Chapter 26 Postwar America at Home, 1945-1960

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Chapter 26Postwar America at Home, 1945-1960

• The American People, 6th ed.

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I. Economic Boom
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The Thriving Peacetime Economy

• The years following World War II saw one of the
  longest sustained economic expansions in the
  history of the U.S.
• The automobile industry played a key role in the
  expansion with millions of cars quickly produced
  and the steady construction of the interstate
  highway system

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Changing Work Patterns

• At this point in history, the United States
  stopped being primarily a goods producer and
  began a new path as a service provider
• People enjoyed the leisure resulting from work
  which was characterized by conformity and
  belongingness.
• White-collar and blue-collar workers enjoyed a
  higher standard of living than ever before

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Demographic and Technological Shifts
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Population Growth

• During the Great Depression, the birthrate had
  dropped to an all-time low
• The birth rate exploded as millions of postwar
  Americans began families
• The death rate was also declining due to
  peacetime and new medical breakthroughs

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Movement West

• Postwar American became more mobile than ever
  before most headed west
• Cities throughout the Sunbelt South and West
  coast saw enormous growth as Americans who had
  been stationed in these areas returned after the
  war.
• Population also shifted away from the traditional
  city centers to outlying suburbs where housing
  was cheaper

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Technology

• A technological revolution transformed the war
  efforts of the Atomic Commission into a
  collection of scientist hard at work to improve
  transportation, satellites, and other consumer
  goods that were often the byproducts of military
  research
• The new field of computers also reflected the
  technology of the era tiny transistors would
  help miniaturize computers for use in many items
  from ovens to vacuum cleaners

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Consensus and Conformity
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Traditional Roles for Men and Women

• The necessities of World War II had interrupted
  the natural progression of social roles for men
  and women
• Postwar, men and women had different
  expectations education and business for men and
  homemaking and childrearing for women
• Slow change during the decade reestablished the
  working patterns of the war women found more
  entry points into corporate America

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Cultural Rebels

• Influences of mysticism and Buddhism
• Writers of the Beat Generation Jack Kerouac and
  Allen Ginsberg developed new styles of writing
  introduction of the paperback novel
• Elvis Presley and new rebellion of Rock-n-Roll
• Art experimentation Jackson Pollock

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Origins of the Welfare State
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Harry Truman

• Americas first postwar president
• Believed the federal government held the
  responsibility of ensuring social welfare of
  Americans
• His liberal program of social reform was rejected
  by Congress, but he was elected to his first
  stand-alone term (Truman replaced Roosevelt after
  his death) despite a split within the Democratic
  Party

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The Fair Deal

• With a new national mandate as a result of the
  election, Truman again tabled his liberal social
  program which would be known as the Fair Deal
• Despite mixed results and some failures, Truman
  was responsible for keeping the Democratic Party
  alive after its near collapse

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Ike

• Trumans popularity fell drastically during his
  term
• Former General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected
  the next Republican president
• The opposite to Truman in almost every way,
  Eisenhower was a restrained president and desired
  a limited role of the presidency in national
  affairs

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V. The Other America
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Poverty Amid Affluence

• Economic growth of the era favored the middle and
  upper classes
• Fully one third of the population lived
  substandard existences, usually along the lines
  of race
• African Americans continued to be this countrys
  least prosperous group of citizens

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