THE POSTWAR BOOM THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE

THE POSTWAR BOOM THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE 1950 S

Chapter 19. 1 Essential Questions n n What economic and social problems faced Americans after World War II? How did the desire for stability lead to political conservatism? What were causes and effects of social unrest in the postwar period? How was Truman’s domestic policy different from Eisenhower’s?

SECTION 1: POSTWAR AMERICA n n After WWII, returning vets faced a severe housing shortage In response to the crisis, developers used assembly-line methods to mass-produce houses Developer William Levitt bragged that his company could build a home in 16 minutes for $7, 000 Suburbs were born With the help of low-interest loans from the GI Bill, many veterans moved into suburbs

REDEFINING THE FAMILY n n A return to traditional roles after the war was the norm Men were expected to work, while women were expected to stay home and care for the children Conflict emerged as many women wanted to stay in the workforce Divorce rates surged but were highly frowned upon

REMARKABLE ECONOMIC RECOVERY n n Experts who predicted a postwar depression were proved wrong as they failed to consider the $135 billion in savings Americans had accumulated from defense work, service pay, and investments in war bonds Americans were ready to buy consumer goods

DESPITE GROWTH, ISSUES PERSIST n n One persistent postwar issue involved labor strikes In 1946 alone, 4. 5 million discontented workers, including Steelworkers, coal miners and railroad workers went on strike

TRUMAN TOUGH ON STRIKERS n n n Truman refused to let strikes cripple the nation He threatened to draft the striking workers and then order them as soldiers to return to work The strategy worked as strikers returned to their jobs

SOCIAL UNREST PERSISTS n n n African Americans felt they deserved equal rights, especially after hundreds of thousands served in WWII Truman took action in 1948 by desegregating the armed forces Additionally, Truman ordered an end to discrimination in the hiring of governmental employees

THE 1948 ELECTION Dewey n n n The Democrats nominated President Truman in 1948 The Republicans nominated New York Governor Thomas Dewey Polls showed Dewey held a comfortable lead going into election day

TRUMAN WINS IN A STUNNING UPSET n Truman holds a now infamous Chicago Tribune announcing (incorrectly) Dewey’s victory n Truman’s “Give ‘em hell, Harry” campaign worked Truman won a very close race against Dewey

To protest Truman’s emphasis on Civil Rights, Southern Democrats, or “Dixiecrats”, opted to run a third candidate, South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond

Truman’s “Fair Deal” n n Truman proposed an ambitious economic program- it was supposed to be an extension of FDR’s “New Deal” He proposed: n n n A nationwide system of compulsory health insurance (can anyone say Obamacare? ) (Def) A crop-subsidy system for farmers (Def) Raising the minimum wage (P) Extending Social Security to more people (P) Initiating flood control and irrigation projects (P) Secured federal funding for low-income housing

REPUBLICANS PLAN FOR 1952 ELECTION n n n By 1951 Truman’s approval rating sank to an all-time low of just 23% Why? Korean War, rising tide of Mc. Carthyism, and a general impression of ineffectiveness Truman decides not to run again The Republicans (right) were chomping at the bit in the ’ 52 election

STEVENSON VS. IKE 1952 ELECTION n Stevenson Ike The Democrats nominated intellectual Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson while the Republicans nominated war hero Dwight David Eisenhower

“I LIKE IKE” n n Eisenhower used the slogan, “I Like Ike” for his presidential campaign Republicans used Ike’s strong military background to emphasize his ability to combat Communism worldwide

IKE’S VP SLIP-UP n n n Nixon and his dog Checkers One potential disaster for Ike was his running mate’s alleged “slush fund” Richard Nixon responded by going on T. V. and delivering an emotional speech denying charges but admitting to accepting one gift for his children – a dog named Checkers The “Checkers speech” saved the ticket; notice again the power of TV!

