1 / 10

The 1950s

The 1950s. Postwar Prosperity. The Changing Economy. Per capita income rose. Businesses switch back from war production to consumer demands. The franchise system flourished. An Emerging Technology Boom. The transistor revolutionized TVs, computers & radios.

falala
Download Presentation

The 1950s

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The 1950s Postwar Prosperity

  2. The Changing Economy • Per capita income rose. • Businesses switch back from war production to consumer demands. • The franchise system flourished.

  3. An Emerging Technology Boom • The transistor revolutionized TVs, computers & radios. • Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine against polio; advances made in antibiotics & surgical techniques. • Nuclear power offers new energy solutions. • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), dedicated to space exploration, was created in 1958. • National Defense Education Act (1958) provided low-cost loans to college students & incentives for teaching math and science.

  4. Changes in the Work Force Corporate culture – “Company men” White Collar Workers • Office work less dangerous & exhausting. • Pressured to conform. Blue Collar Workers • New machines reduced the number of labor-intensive jobs. • Working conditions & wages improved.

  5. The Baby Boom • The baby boom that began in the 1940s continued in the 1950s – and expands.

  6. Suburbs, Cars, and Highways • GI Bill of Rights gave soldiers low-income mortgages. • Levittown, PA becomes model for new “planned communities.” • 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act provided billions of dollars to build an interstate highway system, which helps to grow suburbs. • Gasoline companies & lending agencies offered credit cards, & consumer debt rose.

  7. Youth Culture • Young people had more time for school & recreation. • Businesses marketed to youths. • Rock ‘n roll became popular in the 1950s, but many adults disliked rock ‘n roll music. • Beatnik movement stressed spontaneity & rejected money.

  8. Religious Revival • A response to anti-religious Communism & social challenges presented by rock ‘n roll and non-conformists. • Alfred Kinsey’s study showed that – despite social norms to the contrary – premarital sex and extramarital affairs were common.

  9. Harry Truman • Truman’s Fair Deal — Proposals for postwar economic improvement. • Truman formed the biracial Committee on Civil Rights in 1946 to address concerns of African Americans. • The 22nd Amendment was passed in 1951, limiting President to two elected terms.

  10. Eisenhower &the Republican Approach • Eisenhower advocated Modern Republicanism, conservative economic policies but liberal social policies. • Eisenhower’s administration favored big business. • Eisenhower Doctrine – U.S. would offer economic or military aid as necessary

More Related