Chapter 26 Postwar America at Home, The American People, 6 th ed.

I. Economic Boom

The Thriving Peacetime Economy  The years following World War II saw one of the longest sustained economic expansions in the history of the U.S.  The automobile industry played a key role in the expansion with millions of cars quickly produced and the steady construction of the interstate highway system

Changing Work Patterns  At this point in history, the United States stopped being primarily a goods producer and began a new path as a service provider  People enjoyed the leisure resulting from work which was characterized by conformity and “belongingness.”  White-collar and blue-collar workers enjoyed a higher standard of living than ever before

II.Demographic and Technological Shifts

Population Growth  During the Great Depression, the birthrate had dropped to an all-time low  The birth rate exploded as millions of postwar Americans began families  The death rate was also declining due to peacetime and new medical breakthroughs

Movement West  Postwar American became more mobile than ever before; most headed west  Cities throughout the Sunbelt South and West coast saw enormous growth as Americans who had been stationed in these areas returned after the war.  Population also shifted away from the traditional city centers to outlying suburbs where housing was cheaper

Technology  A technological revolution transformed the war efforts of the Atomic Commission into a collection of scientist hard at work to improve transportation, satellites, and other consumer goods that were often the byproducts of military research  The new field of computers also reflected the technology of the era; tiny transistors would help miniaturize computers for use in many items from ovens to vacuum cleaners

III.Consensus and Conformity

Traditional Roles for Men and Women  The necessities of World War II had interrupted the natural progression of social roles for men and women  Postwar, men and women had different expectations: education and business for men and homemaking and childrearing for women  Slow change during the decade reestablished the working patterns of the war: women found more entry points into corporate America

Cultural Rebels  Influences of mysticism and Buddhism  Writers of the “Beat Generation” Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: developed new styles of writing; introduction of the paperback novel  Elvis Presley and new rebellion of Rock- n-Roll  Art experimentation: Jackson Pollock

IV.Origins of the Welfare State

Harry Truman  America’s first postwar president  Believed the federal government held the responsibility of ensuring social welfare of Americans  His liberal program of social reform was rejected by Congress, but he was elected to his first stand-alone term (Truman replaced Roosevelt after his death) despite a split within the Democratic Party

The Fair Deal  With a new national mandate as a result of the election, Truman again tabled his liberal social program which would be known as the “Fair Deal”  Despite mixed results and some failures, Truman was responsible for keeping the Democratic Party alive after its near collapse

Ike  Truman’s popularity fell drastically during his term  Former General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected the next Republican president  The opposite to Truman in almost every way, Eisenhower was a restrained president and desired a limited role of the presidency in national affairs

V. The Other America

Poverty Amid Affluence  Economic growth of the era favored the middle and upper classes  Fully one third of the population lived substandard existences, usually along the lines of race  African Americans continued to be this country’s least prosperous group of citizens