Chapter 26 Postwar America at Home, 1945-1960

1. Chapter 26Postwar America at Home, 1945-1960 The American People, 6th ed.

2. I. Economic Boom

4. The Thriving Peacetime Economy • The years following World War II saw one of the longest sustained economic expansions in the history of the U.S. • The automobile industry played a key role in the expansion with millions of cars quickly produced and the steady construction of the interstate highway system

6. Changing Work Patterns • At this point in history, the United States stopped being primarily a goods producer and began a new path as a service provider • People enjoyed the leisure resulting from work which was characterized by conformity and “belongingness.” • White-collar and blue-collar workers enjoyed a higher standard of living than ever before

8. Demographic and Technological Shifts

9. Population Growth • During the Great Depression, the birthrate had dropped to an all-time low • The birth rate exploded as millions of postwar Americans began families • The death rate was also declining due to peacetime and new medical breakthroughs

11. Movement West • Postwar American became more mobile than ever before; most headed west • Cities throughout the Sunbelt South and West coast saw enormous growth as Americans who had been stationed in these areas returned after the war. • Population also shifted away from the traditional city centers to outlying suburbs where housing was cheaper

16. Technology • A technological revolution transformed the war efforts of the Atomic Commission into a collection of scientist hard at work to improve transportation, satellites, and other consumer goods that were often the byproducts of military research • The new field of computers also reflected the technology of the era; tiny transistors would help miniaturize computers for use in many items from ovens to vacuum cleaners

18. Consensus and Conformity

19. Traditional Roles for Men and Women • The necessities of World War II had interrupted the natural progression of social roles for men and women • Postwar, men and women had different expectations: education and business for men and homemaking and childrearing for women • Slow change during the decade reestablished the working patterns of the war: women found more entry points into corporate America

20. Cultural Rebels • Influences of mysticism and Buddhism • Writers of the “Beat Generation” Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: developed new styles of writing; introduction of the paperback novel • Elvis Presley and new rebellion of Rock-n-Roll • Art experimentation: Jackson Pollock

21. Origins of the Welfare State

22. Harry Truman • America’s first postwar president • Believed the federal government held the responsibility of ensuring social welfare of Americans • His liberal program of social reform was rejected by Congress, but he was elected to his first stand-alone term (Truman replaced Roosevelt after his death) despite a split within the Democratic Party

24. The Fair Deal • With a new national mandate as a result of the election, Truman again tabled his liberal social program which would be known as the “Fair Deal” • Despite mixed results and some failures, Truman was responsible for keeping the Democratic Party alive after its near collapse

25. Ike • Truman’s popularity fell drastically during his term • Former General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected the next Republican president • The opposite to Truman in almost every way, Eisenhower was a restrained president and desired a limited role of the presidency in national affairs

26. V. The Other America

27. Poverty Amid Affluence • Economic growth of the era favored the middle and upper classes • Fully one third of the population lived substandard existences, usually along the lines of race • African Americans continued to be this country’s least prosperous group of citizens