A Society on the Move

1. To what extent did the US change socially and economically in the 1950s? A Society on the Move

2. A Society on the Move • America Moves to the ‘Burbs • Between 1940 and 1960, more than 40 million Americans moved to the suburbs • Lack of urban housing forced people to look elsewhere • After World War II, Americans married and had families creating a massive demand for housing

3. A Society on the Move • “Levittowns” • William Levitt used the idea of “mass production” to build homes in a rapid fashion • Homes built in weeks rather than months • $58 per month ($8000 mortgage) • 17,000 homes built on Long Island in 2+ years

4. A Society on the Move • Government Assistance with Housing Industry • Thousands of miles of highways and roads were built that linked urban areas to new suburban locations • Mass Transit: local governments built subways or train systems to aid people in getting to the cities • FHA (Federal Housing Administration): guaranteed loans of new homebuyers allowing buyers to pay as little as 5% down payment and pay over 30 years • GI Bill: gave veterans low interest loans to purchase new homes

5. A Society on the Move • “Car Culture” Takes Over • Americans became increasingly dependent on cars as the suburbs grew • Number of registered automobiles • 1945: 26 million • 1960: 60 million • Interstate Highway Act: Eisenhower and Congress approved the creation of 41,000 miles of highways to connect America’s major cities • Largest Public Works project in American history! • Bigger than any of the New Deal programs during the Great Depression

6. A Society on the Move

7. A Society on the Move • Automobiles and the Interstate Highway System also boosted the travel and vacation industries • Disneyland opened in 1955 • Franchises: Business system which allows a company to sell its products through independently owned and operated retail outlets • Holiday Inn opened in 1952 • McDonald’s opened in 1948

8. A Society on the Move • Migration to the Sunbelt • Appealing Climates and availability of jobs attracted people to the south and west in the 1950s • California: added more than 5 million new residents in the 1940s and 1950s • Political Power moved away from Northeast and Midwest • California’s representation in the US House of Representatives more than doubled between 1948 and 1998

9. A Society on the Move • American Economy Changes Focus • Service Sector Growth • 1947-1957: “Blue-Collar” (Manufacturing /Construction) jobs declined by 4% while White Collar jobs grew rapidly • Computers became regular tools in government and private industry • ENIAC: The first computer (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) took up 18,000 square feet! • Women in the Workforce • The number of women in the workforce doubled between 1940 and 1960 • Most worked part-time in clerical services (secretarial, switchboard operation, etc.) • “Pink Collar” jobs did not pay much compared to male jobs

10. Women in the Workforce

11. A Society on the Move • Multinational Corporations: companies that produced and sold goods and services all over the world • With national economic expansion, companies were able to expand and sell goods/services in western Europe and Latin America • General Motors: automobiles • General Electric: household appliances • IBM: computers • Coca-Cola: soft drinks

12. Mass Culture and Family Life • The US economy boomed in the 1950s due to wave of “consumerism” • Consumerism: process of buying as much as they could, mostly on credit • Median Family Income: rose from $3319 to $5417 in the 1950s • Installment Plans made goods affordable • 1st Credit Card (Diner’s Club) was introduced • Home Appliances topped the list of goods purchased • Washing machines and dryers, refrigerators, and ranges • Supermarkets appeared • Shopping centers sprouted up all over the suburbs

13. Mass Culture and Family Life • Televisions: Record Numbers of TVs were purchased • 1946: fewer than 6000 TVs produced • 1953: 7 million purchased! • 1960: 90% of all households owned a television

14. The Television Revolution • Television created a national culture • Children’s programming influenced the new generation • “The Mickey Mouse Club” • “Howdy Doody” • Family sitcoms became the most memorable of all programming • “I Love Lucy” • “Leave it to Beaver” • “Father Knows Best”

15. The Television Revolution

16. Mass Culture and Family Life • The “Ideal” Family • In the post-war years, the American “nuclear” family (dad, mom, & kids) was portrayed as the backbone of American society • Women had to accept their roles as homemakers for this model to work • Dr. Benjamin Spock’s Book “Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care” • Nurturing children became the focus of family and industry • Spock’s book became extremely popular for decades

17. Mass Culture and Family Life • Improved Healthcare Benefitted the Baby Boomers increasing their life expectancies dramatically • 1954: Dr. Jonas Salk developed the vaccine to end polio • In 1952 alone, thousands of kids were crippled and 1400 killed • Antibiotics (like penicillin) became more readily available • Controlled numerous infectious diseases like whooping cough and tuberculosis • Improved diet also contributed to longer lives

18. Mass Culture and Family Life • Rock and Roll traces its beginning to 1951when radio began broadcasting “race music” • Originated from the Rhythm and Blues music of African-Americans • As Blacks moved North during and after World War II, they brought their music with them • First Superstar: Elvis Presley became famous with his song “Heartbreak Hotel” • Very Controversial because of passion and emotion it seemed to bring out of American youth