IKE WINS 1952 ELECTION

Ike’s Hit’s and Misses… n n n Pressed hard to bring about a balanced budget and tax cuts Raised the minimum wage Extended Social Security and unemployment benefits Increased funding for public housing Backed the creation of the Interstate Highway System n n n Tried to avoid controversy. Was forced to intervene in the Little Rock (AR) Central HS crisis Brown v. Board of Education ruling took place in 1954 Rosa Parks/Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 Ike did not press for an end to segregation

Ike Walks the Middle of the Road… n n Ike’s approach to politics- “Dynamic Conservatism” (also known as modern Republicanism) He wanted government to be “conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings. ”

Ch. 19. 2 Essential Questions n n How did changes in business affect workers? What was the suburban lifestyle like in the 1950 s? What were the causes and effects in the automobile industry boom? Why was there an increase in consumerism in the 1950 s?

SECTION 2: THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE FIFTIES n n n After WWII ended, Americans turned their attention to their families and jobs New businesses and technology created opportunities for many By the end of the 1950 s, Americans were enjoying the highest standard of living in the world Ozzie and Harriet reflected the perfect American family

THE ORGANIZATION AND THE ORGANIZATION MAN n n n White Collar jobs expanded greatly in the 1950 s During the 1950 s, businesses expanded rapidly More and more people held “white-collar” jobs clerical, management, or professional jobs The fields of sales, advertising, insurance and communications exploded

SOCIAL CONFORMITY n n n American workers found themselves becoming standardized Called the “Organization Man, ” the modern worker struggled with a loss of individualism Businesses did not want creative thinkers, rebels or anyone that would “rock the boat”

Despite their success, some workers questioned whether pursuing the American dream exacted too high a price, as conformity replaced individuality

CONGLOMERATES EMERGE n n Conglomerates, major corporations that include a number of smaller companies in unrelated fields, emerged in the 1950 s One conglomerate, International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), bought rental car companies and hotel chains

FRANCHISES EMERGE n n n Another strategy for business expansion was franchising A franchise is a company that offers similar services in many locations Fast food restaurants developed the first franchises in America Mc. Donald’s is one of the leading franchises in the world

THE SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE n n The American Dream complete with a white picket fence Most Americans worked in cities, but fewer and fewer of them lived there New highways and the affordability of cars and gasoline made commuting possible Of the 13 million homes built in the 1950 s, 85% were built in suburbs For many, the suburbs were the American Dream

THE BABY BOOM n n n During the late 1940 s and through the early 1960 s the birthrate in the U. S. soared At its height in 1957, a baby was born in America every 7 seconds (over 4. 3 million babies in ’ 57 alone) Baby boomers represent the largest generation in the nation’s history

What are the official years of the Baby Boom Generation? How did the birthrate rise and fall during the baby boom years in the US? 1946 - 1964 saw a marked increase in the number of births in North America. 1940 2, 559, 000 births per year 1946 3, 311, 000 births per year 1955 4, 097, 000 births per year 1957 4, 300, 000 births per year 1964 4, 027, 000 births per year 1974 3, 160, 000 births per year

WHY SO MANY BABIES? n n n Why did the baby boom occur when it did? Husbands returning from war Decreasing marriage Desirability of large families Confidence in economy Advances in medicine

WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU Your generation will be supporting an increasingly aging American population

ADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND CHILDCARE n Advances in the treatment of childhood diseases included drugs to combat typhoid fever and polio (Jonas Salk) Dr. Salk was instrumental in the eradication of polio

DR. SPOCK ADVISES PARENTS n n Dr. Spock’s book sold 10 million copies in the 1950 s Many parents raised their children according to the guidelines of pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock He thought children should be allowed to express themselves and parents should never physically punish their kids

IMPACT OF BABY BOOM n n n As a result of the baby boom 10 million students entered elementary schools in the 1950 s California built a new school every 7 days in the late ’ 50 s Toy sales reached an all-time high in 1958 when $1. 25 billion in toys were sold

Symbols of the Baby Boom in Suburbia 1950 1960 Hot Dog Production (millions of lbs) 750 1050 Potato Chip Production (millions of lbs) 320 532 Sales of lawn and porch furniture (millions of dollars) 53. 6 145. 2 Sales of power mowers (millions of dollars) 1. 0 3. 8 Sales of floor polishers (millions of dollars) 0. 24 1. 0 Sales of Encyclopaedia (millions of dollars) 72 300 Number of Children age 5 -14 24. 3 35. 5 Number of baseball Little Leagues 776 5, 700

