The 1950s Prosperity in Suburbia

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The 1950sProsperity in Suburbia
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Economic Recovery

• World War II ended the Great Depression
• The U.S. had been the arsenal of democracy,
  providing weapons and supplies to the allies
• This brought us great wealth
• In the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. experienced one of
  the greatest economic booms in world history
• Returning American soldiers, heroes to their
  countrymen, were rewarded by a grateful nation
  with the GI Bill
• Helped GIs (soldiers) pay for college
• helped them buy homes

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Suburbia

• So many GIs could now buy homes that there was a
  housing shortage
• Home builders created (often from scratch) huge
  new neighborhoods near to, but outside of, major
  cities
• Suburbs
• Homes built by assembly line techniques ? often
  rows of identical houses
• Levitt and Levittown
• Baby Boom

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Automobile Culture

• Suburbs were largely made possible by the
  increase in car ownership
• Commute to work in the city
• Eisenhower, Republican president after Truman,
  built 41,000 miles of new highway
• The Interstate Highway Act

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Golden Age of the Teenager

• End of Great Depression and WWII economic boom
  ? teens have to spend
• Car freedom from your parents
• Drive in diners
• Drive in movies
• Etc.

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Better Jobs Available for Americans

• Primary producer you get the raw materials
• farmer, miner, fisherman
• Blue Collar (secondary producer) you turn
  primary product into consumer goods
• Factory worker, butcher, etc.
• White Collar (tertiary producer) you manage
  blue collar workers and/or provide services for
  customers who are using the consumer goods
• More of these jobs available after WWII
• Better Pay
• Often require a college education. Hey, GI Bill.
  Nice!

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• Primary
• Secondary (blue collar)
• Tertiary (white collar)

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Conformity

• To make it in Suburbia and in the White Collar
  workplace, one must conform (be like everyone
  else)
• Same house, same clothes, same haircut, same
  race, etc.
• To people who had been through the Great
  Depression and WWII, conforming was a small trade
  off for prosperity (wealth)
• Ozzie and Harriet

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Hansen Name _______________________________U
.S. History Prosperity in the Suburbs (the
1950s)

• Economic Recovery
• World War II ended the Great Depression
• The U.S. had been the _________________,
  providing weapons and supplies ___________________
  ______
• This brought us _____________________
• In the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. experienced one of
  the ______________________________________________
  _
• Returning American soldiers, heroes to their
  countrymen, were rewarded by a grateful nation
  _____ _________________________________
• Helped GIs (__________) pay for ____________
• helped them buy ____________________
• Suburbia
• So many GIs could now buy homes that there was a
  ___________________________________________
• Home builders created (often from scratch) huge
  ___ _______________near to, but outside of,
  __________
• Suburbs
• Homes built by _________________ techniques ?
  often rows of ________________________________
• Levitt and Levittown - ___________________________
  ___ ______________________________________________
  _
• Baby Boom
• _______________________________________________

• Golden Age of the Teenager
• End of Great Depression and WWII _____________
  teens have ____________________
• Car _____________________________________
• Drive in ___________
• Drive in __________
• Etc.
• Better Jobs Available for Americans
• Primary producer you get the raw materials
• farmer, miner, fisherman
• _________________ (secondary producer) you turn
  primary product into consumer goods
• Factory worker, butcher, etc.
• _______________ (tertiary producer) you manage
  blue collar workers and/or provide ______________
  ____________ who are using the consumer goods
• More of these jobs available _____________________
  
• ________________________________
• Often require a __________________. Hey, GI Bill.
  Nice!
• Conformity
• To make it in Suburbia and in the White Collar
  workplace, one must conform (__________________)
• Same house, same clothes, same haircut, same
  race, etc.
• To people who had been through the Great
  Depression and WWII, conforming was a
  __________________ _____________ for prosperity
  (___________)

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