The Postwar Boom: Chapter Nineteen

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

READJUSTMENT AND RECOVERY Ten million men and women in 46 try to

rebuild their lives GI Bill of Rights Purposes* Many go to live in suburbs* William Levitt built standardized homes in

treeless lots Divorce rates begin to rise due to women

working

Postwar America: Section One

Had to convert from a wartime to a peacetime economy

A million defense workers, along with veterans, were looking for work and unemployment rises

Prices on goods had risen by 25 percent—took two years for demand to catch up

Economists predicted a postwar depression—did not happen because of savings accounts*

Postwar America

MEETING ECONOMIC CHALLENGES Harry S. Truman* Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice Had to deal with the threat of communism and

restoring the American economy after the war Steelworkers, coal miners, and railroad workers

go on strike—hurts the economy* Takes over the mines; might do this with

railroads; threatens to draft workers into the army

Postwar America

Postwar America

SOCIAL UNREST PERSISTS After WWII, violence occurs

in South and veterans demand their rights

Truman willing to sacrifice not getting reelected due to his support

Commission on Civil Rights*

Congress refused to pass

Truman fights on creates executive order to ban separation of races in military and discrimination when hiring federal employees

Lower courts no longer allowed to prevent African Americans from moving into certain neighborhoods

Truman does become reelected despite opposition and creates the Fair Deal*

Postwar America

Postwar America

REPUBLICANS TAKE THE MIDDLE ROAD Truman’s approval rating sinks

due to Korean War and McCarthyism

Next election: Adlai Stevenson vs. Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower*

Republicans blame democrats for losses against communism overseas; claim federal govt. is growing too powerful; Truman admin is corrupt

Postwar America

Newspapers accuse Ike’s running mate, Nixon, of accepting private funds from wealthy supporters

The “Checkers” speech*

Speech saves his place; Eisenhower becomes pres.

The American Dream in the Fifties: Section Two

This slide is brought to you by Coca-ColaTHE ORGANIZATION AND THE ORGANIZATION MAN White collar jobs increase,

while blue collar jobs decrease*

Many work for large corporations and govt. agencies

Conglomerates* Franchises*

This slide brought to you by Betty Crocker Businesses did not want individuals, rebels, or

creative thinkers working for them Companies give personality tests to see if

people “fit in”THE SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE*Living in the suburbs provided good schools and a safe and healthy environment to raise kids*Returning soldiers contributed to the baby boom*

The American Dream in the Fifties

This slide is brought to you by Kool-Aid Vaccines developed to cure typhoid and polio Dr. Benjamin Spock writes a popular baby

book with the following advice* TV shows such as Father Knows Best and

Ozzie and Harriet—glorify the female* Some women work outside the home—usually

as nurses, teachers, and office workers

The American Dream in the Fifties

This slide is brought to you by Kodak Americans have more free time—standard 40 hour

work week is developed Participate in fishing, bowling, hunting, boating, and

golf Watched or attended baseball, basketball, and

football games Avid readers—read books on cooking, religion,

homemaking, romances, mysteries, and fiction Read comic books, The Reader’s Digest, Sports Illus.

The American Dream in the Fifties

This slide is brought to you by CheeriosTHE AUTOMOBILE CULTURE After WWII, there is an abundance of fuel, which

made it inexpensive Advertising and easy credit available made people

want to buy cars Living in the suburbs made having a car a necessity

for travel—much different than the city* “Automania” spurred the govt. to create highways to

link cities (41,000 miles of it created)

The American Dream in the Fifties

This slide is brought to you by 7-Up With highways and cars, new jobs are created for

vacations spots, restaurants, the movies, malls, gas stations, repair shops, and road crews

Problems with cars* “White flight” occurred with cars* Negative results with taking away jobs and

resourcesCONSUMERISM UNBOUND Consumerism*

The American Dream in the Fifties

This slide is brought to you by Ford New products began to appear such as washing

machines, blenders, freezers, microwaves, televisions, tape recorders, record players, lawn mowers, grills, lawn decorations, and swimming pools

Planned obsolescence* America becomes a “throwaway society” Americans pay for these items with credit cards and

installment buying Advertising found in newspapers, magazines, billboards,

radio, and, of course, tv

The American Dream in the Fifties

I Love LucyNEW ERA OF THE MASS MEDIA Mass media* Television: 19509 percent of homes; 195455

percent of homes; 196090 percent of homes Description of early television sets Federal Communications Commission* I Love Lucy, Green Acres, Leave it to Beaver,

Mickey Mouse Club

Popular Culture: Section Three

Popular Culture

TV launches advertising, TV Guide, and tv dinners

Programs are criticized because they weren’t accurate with women, minorities, and real problems*

Radio, now, only covers news, weather, music, advertising, and community issues

Movie industry was hurting at first; movies rely on these factors*

A SUBCULTURE EMERGES Critics against the suburban lifestyle and tv images

emerge Beat Movement* Beatniks lived a life without work—sought a higher

conciousness through Buddhism, music, and drugs Poets and writers believed in having an open

structure Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and Jack Kerouac’s On the

Road

Popular Culture

Popular Culture

AFRICAN AMERICANS AND ROCK N ROLL Electronic music was being added

to blues music Alan Freed is the first disc jockey

to play it and names the music rock ‘n’ roll*

Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley and His Comets, and Elvis Presley make the music popular amongst teenagers

Elvis picked up his style from singing in church and listening to gospel, country, and blues music

Signed to RCA and songs sold millions of copies

Rebellious style captivates audiences; screaming girls and boys tried to imitate him

Presley and the Ed Sullivan Show Many adults believed the following about

this music* Some cities ban the music Television and radio exposure would help

erase these beliefs

Popular Culture

URBAN POOR One in every four Americans lived below the

poverty level: elderly, single mothers, and minorities

Presence of white flight as African Americans moved from South to the North

Loss of taxes leaves city govts. unable to improve schools, transportation, and police and fire depts.

The Other America: Section Four

Urban renewal*POVERTY LEADS TO ACTIVISM During WWII, there was a shortage of

agricultural laborers, so the govt. hired braceros*

When employment ended, there was an expectation to return to Mexico

Many remained illegally and more entered the country to escape the poor conditions of Mexico

The Other America

1944 National Congress of Indian Affairs* WWII, Native Americans became aware of

discrimination when they came home and lost their wages and outsiders had take control of tribal lands

1953 federal govt. announces that it would give up responsibility for tribes

Termination policy* Problems of termination policy*

The Other America