1950s Economy and Society

1. 1950s Economy and Society

2. Objectives • Identify the problems of the postwar economy. • Explain the effects of the changing society on the lives of Americans during the 1950s. • Compare life in the suburbs with life in the cities.

3. Terms and People • closed shop – a workplace in which only union members can be hired • productivity – the ability of workers to work efficiently and produce more goods • standard of living – a measure of how comfortable life is for a person, group, or country • baby boom – the increased birthrate that happened after World War II

4. Terms and People(continued) • rock-and-roll – a blend of black rhythm-and-blues and country music • Elvis Presley – the most popular singer of rock-and-roll in the 1950s and 1960s • inner city – centers of older cities

5. How did the American economy and society change after World War II? Important economic, social, and political changes occurred in America after World War II. Many Americans enjoyed prosperity, but not all shared the benefits of the economic boom.

6. After the war, America faced the challenges of returning to a peacetime economy. Defense industrieshad closed or scaled back. Millions of returned soldiersneeded jobs. Congress passed the GI Bill ofRights, giving veterans money for businesses, homes, and schooling.

7. Americans also faced high inflation after the war. With the war over, Americans were eager to buyconsumer goods. Inflation The demand far exceeded the supply of goods, resulting in soaring inflation.

8. As prices rose, workers demanded higher pay. When employers refused, many workers went on strike. President Truman ended some of the strikes. This angered workers. Truman then encouraged industries to raise wages. This caused inflation and angered consumers.

9. Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Actin response to the strikes. Taft-Hartley Act The government could delay a strike for 80 days to preserve public safety. Closed shops, where only union members could be hired, were banned. Truman vetoed the act, but Congress still passed it.

10. Truman gradually lost much of his popularity. White Southern Democrats were angered by his support of civil rights. Liberal Democrats were unhappy with his policy of challenging Soviet expansion. The Republicans were sure they would win the election of 1948. Truman campaigned tirelessly, attacking the “do-nothing” Republican Congress.

11. Truman’s chances for reelection seemed slim. The Chicago Tribune printed an early headline declaring Truman’s loss. Truman’s narrow victory was one of the biggest upsets in American history.

12. In his second term, Truman proposed his Fair Deal program. Congress passed some of his proposals. Passed Increase in the minimum wage Funds for flood control Funds for low-income housing Not Passed Funds for education National health insurance Reducing racial discrimination

13. Truman did not run again in 1952. War hero Dwight D. Eisenhowerwas elected by a landslide. Eisenhower served two terms as President. His achievements include: Increasing the number of people who could receive Social Security benefits. The Interstate Highway Act of 1956, which funded a national freeway system.

14. The Eisenhower years were prosperous ones for many Americans. Inflation slowed and employment was high. New technology such as computers increased American productivity. By the end of the 1950s, Americans manufactured and bought 1 out of every 2 productsmade anywhere in the world.

15. One important product was the television. By 1960, most families had one. TVs brought news and entertainment into people’s homes. Watching TV became the most important family activity.

16. Television helped make popular a new kind of music, called rock-and-roll. Elvis Presley was the most popular rock-and-roll singer. Teens idolized Presley, but many adults found his music and dancing too provocative.

17. Meanwhile, growing families increased the demand for many goods. Americans married earlier and raised more childrenthan previous generations. This trend became known as the baby boom.

18. As the population rose, so did the standard of living. New jobsput money in consumers’ pockets. Home and car ownership rose.

19. As more Americans purchased cars, they began to live farther away from work. Suburbs grew quicklyas people left the cities behind. Suburbs around cities in the West grew the most quickly, and their political power grew as well.

20. The movement to the suburbs caused inner cities to decline. Cities Suburbs Cities became home to poorer, less educated people. As people moved to suburbs, jobs followed. Schools and services suffered, and crime rose. The suburbs prospered.