1950s

Economic Boom Decade of prosperity Average American income tripled Spent on consumer goods like refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners Advertising became fastest growing industry in US More white-collar jobs

GI Bill Provided generous funds to veterans to help them buy homes, attend college, and create businesses Low Interest loans to veterans

Fair Deal Truman’s Program to promote his domestic agenda Raised minimum wage to 75 cents Increased social security Passed National Housing Act – provided construction of low income housing

Eisenhower Won election in 1952 Conservative Cut federal spending Extended social security Extended unemployment compensation

Interstate Highway Federal Highway Act Allowed people to move to suburbs Impact of car – Allowed vacationing – Drive-ins – Hotels

Levittown Earliest mass-produced suburbs Planned residential community Moved to suburbs to escape crime and congestion Thought it would be better life for children GI Bill made it affordable

Baby Boom Increase in American birthrate Young people who delayed marriage due to war could marry, buy home with GI bill, and start family Pop culture (TVs, mags, etc) celebrated pregnancy

Polio Vaccine Jonas Salk developed vaccine to prevent polio Threat of polio disappeared Other medical breakthroughs: radiation and chemotherapy, CPR, Tuberculosis antibiotics

Rock n Roll Alan Freed – Cleveland radio jockey – First to convince station to play White artists began making music that stemmed from African American R&B sounds Elvis Presley – King of Rock n Roll Chuck Barry, Buddy Holly, Lionel Richie Created Generation Gap

Television More than 80% of families had a TV by 1957 Comedy, action, adventure, variety I Love Lucy Ed Sullivan show Gunsmoke Dragnet Athletic events Presidential debates

Beat Generation Mostly white writers and artists Beatniks Criticized conformity of American culture and emptiness of popular culture Created values gap Laid foundations of youth cultural rebellion of 1960s

Groups Left Out of the Prosperity Other Problems: Inner city Decline – Middle class moved to the suburbs leaving behind poor – City centers deteriorated due to no longer receiving taxes from middle class that moved out Juvenile Delinquency – Rise of caused people to stereotype teens – Reasons: TV, Racism, Rebelling against conformity? – Education – parents started focusing on school to keep kids out of trouble When Sputnik was launched increased focus on education especially science and math African Americans – Racial discrimination in schools, housing, hiring, and salaries kept them in poverty Hispanics – Hard laborers who lived in extreme poverty Native Americans – Termination Policy- the gov’t withdrew all recognition of Native American groups as legal entities – Encouraged them to ‘blend in’ with mainstream society Appalachia – Few doctors – Unemployment due to mechanization of mining – Poor education