Fads of the Baby Boomers Hula Hoops Frozen Foods Poodle Skirts and Saddle Shoes What celebrity deaths have most affected the Baby Boomers? Panty Raids John F. Kennedy Barbie and GI Joe Dolls Bikinis Marilyn Monroe Frisbees Martin Luther King Yo-yos John Lennon Ouija Boards Dune Buggies

WOMEN’S ROLES IN THE 1950 S n During the 1950 s, the role of homemaker and mother was glorified in popular magazines, movies and television

WOMEN AT WORK n n Those women who did work were finding job opportunities limited to fields such as nursing, teaching and office support Women earned far less than man for comparable jobs

LEISURE IN THE 1950 s n n n Americans experienced shorter work weeks and more vacation time than ever before Leisure time activities became a multi-billion dollar industry Labor-saving devices added more spare time Labor-saving devices provided more leisure time for Americans

POPULAR LEISURE ACTIVITES n n Bowling remains one of the top leisure activities in the U. S. n In 1953 alone Americans spent $30 billion on leisure Popular activities included fishing, bowling, hunting and golf Americans attended, or watched on T. V. , football, baseball and basketball games

THE AUTOMOBILE CULTURE n n After the rationing of WWII, inexpensive and plentiful fuel and easy credit led many to buy cars By 1960, over 60 million Americans owned autos

INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ACT 1956 n In 1956 Ike authorized a nationwide highway network – 41, 000 miles of road linking America

THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM n “Automania” spurred the construction of roads linking major cities while connecting schools, shopping centers and workplaces to residential suburbs

IMPACT OF THE HIGHWAY n n n Trucking is the #1 means of moving cargo in the United States today The Interstate Highway system resulted in: More trucking Less railroad More suburbs, further away

HIGHWAYS “HOMOGENIZE” AMERICA n n n Another effect of the highway system was that the scenery of America began to look the same Restaurants, motels, highway billboards, gas stations, etc. all began to look similar The nation had become “homogenized” Anytown, USA

“Our new roads, with their ancillaries, the motels, filling stations, and restaurants advertising eats, have made it possible for you to drive from Brooklyn to Los Angeles without a change of diet, scenery, or culture. ” John Keats, The Insolent Chariots 1958

DOWNSIDE TO MOBILITY n n n n While the car industry boom stimulated production, jobs, shopping centers, and the restaurant industry, it also had negative effects Noise Pollution Accidents Traffic Jams Stress Decline of public transportation

RISE OF CONSUMERISM n n n By the mid-1950 s, nearly 60% of Americans were members of the middle class Consumerism (buying material goods) came to be equated with success and status “Keeping up with the Jones’s”

NEW PRODUCTS n n One new product after another appeared in the marketplace Appliances, electronics, and other household goods were especially popular The first credit card (Diner’s Club) appeared in 1950 and American Express was introduced in 1958 Personal debt increased nearly 3 x in the 1950 s

THE ADVERTISING AGE n n n The advertising industry capitalized on runaway consumerism by encouraging more spending Ads were everywhere Ad agencies increased their spending 50% during the 1950 s Advertising is everywhere today in America

Ch. 19. 3 Essential Questions: n n n How did television programs in the 1950 s reflect middle-class values? How did the beat movement and rock ‘n’ roll music clash with middleclass values? How did African-American entertainers help to integrate the media in the 1950 s?

SECTION 3: POPULAR CULTURE n n A new era of mass media led by television emerged in the 1950 s In 1948, only 9% of homes had T. V In 1950, 55% of homes had T. V. By 1960, 90% of American homes had T. V.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION n n n Mass media- the means of communication that reach large audiences The 1950 s was known as the “Golden Age of Television” Comedies were the main attraction as Milton Berle, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were very popular Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball starred in I Love Lucy

TELEVISION EXPERIMENTS WITH VARIOUS FORMATS n n n The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) did its best to regulate television and radio Television innovations like on-the-scene-news reporting, interviews, westerns and sporting events offered the viewer a variety of shows Kids’ shows like The Howdy Doody Show and The Mickey Mouse Club were extremely popular

TV ADS, TV GUIDES AND TV DINNERS EXPAND n n n TV advertising soared from $170 million in 1950 to nearly $2 billion in 1960 TV Guide magazine quickly became the best selling magazine Frozen TV dinners were introduced in 1954 – these complete ready-to-heat meals on disposable aluminum trays made it easy for people to eat without missing their favorite shows

