THE POSTWAR BOOM Unit 5 Lesson 1

OBJECTIVES To understand the economic and political changes that occurred in postwar America. To explore American society of the 1950s.

WARM UP What is the American Dream? Do you think your dreams are different from those of your parents?

Post-war Reconversion Unemployment , Prices , Inflation Rise Wages drop & workers strike Gov’t controls until wages catch up and prices level off. Limit power of unions (Taft-Hartley Act) New technology spurs product research & development

Readjustment GI Bill Housing Crisis Redefining Family Education and home loans, ease return Housing Crisis Levittown's: mass produced suburban homes Reading Activities Redefining Family Divorce rate up, Women want say in home/family

Economic Growth $135 billion in savings = $$$$ to spend!!! Auto, home ownership up Demand = more jobs New Business Organization White collar workers: clerical, managerial, professional Conglomerates (AT&T) and Franchises (McDonald’s-1955) The Company Man: Conformity & loyalty… automatons

The Suburban Lifestyle Suburban Living Baby Boom Return to Religion Women Conflicted Modern Amenities & Automobile Culture Interstate Highway System (1956) Credit – 1st for gas, later Diner’s Club, American Express & Visa Growing gap between middle class & poor “White flight” from cities, influx rural poor…urban poverty & decay Religion: religious affi

T-P-S Was the 1950s a “step back” in women’s rights/equality? Why or why not?

1948 Election Truman (D) Thomas Dewey (R) Strom Thurmond (Dixiecrat)

Truman’s Fair Deal Benefits for workers National health insurance ↑min wage, ↑ unemploy coverage Expand Soc Security National health insurance Control over atomic energy Increase civil rights Desegregates armed forces, ban discrim in fed hiring Conservative Congress challenges…

1952 Election Truman not running Adlai Stevenson (D) vs. Dwight Eisenhower (R) Nixon’s Checkers Speech “I Like Ike” and his Modern Republicanism Conservative w/$, Liberal w/humans Balanced budget, tax cut, hike min wage, unemploy benefits, public housing Re-elected ‘56

Different Styles Truman -Energetic, outspoken -Extend New Deal-style programs -Frustrated Rep-controlled Congress Eisenhower -Calm, talented diplomat -Limit size & power of govt -Favored big business & corporate America Both committed to helping ppl & fighting Communist expansion

Pop Culture Mass Media: TV, Radio & Movies, Comics, Magazines, Advertising Portray an idealized white America Teenager: “Silent Gen”, stay in school, allowance, entertainment, cars, consumers Rock n Roll: Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley… mix electric instruments w/ blues beats Condemned by adults (rebellious, immoral)

50’s Subculture The Beat Movement “Beats / Beatniks” Reject conformity and consumerism of society Open sexuality, drug use Literature: Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Allen Ginsberg Howl

Homework Activity Create an acrostic poem for “A M E R I C A N D R E A M”

Examples Another Motorcyclist Emerges a Rebel Indicative of Changes in America Now Dollars Rule Everything Around Me An invincible feeling that Mass media projects as Eisenhower paints a picture of which picket fences where Roles are redefined and Ideologues of real happiness are concealed by Conformity and no American can Negotiate this sea of loose morals Do rejoice in consumerism and all that new Religion as well as the Experience of the white collar worker for America will only see times like this until people open their Minds

Closure How did the US avoid the historic post-war economic downturn?