The Postwar Boom

1. The Postwar Boom Chapter 19

2. The Postwar Boom • Postwar America • The American Dream in the Fifties • Popular Culture • The Other America

3. GI Bill of Rights • Summer of 46’ – 10 million men & women return home • GI Bill of Rights – Servicemen’s Readjustment Act • Returning veterans receive financial aid ( low-interest loans, no down payments) for • College • Trade School • Start business or farm • Buy a home • Unemployment benefits

4. Redefining the Family • Tension between men and women and their roles • This contributed to rise in divorce rates • Many women did not want to give up their independence • More than 1 million war marriages ended in divorce

5. Economic Readjustment • Converted from wartime to peacetime economy • Unemployment increased • Veterans & laid-off workers • 3 million seeking work • OPA – ended control on max. price of goods • Price of goods skyrocket • Increased 25% • Many workers earned less now than during war • What problems did Americans face after war? • Doesn’t stay like this for too long…

6. Economic Recovery • Americans suddenly had money to spend, automobiles to houses • American economy boomed! • Demand for goods and services exceed supply and increase production • “The Affluent Society”

7. Housing Crisis • William Levitt and Henry Kaiser – create assembly line methods to mass-produce houses • Suburbs = homes in small residential communities surrounding cities • People move from places like Detroit to places like Troy • By 1960 – 1/3 of Americans lived in suburbs • “Cookie Cutter” houses – all look the same – Levittown • More people can afford homes

8. Harry Truman – “The Buck Stops Here” • Viewed as honorable, down-to-earth, and self-confident. • Truman had to address strikes – 4.5 million • Truman supports Civil Rights • Created President’s Commission on Civil Rights – Requests for…. • Federal anti-lynching law • Ban on poll tax as voting requirement • Permanent civil rights commission • DENIED BY CONGRESS • July 1948 – issued executive order for integration of the armed forces

9. 1948 Election • Truman elected – Democratic party • Dixiecrats – group formed who protested Truman’s emphasis on civil rights (Southern Democrats) • Fair Deal – • proposal for nationwide health insurance • Promote full employment • Increase minimum wage • Does not run for re-election due to all time low rating. • Both Democrats and Republicans oppose to Fair Deal

10. 1952 – I like Ike • Eisenhower wins on promise to end Korean War • Nixon’s “Checkers” Speech • “Modern Republicanism” • Conservative policies – cut spending, reduce taxes, balance budget • Liberal approach to meeting peoples needs • Raised minimum wage , extended social security and unemployment benefits, increased funding for public housing • Supported Civil Rights • Civil Rights Act of 1957 • Civil Rights Act of 1960 • Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka • 1957 Supreme Court Ruling that public schools must be racially integrated.

11. Working for the “Man” • Factory work more automated – machines • Growth in “white collar” jobs • 1940 – 45% • 1960 – 56% • Better working conditions but • Heavy pressure to conform • “Company man” or “Organization Man” • Described how new large organizations created “company people” • Disadvantage – conformity replaced individuality! • Unions continue to push for “blue collar” workers rights

12. Working for the “Man” • Conglomerates – major corporation including smaller companies in unrelated industries • Security against failure • Franchise businesses begin to develop • Offered similar products/services in multiple locations • McDonald’s – Ray Kroc

13. Baby Boom • 1957 – 1 baby born every 7 seconds

14. Baby Boom • Population explosion • Baby Boom generation is born – 1940’s to 1960’s • 1957 – 4,308,000 babies born • Largest generation in nations history • Why? • Reunion of husbands and wives after war • Decreasing marriage age • Desire for large families • Advances in medicine • Confidence in economic prosperity • Baby Boom led to rapid growth in schools • Toy sales reach $1.25 billion

15. Advances • Medicine… • Dr. Jonas Salk – developed a vaccine for polio • Killed 20,000 kids annually • Dr. Benjamin Spock – “Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care” • Says mothers should stay home with children • Women’s Roles… • Role of home-maker and mother glorified in TV, movies, & magazines • On the contrary…some felt their roles were boring, felt isolated, unfulfilled • Betty Friedan – “The Feminine Mystique”

