The American Economy Changes Focus I.Service sector A.Blue-collar vs. white-collar B.Information industries II.Trend/technology in farming III.Franchise businesses I.Effects of franchises IV.Multinational corporations V.Conglomerates VI.Change in per capita income

Technological Advances in the 1950s A.Development of transistors for small radios, calculators, and computers A.Quicker for business

Mid-50s IBM introduced data- processing computers popular with American business

B.Medical Advances Dr. Jonas Salk vaccine for polio which in 1952 crippled thousands of children and killed 1,400 –b y 1960, polio almost gone antibiotics to fight cancer, diabetes, and heart disease  led to longer life expectancy

C. Nuclear power could produce heat to create steam to turn turbines –Shippingport, Pa—1 st nuclear power plant in 1957

The Space Race What was Sputnik? How did the United States respond to the launching of Sputnik? Cite evidence

Sputnik Oct. 4, 1957, Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, 1 st earth- orbiting satellite into space

10A. Progress Through Science First IBM Mainframe Computer Hydrogen Bomb Test DNA Structure Discovered Salk Vaccine Tested for Polio First Commercial U. S. Nuclear Power Plant NASA Created Press Conference of the First 7 American Astronauts

10 B. Progress Through Science 1957  Russians launch SPUTNIK I

10 C. Progress Through Science UFO Sightings skyrocketed in the 1950s. War of the Worlds Hollywood used aliens as a metaphor for whom ??

Trends and Movements of the 1950s

Population Movements Sunbelt grew faster than any other region due to new jobs and better climateSunbelt grew faster than any other region due to new jobs and better climate California had 10% of U.S. peopleCalifornia had 10% of U.S. people –Became most populated state (1964) Blacks began heading north to find more tolerance in job hiringsBlacks began heading north to find more tolerance in job hirings –By 1970 ½ of blacks live in north

People were living longer due to better diets and medicine –Life expectancy reached 65 by 1950 from only 47 in 1900 –“senior citizens” made up 10% of U.S. population

Education by 1960, 40% of college-age attended college (15% in 1940) –National Defense Education Act--$1 billion in loans to high school and college graduates Focus on developing scientists and science teachers

Credit Cards First developed in late 40s, but became common in 1950s Americans used to purchase new consumer goods for their homes and items for their children

Automation Machine-driven technology From 1947 to 1957  1.5 million factory workers (blue-collar) lost their jobs due to automation 1956—there were more white-collared jobs than blue-collared in the U.S. New automated devices: air conditioners, electric blankets, electric knives, electric toothbrush, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, pencil sharpeners, typewriters, and cash registers  MANY MORE

Religion church attendance rose from 50 million in 1940 to 80 million in 1958 The belief is that Americans returned to Church as a response to the belief that communist were atheists Congress added “In God We Trust” to the dollar bill and “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance Televangelism becomes popular through television

8 A. Religious Revival Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954 Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954 Church membership: 1940  64,000,  114,000,000 Television Preachers: 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen  “Life is Worth Living” 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent Peale  The Power of Positive Thinking 3. Reverend Billy Graham  ecumenical message; warned against the evils of Communism.

8B. Religious Revival Hollywood: apex of the biblical epics. It’s un-American to be un-religious! -- The Christian Century, 1954 The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben Hur The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben Hur