US History Unit 13 SECTION 21

Overview  America’s technological development and economic growth from the end of World War II through 1975 pushed the United States from an insular nation to a world leader, both politically and economically.

Baby Boom  The Great Depression and World War II caused many families to delay marriage and child bearing.  As WWII came to a close and soldiers returned home, the birth rate skyrocketed  = Baby Boom!  Approximately 79 million babies were born during this era.

Baby Boom Graph

Baby Boom cont…  The Baby Boom profoundly affected the economy in 3 areas.

1. GI Bill of Rights  1. GI Bill of Rights  Created to protect and reward returning servicemen  Provided low interest loans (home and business)  Grants for education  These loans caused a housing boom  the creation of the first suburban housing developments Ex…Levittown, New York  Levittown became the model for future subdivisions  standard home designs that were easily erected in 27 steps

Levittown

2. Consumer Spending  2. Consumer Spending  Spending increased due to the fact that household furniture, appliances, and goods were now needed  Consumer demand became the driving force of the US economy after World War II

3. Government Infrastructure  3. Demand for government infrastructure increased  Schools, highways, water, sewer, and power grids were needed to accompany the larger population  The Interstate Highway Act (1956) – passed by President Eisenhower to build a highway system to effectively move troops and military supplies  The new, larger population outgrew the 2 lane roads and the IHA forever changed population patterns allowing for the growth of suburbia and cementing America’s dependence on the automobile

Ticket Out The Door  1. What 2 factors caused people to delay marriage and child bearing?  2. What was the name of the time period from when over 79 million American babies were born?  3. List the three areas where the Baby Boom affected the US economy.  4. What was the name of the first housing development in New York?  5. What act was passed by President Eisenhower that greatly expand the US road system?

Ticket Out The Door  1. What 2 factors caused people to delay marriage and child bearing?  Great Depression and World War II  2. What was the name of the time period from when over 79 million American babies were born?  Baby Boom  3. List the three areas where the Baby Boom affected the US economy.  GI Bill of Rights, Consumer Spending, and Government Infrastructure  4. What was the name of the first housing development in New York?  Levittown  5. What act was passed by President Eisenhower that greatly expand the US road system?  Interstate Highway Act

Television  During World War II the radio and print media were still the predominate medium for news, entertainment, and marketing  By the late 1950’s the television had replaced the radio  only 7,000 tv’s had been purchased  by 1959 over 67 million tv’s were sold  Many Americans watched the same programs creating a common national culture  Television news impacted political and social events

Television cont…

2 Major Events Affected by TV  There were 2 major events affected through television  1. Kennedy/Nixon Debates (1960)  During the 1960 Presidential race John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon agreed to 4 tv debates  The campaigns were relatively the same however the men were quite different  Kennedy = young, tanned, clean-cut and physically fit  Nixon = older, underweight, not particularly handsome, prone to sweat  TV watchers saw Kennedy as the victor while radio listeners saw Nixon as the winner

Kennedy/Nixon Debates 

2 Major Events Affected by TV  2. Civil Rights Movement  Nightly news broadcasts brought frequent reminders of the on-going struggle for civil rights in the South  News footage of attack dogs biting demonstrators or fire hoses blasting children made for dramatic tv and caused Americans to question segregation laws  The Selma March where the Alabama State Patrol attacked demonstrators received a massive amount of tv coverage  MLK’s “I have a Dream Speech” was viewed by a live audience in 1963

Attack Dogs

Fire Hoses

Selma March 

Technology on American Life  New vaccines meant an end to childhood diseases such as polio, measles and whooping cough  Air conditioning led businesses and population to spread to the deep South and the southwest  Communication satellites allowed for long distance phone calls and improved weather forecasting  World War II experiments in aeronautics led to the growth of the airline industry  By the 1970’s early versions of personal computers and crude networks (internet-like) were changing communication and business

Sputnik I  On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first man-made satellite – Sputnik I  The public and political outcry of being beaten to space by the Soviets led to 5 important developments in the US  1. dramatic investment in science and math education  2. the creation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)  3. inspired a generation of new technology including the internet  4. the fear that Soviets had more missiles that the US caused the US to drastically improve military spending and creating nuclear weapons  5. new military strategies  1. domino theory – led to invention in Vietnam and 2. massive retaliation – US would respond to any military attack with all out military and atomic capacity