16. Leisure in the Fifties • Time saving devices • Washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, power lawn mowers • This allowed for more time for leisure activities • Americans spent more than $30 billion on leisure goods and activities • Fishing, bowling, hunting, boating, golfing, baseball games, reading, etc

17. The Automobile Culture • Americans buying cars break record numbers • 6.7 million in 1950 to 7.9 million in 1955 • Suburban living – • People needed to drive to their jobs in the cities • Churches, synagogues, doctors’ and dentists not in waking distance • Stores, gas stations, shopping malls, drive-ins spring up • Automakers introduce new car design every year • New Highways are built • Interstate Highway Act 1956 – cost $32 billion • Unified country • More Americans vacationed, road trips to national parks, lakes, mountains and more • Problems.. • Noise and exhaust pollution • Automobile accidents claiming lives • Traffic jam = stress • Damaging roads

18. Interstate Highway System

19. The Culture of the Car 1958 Pink Cadillac 1959 Chevy Corvette

20. Consumerism – buying material goods • New products in the marketplace • House appliances, blenders, freezers • Leisure – TVs, tape recorders, record players, swimming pools • Planned obsolescence - marketing strategy, purposely manufactured products to become obsolete – to wear out or become outdated • People wanted up to date items – “keeping up with the Joneses” • Credit Cards: Diners Club 1950, Amex 1958 • Installment plans • Consumer debt increased from $73 billion to $179 billion • TV advertising becomes HUGE!

21. Mass Media • Mass media – communication reaching large audiences • TV developed the fastest • Primary source of entertainment and information • By 1960 – 90% of Americans had TV sets • Black and white • Brought families together • Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – govt agency that regulates and licenses TV, telephone, radio, and other communications • Radio & Movies – both survive with the TV set taking over. • Movie goers decreased by nearly half, but still had its advantages • Radio turned to local programming of news

22. “Father Knows Best” “I Love Lucy” “Leave it to Beaver”

23. The Beat Movement • Who: Beatniks ( followers of the movement • Where: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City’s Greenwich Village • What: Expressed social and literary nonconformity of artists, poets, and writers • “Beat” originally meant weary • Came to refer to musical beat later • Beatniks counter-culture • Did not like regular work • Little structure • Expressed themselves through poetry, music, and literature • Jack Kerouac wrote a novel describing Beatnik culture entitled On the Road • Beatniks, Elvis, Beatles are seen as rebellion against conservatism

24. Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Beginning • Alan Freed, a disc jockey in Cleveland, Ohio started to play music in 1951 that was a mixture of rhythm and blues, country, and pop • He called this music • Rock ‘n’ Roll • Music for both African Americans and white people

25. What was Rock ‘n’ Roll all about? • Heavy Rhythm • Simple melodies • Lyrics that discussed • Love • Heartache • Cars • Problems of being young Jazz – style of music composed by use of improvisation

26. Adults view on Rock ‘n’ Roll • Thought it would… • Produce a decline in morals • Increase delinquency • Create deviant citizens

27. Rock ‘n’ Roll Artists • Elvis Presley • King of Rock ‘n’ Roll • Original dance style • Famous for songs like • “Don’t be Cruel” • “Hound Dog” • “Jailhouse Rock” • “Can’t Help Falling In Love” • Richard Penniman • “Little Richard” • Chuck Berry • Jerry Lee Lewis • Bill Haley

28. The Other America • Millions of white Americans left the cities for the suburbs • Meantime, rural poor migrated to inner cities • 5 million African Americans moved into urban areas • Cities lost people, businesses, property, and income taxes • Poverty grew rapidly and suburban Americans were unaware

29. Urban Renewal or Urban Removal? • Urban renewal was a proposed solution to the housing problem in inner cities • Solution – tear out rundown neighborhoods and reconstruct low-income housing • Only half way successful • Areas were torn down, but instead… • Factories, shopping centers, parking lots and parks were built on some of the new clear land. Most affected were African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos – lived in dirty crowded slums

30. Termination Policy • Eliminated federal economic support • Discontinued the reservation system • Distributed tribal lands among individual Native Americans • Bureau of Indian Affairs helped to relocation Native Americans resettle in cities • Policy was a depressing FAILURE • Unable to find jobs • Poor training • Racial prejudice • No access to medical care • Policy abandoned in 1963