Brian Campbell

10/3/2012

The Move Towards Rear Yards

The move towards rear yards, as viewed from a social-historical point of view, is a

phenomenon that can be traced all the way back to the 1940s and the days of World War

II. Before this time, America had adopted a policy of isolation, meaning that the country

would not align itself with any foreign countries nor get involved in any war outside of

the western hemisphere. This ideology was abandoned after the Japanese bombed Pearl

Harbor. Our country was now viewed as a “safe haven” for immigrants, who migrated in

mass quantities to escape the tyranny of the Axis Powers. While we were fighting to end

racism abroad, we were struggling with that concept here as many Americans wished for

housing to put distance between themselves and immigrants who were taking up

residence. This helped fuel streamlined house building, such as so-called “Levittowns”,

named for the brothers William and Alfred Levitt. A good example of this could be

found in California.. A lack of housing for middle and upper-class people coupled with

the influx of African Americans migrating here to support the war effort inspired real

estate developers to establish “all-white” neighborhoods, such as San Rafael in Pasadena.

What was unique about all of these rapidly built houses is that now they were becoming

more economical in size and now featured larger yards in the front and more importantly,

in the rear.

There was a sharp focus on domestic issues during this time. Raising children was

becoming the major staple of the American family. America’s involvement in war had

deep social implications and there was only so much war people could stand, especially

following the horrors of the Holocaust. Families enjoyed the privacy that came with

large backyards. A big front porch was likely seen as equivalent to “exposing yourself to

the enemy”. Large rear yards could also provide occupants with both protection and

food. Air raid shelters could be constructed in case of nuclear fallout and victory gardens

alleviated dependency of food stamps. So in essence, the backyard became both a place

to escape the perils of the war and symbolic of the “American Dream”. Owning one at

this time said that person was doing alright for his or herself. In a time filled with much

uncertainty, having something so important that was also remained a constant in life

probably helped to give those individuals a peace of mind. This trend would continue

throughout our country’s history as we continued to find ourselves involved in war and

other affairs abroad. It is no wonder that there is much pride in owning a large rear yard,

even to this very day. It certainly is much more than just a piece of land! It is highly

symbolic of the security a family or even an individual seeks to obtain during times of

global strife.

Web Pages Used:

1. Fullerton Heritage: Colonial Revival:

http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/colonial.htm

2. Fullerton Heritage: Post WWII Tract Homes:

http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/postww2.htm

3. The City of Pasadena:

http://cityofpasadena.net/library/in_around_about_pasadena/neighborh

oods/san_rafael/

4. The Washington Times Communities:

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/conscience-

realist/2012/may/13/all-american-truth-about-traditional-family-values/

5. Lone Star College: http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-

War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf

6. American Foreign Policy Between Wars:

http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-

War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf

7. Postwar Suburbanization: Homogenization or the American Dream?:

http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-

War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf

8. Wikipedia: History of U.S. Foreign Policy:

http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-

War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf

9. World War II Homefront Era:

http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-

War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf

10. Isolationism: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1601.html

11. Fallout Shelters: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3706.html