Postwar America 1945-1960

1. Postwar America 1945-1960

2. The 1950's

3. An Economic Boom • End of 1945 12 millions Americans were in the military • American factories churned out the weapons • Overnight the need for a huge military machine and production came to an end • Millions of defense workers lost their jobs

4. The Nation Recovers From War • President Truman ordered the troops home • Demobilization- sending home members of the military • By July 1946 only 3 million left in the military • One poll in 1945 said 605 of Americans expected earnings to fall

5. GI Bill Aids Returning Soldiers • GI Bill of Rights- granted soldiers a variety of benefits • Received one year unemployment pay • Financial aid for college • Loans for building homes and starting businesses • $500 dollars a year for college • $50 dollars for living expenses, $75 if married

6. Baby Boom Fills the Classrooms • Soldiers married and had children • 1957 peak of baby boom • One baby born every seven seconds • 4.3 million in one year • Between 1940-1955 US population grew from 130 to 165 million

7. Converting From a Wartime Economy • Skyrocketing prices • Postwar rush for goods caused inflation • Too much money to spend on too few goods • Price rose 18% in 1946 • Price of beef doubled in a year • Unemployment Many defense workers were laid off

8. US Dominates World Economy • End of wartime restrictions on goods opened floodgate of consumer consumption • Demand soared • Businesses employed more people • People bought more goods • Businesses hired more people • Who in turn bought more goods

9. US Dominates the World Economy • End of WW II US only not to suffer devastation • US had 6% of world’s population • Produced 50% of world’s total output • Americans had a higher standard of living than anywhere else in the world

10. Technological Progress Boosts Productivity • Atomic energy • Use of computers • Businesses began to depend on them • Worker Productivity- rate at which goods are produced or services are performed

11. Government Spending Supports Growth • Increased spending boosted the economy • Outbreak of Korean War Us committed parts of budget to defense • Military spending led to new technologies • Plastics • New metal alloys • Rebuilding European nations created markets for US goods

12. Truman Overcomes Huge Obstacles • April 12, 1945 Roosevelt dies • Truman only VP for 4 months • Truman had to preside over one of most difficult times in our history • Cold War • Spreading of Communism • Inflation and labor unrest

13. Grappling With Congress and Labor • Restless labor movement and combative Republican Party • Trade unions demanded pay raises • Employers refused labor’s demands • Millions of steel workers, railroad and automotive workers went on strike • Truman threatens to draft strikers

14. Grappling With Congress and Labor • Largest strikes in US History • Congress enacted the Taft-Hartley Act A law that outlawed a closed shop • Place where only union members can be hired • Rolled back workers rights • Truman vetoed the act • Congress overrode the veto

15. Angering Segregationists • Truman established a special committee on civil rights • To investigate race relations • Committee made several recommendations for civil rights reform • Congress rejected recommendations • 1950 Truman orders military to desegregate

16. Truman Upsets Dewey • 1948 Truman’s standings had sunk • Some Democrats left the party to form State’s rights Party • Others formed the Progressive party • Republicans nominate Thomas Dewey • Governor of New York

17. Truman Upsets Dewey • Few people thought Truman could win • Whistle stop tours by train • 300 speeches and 31,000 miles in a matter of weeks • Truman attacked the “Do nothing Congress” • “Give’em hell Harry” people would yell from the crowd • Truman won a narrow victory • Upset of the century

18. Truman proposed Fair Deal • Fair Deal would strengthen New Deal reforms and establish new programs • Success-Urban renewal plan • Failure-National Health insurance • Congress did not approve • Korean War caused a loss of popularity • Truman did not run in 1952 • Many historians applaud Truman’s common sense approach

19. Eisenhower Charts a Middle Path • Both Republicans and Democrats wanted him to run • Nickname was Ike • Friendly smile reassuring personality • Record of service and honesty • Adlai Stevenson- democratic candidate

20. Eisenhower Charts Middle Path • Spent nearly all adult life in the military • Never held political office • Thought Eisenhower would balance between liberal and conservative • Charted a middle course • Did not repeal new Deal programs • Social Security • Minimum wage

