THE POSTWAR BOOM THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE 1950S
SECTION 1: POSTWAR AMERICA The 1950s was a time of recovery and economic growth as millions of veterans came home from the war. Men returning from war married their sweethearts, and a “baby boom”, from 1946 to 1964, led to large families and an increase in consumer spending. This is the largest generation in our history. With the help of the GI Bill, many veterans moved into suburbs
G.I. BILL In 1944, Congress passed the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act more commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights. This provided returning soldiers money to pay for college or loans to by houses or start businesses.
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ACT 1956 In 1956 Ike authorized a nationwide highway network – 41,000 miles of road linking America
THE SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE New highways and the affordability of cars and gasoline made commuting possible Of the 13 million homes built in the 1950s, 85% were built in suburbs For many, the suburbs were the American Dream The American Dream complete with a white picket fence
ADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND CHILDCARE There were many advances in the treatment of childhood diseases like polio and the measles. Dr. Jonas Salk played a key role in helping to eradicate these diseases Dr. Salk was instrumental in the eradication of polio
RISE OF CONSUMERISM Increased prosperity- by the mid-1950s, nearly 60% of Americans were members of the middle class Consumerism (buying material goods) came to be equated with success and status
POPULAR CULTURE: THE BEAT GENERATION The members of the Beat Generation were artists and poets who celebrated non- conformity and spontaneous creativity. The Beatniks, were about individual freedom, and rebelled against materialism, militarism, consumerism, and conformity of the 1950s.
MUSIC IN THE 1950s Music styles changed in the 50's, creating rhythm and blues. Cleveland DJ Alan Freed was the first to play this music in 1951– he called it “ rock and roll ”. Rock and roll, like the Beat Generation was viewed as a form of rebellion against society. FREED
ROCK N ’ ROLL 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 Presley ’ s rebellious style captured young audiences Girls screamed and fainted, and boys tried to imitate him
POPULAR CULTURE A new era of mass media led by television emerged in the 1950s 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 The 1950s 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
TV ADS, TV GUIDES AND TV DINNERS EXPAND 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