A Downside to TV? ? ? n n n Critics objected to its effects on children (exposure to violence) Women appeared in stereotypical roles Male characters outnumbered female by 3 to 1 African-Americans and Latinos rarely appeared in television programs at all 1950 s television portrayed an idealized white America, with no references to poverty, diversity or contemporary conflicts

Would the Birth of Television Lead to the Death of Radio and the Movies? n n n Radio and movies survived because they adapted and evolved. Radio stations now offered news, weather, and more importantly- rock ‘n’ roll Movie theatres also had some advantages over TVsize, color, and sound James Dean, a teenage idol, died at the age of 24 in a car accident.

A SUBCULTURE EMERGES n n n Although mass media and television were wildly popular in the 1950 s, dissenting voices emerged The “Beat Movement” in literature, art and poetry celebrated a nonconformist lifestyle and attitude Rock n’ roll clashed with tidy suburban views of life and was originally called “race music”.

BEATNIKS FOLLOW OWN PATH n n Beatniks often performed poetry or music in coffeehouses or bars Centered in San Francisco, L. A. and New York’s Greenwich Village, the Beat Movement expressed social nonconformity Followers, called “beatniks”, tended to shun work and sought understanding through Zen Buddhism, music, and sometimes drugs

MUSIC IN THE 1950 s n n n Musicians in the 1950 s added electronic instruments to traditional blues music, creating rhythm and blues Cleveland DJ Alan Freed was the first to play this music in 1951– he called it “rock and roll” First called “race music”the early performers were mostly black, but the audience was mostly white FREED

ROCK N’ ROLL n n In the early and mid-fifties, Richard Penniman, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, and especially Elvis Presley brought rock and roll to the forefront The driving rhythm and lyrics featuring love, cars, and problems of being young --captivated teenagers across the country

THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL n n Presley’s rebellious style captured young audiences Girls screamed and fainted, and boys tried to imitate him

SECTION 4: THE OTHER AMERICA n n In 1962, nearly one out of every four Americans was living below the poverty level Most of these poor were the elderly, single women and their children, and/or minorities

WHITE FLIGHT n n n In the 1950 s, millions of middle-class white Americans left the cities for the suburbs At the same time millions of African American rural poor migrated to the cities The so-called “White Flight” drained cities of valuable resources, money and taxes

Urban Renewal n n Most African Americans, Native Americans and Latinos in the cities had to live in dirty, crowded slums. One proposed solution was “urban renewal”. The National Housing Act of 1949 called for the tearing down of rundown neighborhoods and constructing low-income housing Although the tearing down did occur, parking lots, shopping centers, highways, parks and factories were constructed on much of the cleared land Urban renewal simply became “urban removal” as many people simply had to move from one ghetto to another. Dodger Stadium- An example of urban renewal

Poverty Leads to Activism… n n n When the United States entered WWII, a shortage of agricultural workers spurred the government to initiate a program in which Mexican braceros, or hired hands, were allowed into the U. S. to harvest crops from 1942 -1947 They were expected to return to Mexico once their employment ended; but many remained in the U. S. illegally to escape the poor economic conditions in Mexico. As a result, prejudice against Mexicans and Mexican-Americans rose dramatically

The Longoria Incident n n Felix Longoria was a Mexican. American WWII hero who had been killed in the Philippines. The only undertaker in his Texas hometown refused to provide his family with funeral services Outraged Mexican Americans stepped up their efforts to stamp out discrimination by creating the G. I. Forum and the Unity League of California Both were designed to register Mexican American voters and to promote candidates who would represent their interests.

Native Americans Continue Their Struggle… n n n From 1887 to 1934, the government policy towards Native Americans was one of “Americanization” and assimilation. In 1953 the federal government announced it would give up its responsibility for Native American tribes. The new approach, known as the “termination policy” eliminated federal economic support, discontinued the reservation system, and redistributed tribal lands to individual Native Americans were encouraged to resettle in cities. The policy was a dismal failure. Most couldn’t find jobs because of poor training and racial prejudice. In 1963, the termination policy was abandoned The National Congress of American Indians was formed to 1) Ensure civil rights for Native Americans and 2) enable Indians on reservations to retain their own customs