Essential QuestionEssential Question

What were the What were the characteristics of the characteristics of the

1950s?1950s?

1950s: The Age of Affluence1950s: The Age of Affluence

Product Product DemandDemand

Rationing ended Rationing ended from wartime from wartime mobilizationmobilization

Americans were Americans were eager to spendeager to spend

G.I. BillG.I. Bill

Loans to veterans Loans to veterans to help them to help them start businesses, start businesses, buy homes, and buy homes, and attend collegeattend college

Plastics and SyntheticsPlastics and Synthetics

Developed for Developed for military purposesmilitary purposes

Now used for Now used for consumer goodsconsumer goods

Military SpendingMilitary Spending

Defense-related Defense-related industries industries became a part of became a part of national defensenational defense

Science, industry, Science, industry, and the federal and the federal govt intertwinedgovt intertwined

White Collar WorkersWhite Collar Workers

Rise in Rise in management management position openingsposition openings

Corporations Corporations offered lifetime offered lifetime employment for employment for college graduatescollege graduates

Election of 1952Election of 1952

Eisenhower Eisenhower (Republican)(Republican)

Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson (Democrat)(Democrat)

An Affluent An Affluent SocietySociety

The SuburbsThe Suburbs

Farmland on Farmland on the outskirts of the outskirts of cities cities converted to converted to tract housing tract housing and shopping and shopping mallsmalls

Levitt HousesLevitt Houses

William Levitt William Levitt applied mass-applied mass-production production techniques to techniques to quickly build quickly build houseshouses

Created Created subdivisionssubdivisions

The Sun BeltThe Sun Belt

Low taxes, Low taxes, mild climatesmild climates

Open space Open space for sprawling for sprawling subdivisionsubdivision

Growing Highway SystemGrowing Highway System

15 cents for a 15 cents for a gallon of gasgallon of gas

Subdivisions Subdivisions existed on the existed on the assumption of assumption of people drivingpeople driving

Interstate SystemInterstate System

Created while Created while Eisenhower was Eisenhower was presidentpresident

Federal Highway Federal Highway Act of 1965Act of 1965

Ground support for Ground support for military military deployment and deployment and troop supporttroop support

The Baby The Baby BoomBoom

More babies born More babies born between 1948 between 1948 and 1953 than in and 1953 than in the thirty years the thirty years previousprevious

Drop in the Drop in the marriage agemarriage age

Dr. Jonas SalkDr. Jonas Salk

Perfected the Perfected the polio vaccine in polio vaccine in 19541954

Free distribution Free distribution in public schoolsin public schools

Miracle DrugsMiracle Drugs

PenicillinPenicillin

CortisoneCortisone

StreptomycinStreptomycin

TelevisionTelevision

1947 – 7000 sets1947 – 7000 sets

1950 – 5.3 million 1950 – 5.3 million setssets

1960 – 87 percent 1960 – 87 percent of American of American homes had one homes had one setset

1950s Television1950s Television

Growth in Growth in advertisingadvertising

Source for Source for popular culturepopular culture

Father Father Knows BestKnows Best

I Love LucyI Love Lucy

GunsmokeGunsmoke

BonanzaBonanza

Mickey Mouse ClubMickey Mouse Club

Howdy DoodyHowdy Doody

Captain KangarooCaptain Kangaroo

The Generation GapThe Generation Gap

Cultural Cultural separation separation between between children and children and parentsparents

Youth CultureYouth Culture

Rise of Rock n’ Rise of Rock n’ RollRoll

Elvis PresleyElvis Presley

Chuck Chuck BarryBarry

Ray CharlesRay Charles

Little RichardLittle Richard