1. Lesson 6 Mass Culture in the 1950s
Postwar America ( )
Lesson 6 Mass Culture in the 1950s

2. Postwar America (1945-1960) Mass Culture in the 1950s
Learning Objectives
Examine the rise of the suburbs and the growth of the interstate highway system.
Explain effects of prosperity in the 1950s on consumers.
Discuss postwar changes in family life.
Describe changes in education in the postwar period.
Describe the rise of new forms of mass culture.

3. Lesson 6 Mass Culture in the 1950s
Postwar America ( )
Lesson 6 Mass Culture in the 1950s
Key Terms
Interstate Highway Act
consumerism
nuclear family
Benjamin Spock’s
Billy Graham

4. Suburban Migration
Between 1940 and 1960, more than 40 million Americans moved to the suburbs
Rural regions suffered the most dramatic decline in population
People also came by the thousands from older industrial cities, seeking, as one father put it, a place where “a kid could grow up with grass stains on his pants.”
During the same time period, many older industrial cities lost population.
Interstates Support Migration and Prosperity
Technological Innovations Lead to the “Car Culture”

5. Suburban Migration
Americans yearning for a better life after World War II, coupled with innovations in home building, led to an explosion of growth in suburban areas. Levittown, NY. First truly mass-produced suburb and is widely regarded as the archetype for postwar suburbs throughout the country.

7. Increased Consumption and Consumerism
For much of our history, Americans had been taught to save their money.
“A penny saved is a penny earned,” advised Benjamin Franklin.
However, as the U.S. economy began to boom in the postwar era, Americans were caught up in a wave of consumerism, buying as much as they could, much of it on credit.
What accounted for this spending spree?

8. Television Shapes American Culture
Television gained such popularity during the 1950s that many families got into the habit of watching their favorite shows even while eating dinner.

9. Increased Consumption and Consumerism
New household appliances of the 1950s used the latest technology to reduce the daily burden of household chores and improve Americans’ standard of living.

10. Increased Consumption and Consumerism
Free Enterprise System Improves Standards of Living
More $$ to spend
“Buy Now, Pay Later” General Motors slogan
Diner’s Club, first credit card
Technological Innovations Drive New Conveniences
Home appliances
Lessened physical demands
Shopping became new past time
Television sets

11. The Ideal American Family
Families and Communities in the Fifties
American society had been shaken to its core by the mass mobilizations and disruption brought about by World War II. As Americans readjusted to life in peacetime, they embraced traditional ideals of family life and community.
The Ideal American Family

12. Families and Communities in the Fifties
Women in the 1950s were encouraged to return to traditional family roles by staying home to raise families.

13. Families and Communities in the Fifties
The “Ideal” American Family
Baby Boom Increases Focus on Children
Billy Graham Contributes to a Religious Revival
Specific Needs Lead to Medical Innovations

14. Educational Opportunities and Priorities
As the economy grew, so too did opportunities for Americans to attain higher education. A more educated work force boosted economic productivity. In 1940, only about 15 percent of college-age Americans attended college. By the early 1960s, however, close to 40 percent did. The percentage of Americans who completed high school also rose sharply. “The astonishing growth of education in the late 1940s (and thereafter),” wrote historian James Patterson, “seemed yet another sign that the American Dream was well and alive.”

15. Educational Opportunities and Priorities
Defense Spending Shapes Education Priorities
Education Becomes More Accessible

16. Educational Opportunities and Priorities
A combination of more educational opportunities and a large baby-boom population contributed to full classrooms across the nation.

18. The Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy ( ). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.
In its original form it read:
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. At this time it read:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Bellamy's daughter objected to this alteration. Today it reads:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

20. Quiz: Suburban Migration
How did William Levitt revolutionize suburban living?
A. by creating businesses to cater to the car culture
B. by mass producing houses to cut down building time
C. by constructing shopping malls across suburban areas
D. by building highway systems to connect suburbs to cities

21. Quiz: Increased Consumption and Consumerism
What effect did the increase in consumerism have on the suburbs?
A. Shopping centers were built in suburban towns.
B. Suburban towns needed more routes to nearby cities.
C. Many suburban families could not afford to buy new goods.
D. The decline in laborious housework led to a decrease in jobs.

22. Quiz: Families and Communities in the Fifties
How did the baby boom generation affect the economy in the 1950s?
A. Companies expanded as baby boomers entered the workforce.
B. Children born during the baby boom era received better vaccines.
C. Families often needed the mothers to go to work to support the children.
D. Teens of the baby boom era often purchased expensive items.

23. Quiz: Educational Opportunities and Priorities
Which event inspired the call for more federal funding for public education?
A. a childcare book by Dr. Spock
B. the desegregation of public schools
C. an increase in the population of children
D. the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik I

24. Quiz: Television Shapes American Culture
Why did the movie industry feel threatened by the popularity of television?
A. Television shows provided a sense of sameness across the nation.
B. Families used television shows as a way to entertain their children.
C. Television shows allowed families to stay home and still be entertained.
D. Families idolized the nuclear family showcased in television shows.