7 5 Postwar Prosperity When the boys come

7. 5 Postwar Prosperity

When the boys come home, will there be jobs waiting for them? G. I. Bill of Rights • Allowed G. I. ’s to: – Go to college – Buy homes cheaply

The Postwar Years at Home • For the first time in 15 -20 years, Americans have surplus income and products are available for purchase • The U. S. economy experiences one of its greatest periods of growth • The GDP and per capita income double, but so did inflation

Technology • TV begins to replace radio and movies as the main form of entertainment. • People would gather to watch TV as a family.

Medicine • Polio Vaccine – Jonas Salk and Thomas Francis • Many surgical advances from WWII • Many advances in fighting bacterial infections

Other advances • We see the beginning of the computer industry in America. • America begins to use nuclear power for the first time to power their homes

Changes in the Workforce “LEVITTOWN” • Many WWII veterans go to white collar jobs rather than blue collar ones. • Advances in the highway system, the purchase of new cars, and the demand for new homes led to an explosion in suburban growth

The Suburbs • 16 million GI’s became men in the war, and need a new place to live. • During this time period, America sees an explosion in housing growth, especially the suburbs.

Rise in Conformity • A society that used to admire trailblazers and individuals now began to gravitate towards conformity, or “sameness”. • Americans began to treasure comfort and security. • This attitude was enhanced by images that Americans saw on TV

Information industries, including building and operating computers, takes off in the postwar era ENIAC- Electrical Numerical Integrator and Computer

Franchise Businesses BOOM in the 50’s

Growing prosperity in the 50’s also led to entrepreneurial innovators

The prosperity boom also led to the growth of multi-national corporations

The Fair Deal • Attempted to extend the New Deal – Raise minimum wage, Unemployment Benefits, National Health Insurance, and other measures • Truman lost support among Democrats – Conservative Democrats • ***Most people thought he would lose the election because of this loss of support, but he did not. ***

Truman and Civil Rights • Appoints a biracial committee on Civil Rights. • Desegregates the Army in 1948. • Bans Discrimination in Federal hiring.

1952 Election • Nixon came under fire for allegedly accepting fund from wealthy Republican donors. • The “Checkers Speech” • Nixon - ". . . the kids, like all kids, love the dog, and. . . regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it. " • The American Public forgave Nixon, and he and Ike got a huge publicity boost because of this speech.

Eisenhower, the former Commander of European forces in WWII, is a very popular candidate.

Eisenhower (Ike) • 1 st Republican President since Hoover • More comfortable working behind the scenes. • Some saw him as a do-nothing president.

Ike continued… • ***Republicans wanted to get rid of all New Deal and Fair Deal legislation, but Ike wanted to take a middle road. *** • Created the Interstate Highway System.