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| After the war most American were optimistic. The U.S. went through the baby boom, which unprecedented population growth. Business and unions grew too. Most workers were doing better with new products and a growing middle class. |
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| A new economy after the war |
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| The U.S. had two decades of expansion in the economy. GNP went from 200 billion in 1945, to 300 billion in 1950, and to 500 billion dollars. Per capita income also doubled from 1945 to 1960. 60% of all families were considered as middle class. During the war people saved money and were now ready to spend. Cars led the way. In 1946 there were 2 million cars made and in 1955 there were 8 million made. Cars also had a greater variety. A massive interstate highway system also developed. In 1956 the Interstate Highway Act passed by Eisenhower spent 26 million dollars on 40,000 miles of roads. Home ownership also increased. In 1940 it was 43% and in 1960 it was 62%. The GI Bill of Rights helped with this by providing loans to vets for education, homes, and business. Defense spending also increased, it went from 13 billion in 1947 to 47 billion in 1953. The space program also increased from 48 million to 401 million. |
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| During the war cooperation's had to consolidate into cooperate giants. In 1940 100 companies produced 30% of all goods. By 1943 100 companies made 70% of all goods. Businesses created conglomerate where they combined many different companies. More world markets and more business moved to foreign lands for cheap labor. There was still a very close relationship between business and the government. |
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| Saw a switch from goods produced to services. By 1956 the majority of people were in white collar jobs. The corporate world was very impersonal. What to wear and what behavior was accepted. Blue-collar workers increased in strength. The AFL and CIO joined together in 1955 with George Meany as their head. They controlled 90% of all union membership with 17.5 million members. Unions got a cost of living increase and more guaranteed pay with little striking. |
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| Technology revolutionized farming and created massive gains in productivity. Farms also started to consolidate. In 1945 farm size doubled and started to specialize. Farming became more competitive and it was hard for small farmers to compete with agri-business. Many left farming. In 1935 farming made up 1/3 of the work force, in 1945 they made up 1/4 and in 1970 they made up 5%. |
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| New Suburbs and Population |
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| Baby boom peaked in 1957 and there were 25 births per 1000 people. One person was born every even seconds. Death rate also declined and life expectancy reached 70 in the 1950s. Schools and teachers were in great demand. The U.S. was also a more mobile society with more cars and roads. Many moved west and south. LA, Houston, and Dallas became major cities. Also a large movement to the suburbs. At the end of the 1950s 1/3 of all Americans lived in the suburbs. In the central city it was the non-white population Houses took on standardization with many prefabricated houses. Many businesses moved as well, and shopping centers were created in suburbs. |
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| Rapid expansion hurt the environment. Often caused the uglification of the land. Few people were concerned until they had more leisure time. By 1950 most people worked 40 hours a week and 60% of people had paid vacations. Many started to explore nature and in 1958 the National Outdoor Recreation Review Commission was established. The started the process toward conservation. |
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| New technology, like atomic energy came about. Often this was the result of things developed during the war. The first calculators were invented, along with the transistor in 1948. This led the way for computers. TVs was developed in the 1930s. In 1946 there were 17,000 TVs and by 1960 3/4 homes had at least one. In 1955 the average family watched 4 to 5 hours a day. When a student graduated high school they watched 15,000 hours of TV compared to being in school for 11,000 hours. TV had all types of programs and advertising. Machines also started to replace workers. In 1957 Ford started automatic drill presses. They went from 117 workers to 41. |
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| Consumers change the way they buy |
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| Payment on credit became very popular. In 1950 Diners Club became the first credit card. Credit in 1946 there were 8.5 million and in 1958 45 million. TV advertising came about during this time. "The Price is Right" showed the importance of consumer praise. |
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| This was time for sameness in the American society. There was a lot more assimilation in society. TV played a huge role in this. |
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| Colleges and universities saw a rise in fraternities and sororities. People had little worry about world affairs. |
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| Church membership was also up and in 1950 95% of the people say that they had some type of religious denomination. Church membership doubled in 1970. This was often was a response to communism. This was led by Billy Graham. He started with a huge following on radio that transferred to TV. In 1954 Congress added "under God" into the pledge. 1955 "In God We Trust" was added to money. Many people followed religion blindly. |
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| Women Going Back to their "Roots" |
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Definition
| In the 1950s traditional gender roles returned. A man's job was to support his family and women were to be the caregivers. Most returned to cook, clean, and take care of the kids. For the women who went to college many went to find husbands. 2/3 of all women did not graduate from college. There were working women, most were married and in 1950 21% of them were employed. Pediatrician Benjamin Spock published Baby and Child Care. The book said the mother should stay home and raise the child if you want a stable and secure baby. Women and sexuality was looked at differently. The Kinsey report was published and it discussed sexual behavior of adults. They also saw the first sex symbol; Marilyn Monroe. In 1953 the Playboy Magazine was published for the first time. |
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| Writin' Books and changing my hair |