21. Eisenhower Charts Middle Path • Federal spending increased under his presidency • Created interstate highway system • Spent federal dollars on education • Specifically to train scientists • Eisenhower’s popularity due to strength of US economy • One of the most prosperous, peaceful and politically tranquil in the 20th century

22. The American Dream

23. Americans Move to the Suburbs • Between 1940 and 1960 40 million Americans move to suburbs • Shortage of urban housing • By 1956 majority of Americans hold white collar jobs

24. Levittown • William J. Levitt • Used mass-production techniques in home building. • New York • PA – Bucks county • New Jersey

26. Conglomerates • Major corporation that includes a number of smaller companies • Examples AT&T and GE • Multinational corporations-companies that produced and sold their goods all over the world

27. Franchises • Allows companies to distribute its products and services • Through retail outlets • Independent operators • Holiday Inn- started because a builder could not find inexpensive lodging • McDonalds • People started to conform to company standards

28. McDonald’s • 15¢ burger (4¢ extra for cheese) • 20¢ milkshake • Ray Kroc joined up with the McDonald’s brothers and started franchising the restaurants in 1954 • Service was fast!

29. Suburban Lifestyle • Most Americas worked in cities • Fewer wanted to live there • What were some reasons for this • Highway system • More cars • Affordable gas • More space • Better schools

30. Baby Boom • During the late 40s through the early 60s birthrates soared • Result- largest generation in US History • Reasons for the baby boom • Advances in medicine • Confidence in the economy • Reunion of family (post-war)

31. Women’s Roles • Media portrayed them as happy housewives • Many women were unhappy with their suburban existence

32. Girls clothes and hair…

34. Leisure in the 50’s • Most Americans had more leisure time • 40 hour workweek • Labor saving devices • Washing machines • dishwashers • Americans spent 30 billion on leisure goods and activities • Sports(watching and participating)/reading

35. Automobile Culture • New car sales 6.7 million in 1950 • 7.9 million in 1955 • Automania- suburban living made owning a car a necessity • Most thing not in walking distance like cities

36. Interstate Highway System • Eisenhower signed to build highway network • Led to increase in trucking/decrease in railroads • Growth of suburbs • Military reason • move tanks around the country • Evacuate cites form nuclear attack • Mobility takes its toll • Negatives pollution and accidents • Positive- jobs

37. Interstate Highway System

38. Consumerism • New Products • One after another appears • Feed consumer demand • Planned Obsolesce- purposely design to become obsolete in a short period • Consumers buy more • Buy now pay later • Purchase on credit • First credit card- Diners Club

39. The Advertising Age • Ads were everywhere • Newspapers • Magazines • Radio and TV • billboards • Advertisers appealed to people’s desires for status and belongingness • Strives to associate products with those values

40. Popular Culture

41. Popular Culture • New Era of mass media-means of communication that reach large audiences • 1960- 90% of homes on a television

42. Television

43. Rise of Television • Early TV on east coast for 2 hours • Microwave relays sent the industry soaring • FCC- Federal Communications Commission- job was to regulate and license public airways • Types of programs-comedy, news, westerns, sporting events

44. Famous Shows

45. Stereotypes and Gunslingers • Portrayal of women and children • Specific complainants-More men then women, racial stereotyping, violence • Radio and Movies survive • Role of radio-Local programming- news, weather, sports. • Role of movies-Increase color, sound, size, even 3D movies

46. Subculture Emerges • The “beat "movement- clashed with tidy suburban view of life • Led to counterculture movement of the late1960’s

47. The Beat Generation

48. The Beat Generation • The Beat Generation is a term used to describe both: • a group of American writers who came to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s. • the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired (later sometimes called "beatniks").

49. Beat Movement • Centered in San Francisco, LA, Greenwich Village NY • Expressed social and literary non-conformity of the time • Beatniks tended to shun regular work, lived alternative lifestyles • Famous Beatniks- Alan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac • Most followers-were college students

50. African Americans and Rock-n-Roll • First DJ to play rock-n-roll music- Alan Freed • Early stars- Richard Penniman, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley- the king of rock-n-roll • Concern of adults-Rock-n-Roll would lead to juvenile delinquency and immoral behavior