1. Chapter 26 Postwar confidence and Anxiety
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2. Section 1 An Economic Boom
Returning soldiers and American public nervous of postwar economy will return to depression levels
A. Nation Recovers from war
Demobilization- sending hope the army
12 million returning home
Still kept army larger than ever- new policy?

3. Changes
GI Bill of Rights- help returning veterans adjust to normal life- money till find jobs or money for school
Baby boom- more children being born- 4.3 million in 1957
Had to wait to have children during GD and WWII

4. Economy People saved money during war, now want goods
Too much money chasing too little goods- deflation
Productivity booms- U.S. 6% of world pop. Now producing 50% of goods
Marshall plan and world economy had need for that much production- most of Europe destroyed

5. Obstacles Wages did not rise with prices- workers go on strike
Truman vetoes Taft Hartley Act twice- still passes- outlaws closed shops
Truman also takes on Civil Rights- desegregates the army
Suggests Civil Service Reforms
Splits Democrat Party

6. Election of 1948 Truman should lose Democrats split 3 ways
Thurmond
Wallace
Republicans run Thomas Dewey- should have been a shoe in
Truman won in a narrow upset victory

7. Truman years continued
Focused on reform legislation called the Fair Deal- continued New Deal
However, Congress shot down most of his ideas
Korea was the final death nail in his career

8. Eisenhower Elected in 1952 Popular war hero
Ran against Adlai Stevenson
Most known for the Interstate Highway System
And education reform
Very prosperous under his presidency

9. Section 2 A Society on the Move
After WWII, with the growth of Suburbs and the auto industry, people were moving to the Sunbelt and out of the cities
A- Suburban growth
William Levitt devised way to create cheap, affordable homes quickly
Levittowns

10. Americans could afford these homes- low payments and cheap interest
Automobiles allowed people to travel more
Car ownership skyrocketed- 26 to 60 million in 15 years
Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway Act created 41,000 miles of Highway
People traveled more- State Parks, Disney Land

11. Sunbelt People also moving to Sunbelt- South and West
Air conditioning made life their more appealing
Those areas gained more representatives in Congress

12. Economy Booming in 50’s and 60’s
More people going to white collar jobs- ex. Information Industries
ENIAC??
More women are working
1960, les than 10% live on farms
Franchise Businesses?
Multinational Corporations?

13. Education
National Defense Education Act allows more people to go to college
College attendance up from 15% to 40% by 1960
California Master Plan?

14. Section 3 Mass Culture and Family Life
The cultures of the 1950’s centered on consumerism, conformity, and nuclear family standards
A. Consumerism
Median family income rose during 50’s
American buying more goods
Labor saving appliances
TVs!!
Shopping is now a hobby

15. B. Family Life
TV portrayed the ideal nuclear family- father-bread winner, mother-homemaker, at least 2 children
Benjamin Spock’s “Common Sense of Baby and Child Care”- can’t spoil a kid
Must provide lots of love and care

16. C. Religious revival
Religion on the rise as Americans stress their difference to the communist
Dollar Bill
Pledge of Allegiance
D. Health care
Dr. Jonas Salk- Polio vaccine
Penicillin and antibiotics more common

17. E. Television Almost all Americans own a TV
Candidates use to advertise for campaigns
Theater attendance down
I Love Lucy
Mickey Mouse Club
Leave it to Beaver

18. F. Rock and Roll Rock and Roll a way of non-conformity
Music originated in rhythm and blues tradition of AA’s
Chuck Berry
Elvis Presley
B.B. King

19. Section 4 Dissent and Discontent
Not everyone had the “50’s ideal life” Some would benefit while others missed out
A. Critics
Many believed conformity of 50’s ruining individuality of U.S.
The Lonely Crown
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Beatniks?

20. B. Rural and Urban Poverty
As many people leave cities, inner cities decline into poverty and crime
Michael Harrington- 50 million Americans in poverty
Urban renewal tried to fix inner cities, but often led to concentrated poor in one area or evicted poor into other crowded areas
Many rural poor suffering as well as farming in more and more industrialized

21. C. “Other Americans”
1. Puerto Ricans- many migrated during war, no segregated in poorest inner city communities
2. Mexicans- Braceros program brought migrant workers to U.S. Often mistreated and under paid- couldn’t complain or deported
3. Native Americans- termination policy meant to assimilate, but further threw natives into poverty