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Life in the 1950s

Life in the 1950s. US History: Spiconardi. Consumer Spending. After World War II, Americans were ready, able, & willing to spend their money Factories had converted from producing military supplies to consumer goods Many had saved up from wartime jobs. Consumer Spending. Consumer Spending.

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Life in the 1950s

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  1. Life in the 1950s US History: Spiconardi

  2. Consumer Spending • After World War II, Americans were ready, able, & willing to spend their money • Factories had converted from producing military supplies to consumer goods • Many had saved up from wartime jobs

  3. Consumer Spending

  4. Consumer Spending

  5. Suburbanization • Thanks to “baby boom” & GI Bill there was a rise in new homes • Building outside of major cities begins • Levittowns  nearly identical homes built on treeless lots; mass production of houses • Impact • Decline of the Cities • Fewer taxpayers  not enough funds for services • Greater concentration of poor in the cities puts a strain on cities due to demand for social services

  6. Suburbanization

  7. Automobile • Cars made growth of suburbs possible and in turn caused greater demand for cars • Helped steel, rubber, & glass industries • Caused America’s dependence on oil & pollution

  8. Automobile • Federal Highway Act of 1956 • Largest public works program in US History • $31 billion dollars to construct over 40,000 miles of roadways • Intended to facilitate commerce & allow military to move about the country • Helped integrated South into national economy • Expands metropolitan areas (suburbanization)

  9. Television • Impact • Education/News • Homogenized culture • Increases consumerism via advertising • Alters sense of reality? • Less socialization? • Hurt movie industry?

  10. Rock-n-Roll • Seen as the music of the devil • Associated with rebellious teens • Led to moral depravity (Elvis hip swivel)

  11. Education • After Sputnik, US makes education a matter of national security • National Defense Education Act (1958) • Funded programs in math, science, and foreign language

  12. Bomb Shelters & Air Raid Drills

  13. Bomb Shelters & Air Raid Drills

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