1. American History Chapter 16 Section 2

2. Economy of Abundance The 1950s was a decade of wealth.
John Kenneth Galbraith said that in the past all societies had an economy of scarcity; now the United States had what Galbraith called an economy of abundance.

3. Booming Economy
New businesses and technology produced many new goods and services.
Americans earned more money than ever before, and they spent it on new goods such as refrigerators.
Advertising increased as businesses pressed Americans to buy their goods.

4. Advertising to the Suburbs
Much of the advertising was aimed at people living in suburbs that grew around large cities.
In the 1950s, the number of suburban dwellers doubled, while the population of cities rose only 10 percent.

5. The Suburbs
As people left the crowded cities, the population of the suburbs increased.
The suburbs offered inexpensive homes that people could buy with low-interest loans and money from income tax deductions.

6. Baby Boom Many new homeowners and others started families.
From 1945 to 1961, a period known as the baby boom, more than 65 million children were born in the United States.

7. Fewer Blue-Collar
Fewer blue-collar workers, or laborers, were needed to work on farms or in factories.
In 1956, more Americans were working in offices in white collar jobs in corporations, outnumbering blue collar workers for the first time.

8. Multinational Corporations
Many corporations became multinational corporations by moving overseas, often near important resources.

9. Franchises
The 1950s also witnessed the rise of franchises, in which a person can own and run one or several stores in a chain operation.

10. Transistor
The United States witnessed many advances in electronics and medicine after World War II.
In 1947 three American physicists developed the transistor, making it possible to miniaturize radios and calculators.

11. ENIAC
The computers and other changes helped people work quickly and efficiently.
Americans began to enjoy more free time for leisure activities.
In 1946 scientists developed ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)—one of the nation's earliest computers.
Soon after, newer models were being used by businesses.

12. Advancements in Medicine
Advances in medicine ended or reduced the threat of many diseases.
Scientists made several medical advances including new treatments for cancer, such as radiation and chemotherapy.

13. More Medical Advancements
Also, treatments for heart disease and the introduction of CPR helped patients survive.
New antibiotics cured deadly diseases.

14. Curing Polio Polio, however, was still a large problem.
The disease attacked the young and caused death.
Then Jonas Salk and later Albert Sabin created a vaccine.
The threat of polio almost disappeared in the years that followed.

15. T.V.
Televisions were popular household fixtures by the end of the 1950s.
By 1957, more than 80 percent of families had televisions.
Television programs included comedy, action and adventure, and variety shows.

16. T.V. Shows
In 1953, Lucille Ball starred in the popular show I Love Lucy.
Americans enjoyed the action show The Lone Ranger and the police show Dragnet.

17. T.V.’s Impact
Television news became an important source of information.
Variety shows, quiz shows, and televised sports were also popular.
However, as people watched more television, they stopped watching movies.

18. Hollywood One-fifth of the nation’s movie theaters had closed by 1960.
Hollywood tried to make films more exciting.
They tried contests, prizes, and even 3-D films.
These plans did not bring people back to the theaters.

19. Color Movies
Full-colored movies shown on large, wide screens brought people back.
These kinds of movies were expensive to make, but they drew in audiences and made large profits.

20. Radio Television also took away radio listeners.
The radio industry looked for new ways to draw listeners.
Radio had one audience that television could not reach—people traveling in their cars.

21. Radio Stations Growing
Many radio stations began to broadcast music, news, and talk shows for people driving in their cars.
Radio stations survived and the industry grew.
The number of radio stations more than doubled to more than 3,600 between1948 and 1957.

22. Rock ‘n’ Roll
In the 1950s, rock 'n' roll was a new music form that stemmed from African American rhythms and sounds.

23. Original Teen Idols American teens loved the music and its themes.
They rushed to buy records from Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and other artists.
Many parents thought rock ‘n’ roll was loud, mindless, and dangerous.

24. Generation Gap
This music, along with new types of clothing and literature, united teens.
The result was a generation gap, or a cultural separation between children and their parents.

25. Beat Poets
During the 1950s, white artists who called themselves beats.
Beat poets, writers, and artists harshly criticized what they considered the sterility and conformity of American life..
The beats used poetry and literature to attack American popular culture and values.

26. African American Artists
African American artists looked for acceptance in the nation.
Instead, they were mostly rejected by television and mass media while finding some acceptance through their music.