The Affluent Society Post War America American Abundance
The Affluent Society Post War America
American Abundance • The 1950 s was a decade of incredible prosperity • Between 1940 and 1955 the income for families tripled • The post-war boom gave many Americans an amount of disposable income not seen since the 20 s • Americans were buying things that they didn’t need on the largest scale in our country’s history
Growth of Suburbia • With more money, Americans were moving into mass-produced suburbs around most major cities • Suburbs accounted for 85% of new home construction • The suburbs became the symbol of the American Dream • A new house was more affordable in the 1950 s than any other time in American history
The Baby Boom • The birth rate in America exploded following World War II • Form 1945 to 1961 more than 65 million children were born • Factors contributing to the Baby Boom: • Couples were waiting until the end of war to start a family • GI benefits made it easier to buy homes • Popular Culture celebrated pregnancy, parenthood, and large families
The Changing Workplace • Mechanization of factories and farms led to more office jobs • 1956 was the first time that white-collar jobs outnumbered blue-collar jobs • Businesses expanded to overseas markets, creating giant corporations • The 1950 also saw the rise of the franchise
Scientific Advances • Advances in electronics • The transistor was invented, allowing for the miniaturization of radios and calculators • The computer was first invented in 1946, by the 50 s, computers were able to allow businesses to process data
Scientific Advances • Medical Miracles • New and more powerful antibiotics and vaccines were developed • Radiation and Chemotherapy treatments were developed to fight cancer that was once thought to be untreatable • CPR was developed • Tuberculosis was now treatable • The Polio vaccine was developed in 1955, nearly eliminating the threat
Do some research… • Why did adults disapprove of rock n’ roll during the 1950 s? • How did this disapproval contribute to the generation gap?
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