¢ milkshakeRay Kroc joined up with the McDonald’s brothers and started franchising the restaurants in 1954
Service was fast!
LevittownWilliam J. LevittUsed mass-production techniques in home building.
New YorkPA – Bucks countyNew Jersey
Suburban Lifestyle Most Americas worked in
cities Fewer wanted to live there What were some reasons
for this Highway system More cars Affordable gas More space Better schools
Baby Boom Fills the Classrooms Soldiers married and had
children 1957 peak of baby boom
One baby born every seven seconds
4.3 million in one year Between 1940-1955 US
population grew from 130 to 165 million
Baby Boom During the late 40s through
the early 60s birthrates soared
Result- largest generation in US History
Reasons for the baby boom Advances in medicine Confidence in the economy Reunion of family (post-war)
Women’s Roles Media portrayed them as
happy housewives Many women were
unhappy with their suburban existence
Girls clothes and hair…
Leisure in the 50’s Most Americans had more
leisure time 40 hour workweek Labor saving devices
Washing machines dishwashers
Americans spent 30 billion on leisure goods and activities Sports(watching and
participating)/reading
Automobile Culture New car sales 6.7 million in
1950 7.9 million in 1955 Automania- suburban living
made owning a car a necessity
Most thing not in walking distance like cities
The Interstate Highway Act 1956 Federal spending increased
under his presidency Created interstate highway
system Spent federal dollars on
education Specifically to train scientists
Eisenhower’s popularity due to strength of US economy
One of the most prosperous, peaceful and politically tranquil in the 20th century
Interstate Highway System Eisenhower signed to build
highway network Led to increase in
trucking/decrease in railroads Growth of suburbs Military reason
move tanks around the country Evacuate cites form nuclear
attack
Mobility takes its toll Negatives pollution and
accidents Positive- jobs
Consumerism New Products
One after another appears Feed consumer demand
Planned Obsolesce- purposely design to become obsolete in a short period Consumers buy more
Buy now pay later Purchase on credit First credit card- Diners Club
The Advertising Age Ads were everywhere
Newspapers Magazines Radio and TV billboards
Advertisers appealed to people’s desires for status and belongingness
Strives to associate products with those values
Popular Culture
Popular Culture New Era of mass media-
means of communication that reach large audiences
1960- 90% of homes on a television
Rise of Television Early TV on east coast for 2
hours Microwave relays sent the
industry soaring FCC- Federal
Communications Commission- job was to regulate and license public airways
Types of programs-comedy, news, westerns, sporting events
Stereotypes and Gunslingers Portrayal of women and
children Specific complainants-More
men then women, racial stereotyping, violence
Radio and Movies survive Role of radio-Local
programming- news, weather, sports.
Role of movies-Increase color, sound, size, even 3D movies
Subculture Emerges The “beat "movement-
clashed with tidy suburban view of life
Led to counterculture movement of the late1960’s
The Beat GenerationThe Beat Generation is a term used to describe both:a group of American writers
who came to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired (later sometimes called "beatniks").
Beat Movement Centered in San Francisco,
LA, Greenwich Village NY Expressed social and literary
non-conformity of the time Beatniks tended to shun
regular work, lived alternative lifestyles
Famous Beatniks- Alan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac
Most followers-were college students
African Americans and Rock-n-Roll First DJ to play rock-n-roll
music- Alan Freed Early stars- Richard
Penniman, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley- the king of rock-n-roll
Concern of adults-Rock-n-Roll would lead to juvenile delinquency and immoral behavior
American Bandstand
The Other America White Flight
1950’s millions of middle class whites let the cities for the suburbs
Rural poor immigrated to the city
Direct impact- cities lost their tax base
Inner cities Poverty was growing rapidly in
decaying inner cities Other America: Poverty in the
United States by M. Harrington
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