Section 2The American Dream

in the 1950s

Summer of 1946

10 million men/women return from WWII

1920’s

Roaring

Twenties

1930’s Great Depression

1940’s

WWII - Sept,1945

1950’s

The Nuclear

Age

The Organization and the Organization Man

• Business expanded – More people worked in higher-paid white-collar jobs (clerical, managerial, professional like sales, insurance, communications) than in blue-collar jobs (manufacturing)

• Conglomerate – major corporation that includes a number of smaller companies in unrelated industries (diversification)

Example: ITT (Int’l. Telephone and Telegraph) owned rental car companies, insurance companies, hotel and motel chains.

Franchise = a company that offers similar products or services in many locations.

• Founded by Ray Kroc in 1955 – he bought it from the McDonald Brothers in San Bernadino, California

• Assembly line process, efficient, drive-in service

• Fast-food restaurants standardized what people ate.

Social Conformity Loss of Individuality: Corporations did not want creative thinkers or anyone who would “rock the boat.” Personality Tests given to see if someone was able to “fit in” corporate culture

The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit

Auto-biographical novel about a typical businessman who wears a dark suit, white shirt and conservative tie and shoes. -Has 3 kids, wife, house in the suburbs -Commutes to Manhattan – but he and his wife are both dissatisfied.

Suburbs• Most Americans worked in cities, but fewer and fewer of

them lived there• Cars and gasoline were affordable• By early 1960s, every large city was surrounded by suburbs• 85% of new homes built in the 1950s were suburban

The Baby BoomWhat: During 1946-1964 the birthrate soaredWhy: -Returning soldiers who were settling into family life -Advances in medicine -confidence in economic prosperityResult: largest generation in US history

Leisure Time• Most Americans had more leisure time than ever• 40 hour work week + several weeks of vacation• People owned more labor-saving devices (washing

machines, dryers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, power lawn mowers)

• Activities geared to youth grew: Scouts, Little League, etc

The Automobile Culture• Suburban living made owning a car a necessity• Suburbs did not offer public transit• Most families owned 2 cars• Drive-in movies, drive-thru restaurants• More and more Americans hit the road vacationing, sight-seeing• Disneyland opened 1955

The Interstate plan in 1955

1919 Army Convoy A 62 day trip

Federal Aid Highway Act 1956

WHAT: the interstate highway system• To be built over a 20 year period• 25 billion (90% came from federal government) (Inspired by Eisenhower’s army convoy in 1919)Result: suburbs (“white flight” which leads to inner-city decay), shopping malls, drive-in movie theaters, Disneyland, noise, pollution

Interstate Highways• Over 41,000 miles were planned, all with the following design standards:

- a minimum of 2 lanes in each direction- a 12 foot width for each lane- right paved shoulders of 10 feet in width

• Major routes have either one-digit or two-digit numbers. • Auxiliary routes traveling around a city, meanwhile, have three-digit numbers. • North-south major routes are given odd numbers.• The odd number routes increase from west to east. • I-5 runs along the west coast • I-95 runs on the east coast. East-west major routes have even numbers. The even numbered routes increase from south to north. I-10 is in the south I-94 is in the north.

Consumerism(buying material goods)

Planned obsolescence

Marketing strategy where manufacturers purposely design products to become obsolete (wear out; become dated) in a short period of time