The Post War Years at The Post War Years at HomeHome

CH 20CH 20

In the post war In the post war years the American years the American economy prospers, economy prospers, the average annual the average annual income per person, income per person, nearly doubled nearly doubled from 1945-1946 from 1945-1946

Fast-food Fast-food restaurants, restaurants, clothing stores, and clothing stores, and other franchises other franchises began popping up began popping up all over the all over the country.country.

First Fast Food restaurant located in Wichita Kansas

Advances in Advances in technology, such technology, such as television, as television, computers, computers, transistors, and transistors, and nuclear power also nuclear power also spurred industrial spurred industrial growth as business growth as business met demands for met demands for new technologies. new technologies.

Dr. Jonas Salk Dr. Jonas Salk discovered a discovered a vaccine for polio, a vaccine for polio, a disease claiming disease claiming more than 20,000 more than 20,000 lives a year. lives a year.

A growing A growing economy and more economy and more affluence helped affluence helped increase the increase the birthrate, causing a birthrate, causing a baby boom in the baby boom in the 1950’s; with 1950’s; with growing incomes growing incomes many families many families leave the cities for leave the cities for the suburbs.the suburbs.

1957 1957 1 baby born every 7 1 baby born every 7 secondsseconds

Families bought Families bought homes and cars to homes and cars to carry them to jobs carry them to jobs in the cities and in the cities and new suburban new suburban shopping centers. shopping centers.

The New “American Dream”

The GI Bill of Rights The GI Bill of Rights gave veterans low-gave veterans low-interest loans so interest loans so that they could that they could purchase homes purchase homes and provided and provided educational educational stipends to attend stipends to attend college or graduate college or graduate school. school.

FDR signs GI Bill of Rights in 1944

The government The government encouraged these encouraged these changes by changes by building new and building new and better highways better highways across the nation.across the nation.

Consumer credit, Consumer credit, and debt, started and debt, started to grow as lending to grow as lending agencies offered agencies offered credit cards.credit cards.

Section 2Section 2

The Mood of the 1950’sThe Mood of the 1950’s

During the late During the late 1950s many 1950s many Americans lived Americans lived comfortable lives, comfortable lives, after depression after depression and war citizens and war citizens wanted security wanted security and comfort over and comfort over individuality. individuality.

(wanted to be like (wanted to be like families on TV)families on TV)

Father Knows Best 1954-1958

Leave it to Beaver 1957-1963

Many young people called “the silent Many young people called “the silent generation,” were content to enjoy generation,” were content to enjoy their parents’ affluence rather than their parents’ affluence rather than become involved in the outside become involved in the outside world. world.

Americans also Americans also showed a renewed showed a renewed interest in religion interest in religion in response to the in response to the struggle against struggle against “godless “godless communism.” communism.”

Rev. Billy Graham

Hollywood gets in on Religious craze with “The Ten Commandments” 1956

Men worked in the public arena, Men worked in the public arena, women worked at home or as women worked at home or as secretaries, teachers, nurses, and secretaries, teachers, nurses, and sales clerks, and not in professions sales clerks, and not in professions such as medicine or law, which were such as medicine or law, which were reserved for men. reserved for men.

Many turned to Many turned to music, becoming music, becoming fans of rock and roll fans of rock and roll especially Elvis especially Elvis Presley, many Presley, many adults saw this adults saw this scene as a cause of scene as a cause of immorality. immorality.

The King

The Beatles

The “Beat Generation” The “Beat Generation” or beatniks. Beatniks or beatniks. Beatniks consisted of artists consisted of artists and writers that and writers that challenged traditional challenged traditional patterns of patterns of responsibility and responsibility and shocked Americans shocked Americans with their open with their open sexuality and drug sexuality and drug use. use.

Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac

BeatnikClean Teen

Sec. 3Sec. 3

Domestic Politics and PolicyDomestic Politics and Policy

President Harry President Harry Truman faced Truman faced challenge of challenge of reconversion, reconversion, transition from transition from wartime to a wartime to a peacetime peacetime economy.economy.

Truman proposed Truman proposed the Fair Deal which the Fair Deal which included more included more benefits for benefits for workers, national workers, national health insurance health insurance and control over and control over atomic energy.atomic energy.

Truman moved to Truman moved to increase Civil increase Civil Rights for African Rights for African Americans by Americans by ordering the armed ordering the armed forces to forces to integregate. integregate.

Republicans elect Republicans elect Dwight D. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Eisenhower in 1952, promoted 1952, promoted Modern Modern Republicanism, Republicanism, goal of slowing goal of slowing federal federal government government growth and limiting growth and limiting presidential power. presidential power.

Eisenhower helped Eisenhower helped establish the establish the National Aeronautics National Aeronautics and Space and Space Administration Administration (NASA), an agency (NASA), an agency for space exploration for space exploration and the National and the National Defense Education Defense Education Act, which gave Act, which gave money to improve money to improve science and science and mathematics mathematics education. education.