Splash Screen

VS 1 The Prosperity of the 1950s Economy and Society The GI Bill provided funds and loans to millions of war veterans. Consumer spending increased rapidly. More Americans owned homes than ever before.

Figure 1

VS 2 The Prosperity of the 1950s Population Patterns The U.S. population experienced a “baby boom.” Millions of Americans moved out of cities to the suburbs. Science, Technology, and Medicine Improvements in communication, transportation, and electronics allowed Americans to work more efficiently. Medical breakthroughs included the polio vaccine, antibiotics, and treatments for tuberculosis, cancer, and heart disease.

Suburbs

Vocab7 baby boom a marked rise in birthrate, such as occurred in the United States following World War II

Vocab8 white-collar jobs jobs in fields not requiring work clothes or protective clothing, such as sales

Vocab9 blue-collar workers workers in the manual labor field, particularly those requiring protective clothing

Figure 4

Vocab11 franchise the right or license to market a company’s goods or services in an area, such as a store of a chain operation

VS 3 Popular Culture New forms of music, radio, cinema, and literature emerged. Television replaced movies and radio as the nation’s new and most popular form of mass media. The Prosperity of the 1950s

Vocab13 generation gap a cultural separation between parents and their children

Vocab12 rock ‘n’ roll popular music usually played on electronically amplified instruments and characterized by a persistent, heavily accented beat, much repetition of simple phrases, and often country, folk, and blues elements

Why It Matters Trans

VS 4 The Problems of the 1950s Economy and Society Workers went on strike for higher wages. Congress would not pass Truman’s civil rights legislation. Eisenhower cut back on New Deal programs.

Figure 3

VS 5 Population Patterns Financially able people moved from crowded cities to new suburbs. Poverty increased in the inner city and the poor faced ongoing social problems. Crime increased among young people. Science, Technology, and Medicine Poor people in inner cities and rural areas had limited access to modern health care. The Problems of the 1950s

Vocab19 juvenile delinquency antisocial or criminal behavior of young people

DFS Trans 3

Vocab17 urban renewal government programs that attempt to eliminate poverty and revitalize urban areas

Figure 5

VS 6 Popular Culture Not everyone could afford to buy the new consumer goods available, such as televisions. African Americans and other minorities were, for the most part, not depicted on television. Many television programs promoted stereotypical gender roles. The Problems of the 1950s