POSTWAR AMERICA 1945 1960 AP US HISTORY ECONOMIC

POSTWAR AMERICA: 1945 -1960 AP US HISTORY

ECONOMIC READJUSTMENT Immediate Economic Problems (1945 -1948) Recession, Inflation, Labor Conflict Long Economic Boom (1950 -1970 s) WWII/Cold War Military Spending New Deal Social Spending Industrial Dominance Large expansion of living standards and more Americans experience middle class life/comfort

HW QUESTIONS 1. How did each of the following contribute to economic growth? -Government Spending -Suburbia -Baby Boom 2. What were 3 factors supporting the idea of the homogenous society? 3. What were 3 factors challenging the idea of the homogenous society?

THE HOMOGENOUS SOCIETY Liberal Government Policy: GI Bill, Interstate Highway Act, NDEA Truman & Ike Institutionalizes the New Deal (exception: Taft-Hartley Act – anti union) Social Change: Baby Boom, Suburbia (Levittown), Sunbelt, Auto Culture, Interstates Big Business: IBM, Coke, Boeing, Mc. Donalds, Ford, General Motors, advertising

THE HOMOGENOUS SOCIETY Television: “the vast wasteland” Popular Music: Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry Technology: plastics, medicine, chemicals, appliances, automation, computers Literature: Salinger, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Heller Cult of Domesticity Left Out: minorities, women, poor, inner cities

PRACTICE QUESTIONS Argumentation: Q - Were the 1950 s a golden age for American life? Thesis w/ 2 bulleted pieces of evidence SAQ: What were similarities and differences between the 1920 s and the 1950 s? Be sure

BABY BOOM

SUBURBIA

SUNBELT (RUSTBELT)

DIXIECRATS

ELECTION OF 1948

INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

CULT OF DOMESTICITY

1950 S TELEVISION

1950 S ROCK AND ROLL

LITERATURE