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Definition
| In 1951 J.D. Salinger wrote the book Catcher in Rye. A book about Holden Caulfield, a student concerned about fitting in. He said that everyone was a phony. This was a very popular book. The Beat Generation questioned conformity, and it rejected materialism and popularized marijuana use. Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road, the discussion of a cross country trip and was very controversial. Paperback books helped spread the word. Popular music, like Elvis Presley, also changed society. Clothes, hair, and music helped to start rock and roll. Painters like Jackson Pollack used a huge canvas with wild expressions and abstract expressionism. |
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| Truman was very aggressive in domestic policy, but Congress often stopped him. |
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| Eisenhower and Domestic Policy |
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| Eisenhower was more laid back and less aggressive. |
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| Truman needed to make the country transition from wartime to peacetime economy. Started by demobilizing the army. This was a hard transition. After the war inflation was a problem. There was also a number of workers were laid off. Also saw a labor upset when wages didn't increase which led to some strikes. |
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| PPP (Postwar Public Policy) |
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| After WWII Truman wanted full employment, higher minimum wage, greater unemployment compensation, and housing assistance. Some saw these programs as socialist. Congress ripped them apart and little was passed with meaning. |
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| In 1946 the Truman approval rating was down to 32% and the Republicans won a majority in each of the houses. Congress wanted their power back. They pushed for tax cuts twice and Truman vetoed them both times. In 1948 they overrode his veto. Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act which limited union power by saying states could prohibit union shop. The president could ask for a 90 day cooling off period. Truman vetoed it again, but Congress overrode it again |
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| Fair Deal and Its Critics |
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Definition
| In 1948 Truman wanted to win an election on his own. The Democratic Part was falling apart over segregation. 13 delegates nominated Strom Thurmond a Segregationist. Republicans nominated Thomas Dewey the Governor of New York. Truman was the underdog and went with a plain folks appeal. Called Congress the "Do Nothing Congress." Truman won the election in a huge surprise and the Democrats won both houses. Started his new program called the Fair Deal. Called for raising the minimum wage, social security expansion, and tried for more civil rights, but failed. Truman was much better at foreign policy. Many domestic issues fell by the wayside to support foreign policy. |
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| In 1952 the Democrats selected Adlai Stevenson who was called an egghead and too intellectual. Republicans selected Dwight D. Eisenhower who was an anti-communist and he wanted to end the Korean War. Eisenhower won 41 states and the Republicans carried both houses. |
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| Conservative when it came to money, liberal when it comes to human beings. They addressed economic concerns, like the balanced budget. They wanted to cut back on government spending and wanted more private development. No more TVA programs. In 1954 the Democrats regained Congress and slowed a number of programs. Eisenhower did very little but remained very popular. He won a second term and left the White House as popular as when he came in. |
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| Not all Americans shared in the prosperity. There was still a lot of poverty in inner cities and in rural areas. Blacks, Hispanics, and Natives were left out. |
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| 40 million people or 1/4 of the population lived below the subsistence level. Most lived in inner cities like New York or the rural poor living conditions in Appalachia, Mississippi. Others were migrant farmers. |
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| The Best Age Ever. Civil Rights. |
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| From 1930-1960 southern agriculture went from 16 million workers to 6 million workers. Many blacks went to live in cities. Some had success but most still had to fight discrimination. Jim Crow laws were everywhere. Northern Democrats and returning black veterans often took the lead in fighting discrimination. In 1947 Jackie Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier in pro baseball. Truman was somewhat supportive of blacks because he saw their voting power. Truman desegregated the armed forces and tried to desegregate other things, but Congress often blocked it. |
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| Montgomery, Alabama Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in December 1955. She was arrested for violation of segregation laws. The new civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had a PHD in Philosophy and was a Baptist minister. He called for a bus boycott and 50,000 walked or carpooled. This cut the bus companies gross income by 65%. This established the idea of peaceful protest and the bus company eventually gave up. In Congress, under the leadership of Lyndon B. Johnson helped get the Civil Rights Act of 1957 passed. This allowed the justice department to take control of all court cases that dealt with civil rights. Also passed the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which stopped voter discrimination. |
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| Chicanos are Mexican Americans and they faced widespread discrimination. Started as a seasonal migration but often stayed, many were illegal. Often lived in poor conditions and worked for less pay. There was integration in schools and they were never effective at mobilizing together. |
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| Native Americans Almost Catch a Break. Or Not |
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| They also faced a great deal of discrimination after WWII. Indian claims were established. A number of tribal suites were brought up and wanted reparation for lost land and also wanted money for it. In 1953 the federal government established the termination policy. They wanted to eliminate reservations as political entities. They also wanted them to assimilate into society. Termination also drew the Indians closer together. In 1958 the policy changed. |
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