The 1950’sThe 1950’s

America During the 1950’sAmerica During the 1950’s

Economic GrowthEconomic Growth

• Government spending on the Defense Department increased– From 1947-1957 the U.S. spent billions

of dollars on the military

Why?

The Cold War

The GI BillThe GI Bill• Government program

created in 1944 that provided billions of dollars in loans to returning WWII soldiers so they could attend college, receive job training, setup businesses, or buy homes

• Helped guide America from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy

Economic GrowthEconomic Growth• Productivity increased • Consumer spending increased• New technologies

– Computers, televisions*, consumer goods

– Money spent on technological development increased the strength of the economy

Economic GrowthEconomic Growth

• Higher Wages– Average income increased 46%– Americans had the highest standard of

living in the world

The Baby BoomThe Baby Boom• Increased birth rate• During the 1950’s, the population rose

from 150 million to 179 million• Higher incomes allowed people to

afford to care for children • Led to increase need for schools and

products serving children • More women left the workforce to

raise kids

Growth of the SuburbsGrowth of the Suburbs

• Many Americans left the cities for areas outside the city

• Suburbs offered:– Privacy– Lower crime rate– Space

Growth of the SuburbsGrowth of the Suburbs

• William Levitt– Introduced mass produced

housing– Started 1st suburban

development• Levittown • Long Island, NY. • 17,000 identical houses

The Federal Highway ActThe Federal Highway Act– Law passed in 1956 which funded the

construction of more than 40,000 miles of highways that connected the nation• Strengthened the nation’s economy

– Automobile and Oil Industry – Largest publics works project in the history of the

country provided many jobs

• Improved military mobility in the event of a Soviet attack

The AutomobileThe Automobile• Suburban America was

automobile centered • The Automobile culture

develops– Drive ins

• Fast Food • Movies

– Motels/Hotels for travelers– Industries servicing

Automobiles

American CultureAmerican Culture • The Television

– During the 1950’s, Americans bought 6-7 million Televisions per year

– Became main source of entertainment

– Important source of news – Advertising

• Increased consumer demand for products

American CultureAmerican Culture• Rock and Roll Music

American CultureAmerican Culture• The Beat Movement

– A group of American writers who challenged the conformity and materialism of the 1950’s• Allen Ginsburg• William Burroughs• Jack Kerouac • Neil Cassidy

– These were the forefathers of the Hippie Movement of the 1960’s