A Time of Prosperity

1. A Time of Prosperity Unit 9 – The Cold War – Section 2

2. Women – Front of worksheet! • Gain more/more important roles in the labor force • Traditional “housewife” stereotype still exists • In 1950 women comprised 29% of the work force • Women over 35 = 50% of working women • 40% of married women with small children were employed. • In the second half of the decade 70% of all employed women were working in clerical positions, on factory assembly lines or in the service industry. • Less than 15% of women were employed in a professional capacity and the number of women in management was even far less, topping out at 6%. • Industries were also segregated based on race with white women dominating the clerical, service, and sales positions. African-American women were mostly relegated to working as domestic servants and often performed physically demanding work for very low wages. • The widespread availability of appliances in the home left many domestic service workers found unemployed and forced to seek work in the commercial sector.

3. Benefits for Veterans • G.I. Bill – gives money to WWII vets for education and housing • Because of this MANY new suburbs are created as all of these young men have accessibility to buy new homes

4. Frank Lloyd Wright • American architect • As housing and building industry grew, so did appreciation for abstract and more intricate architecture • Dies 1959

5. Desegregation of the Armed Forces • Executive Order 9981: July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed this order establishing the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, committing the government to integrating the military (desegregate) into one

6. Labor Unions • Became more powerful and popular

7. Working Conditions • Workers gained higher wages and better working environment

8. Consumerism • Bought more items based around home and family life. • Air Conditioning invented! • Purchased MORE labor saving devices • By 1953 1 million air conditioning units were sold

9. Consumer Goods • Conversion from war materials to consumer goods (again) • TV becomes standard in homes • by 1960, nearly 90% of households had a TV

10. Credit • Large purchases are (once again) purchased by borrowing money • In 1949, Frank X. McNamara thought of a way for customers to have just one credit card that they could use at multiple stores. The first Diners Club credit cards were given out in 1950 to 200 people and accepted by 14 restaurants in New York. • By the end of 1950, 20,000 had one • The Diners Club credit card is considered the first modern credit card.

11. Ray Kroc • Entrepreneur – founder and creator of McDonalds • The idea of fast food as a modern convenience grew! Drive-thru dining became the way of life with automobiles and the working family. • He was a distributor for the “Multimixer” (a six-prong mixer to blend six milkshakes at once.) • Once he heard the McDonald brothers in California had 8 of these he visited them in1954. • In two days, he had an arrangement to open more McDonalds in the U.S. and in 1961 he bought out the brothers for $2.7 million.

12. Sputnik – BACK SIDE, Under “Dwight D. Eisenhower” • World’s first man-made satellite. Launched by Soviet Union in 1957.

13. Space Program – Under John F Kennedy • In response to Sputnik, US creates NASA to launch its own space missions

14. Education – Back under “Eisenhower” • US created the National Defense Education Act to produce more scientists and teachers.

15. Highways • Interstate system was created for travel and transportation, as well as ease of military movement (if ever needed - in case of attack)

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