The Changing Face of the Nation

A Peacetime Economy  During the war millions of Americans had been employed making goods for the military Where would defense workers and soldiers find jobs

A Peacetime Economy  GI Bill of Rights: government spent billions to help veterans set up farms and businesses Loans to go to college Unemployment insurance for up to a year

Inflation and strikes  During the war the government had controlled the price of food and other goods, as well as wages  When the war was over the government removed wage and price controls Price of food, clothing and other goods soared

Inflation and strikes  Workers demanded more pay When employers refused unions went on strike ○ Steel workers, auto workers, railroad workers

Inflation and strikes  Taft Hartley Act: meant to prevent a new wave of strikes Passed over Truman’s veto Allowed government to apply for a court order delaying a strike for 80 days if it threatened public health or safety Banned closed shop: a business or factory that agrees to hire only union members

The economy expands  Strikes ended  People who saved money during the war wanted to spend it  New houses, cars, and clothing  Government spent billions of dollars on new military weapons in the Cold War Spent on Korean War GI Bill increase government spending on education and welfare

Postwar Leaders  Election of 1948  Republicans nominated candidate Thomas Dewey from New York  Truman barely won the election

The Fair Deal  Americans were not ready to give up the reforms of the New Deal  New Deal; Truman proposed a broad package of reforms Congress passed only a some of the president’s measures ○ Raised minimum wage ○ Expanded Social Security to cover more people ○ Reject a bill that would have provided health insurance financed by the government

 1952 Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower won the presidential election. “I like Ike”

The road down the middle Eisenhower, like most Republicans, believed that the federal government should limit its control over the economy Supported a large government program to build a system of superhighways 1959 Alaska and Hawaii entered the Union

Life in the 1950s  Baby boom: the birthrate grew by 29 million compared to 19 million in the 1940 and 9 million the 1930s.

Growing families  During the Great Depression it was hard to support a large family  Many couples who married during WWII waited until after the war to have children

Growing families  Improvements in health and medical; care contributed to the baby boom  Better care for pregnant women and newborn infants  Fewer children died from childhood diseases  Dr. Jonas Salk introduced the polio vaccine

The suburbs grow  Growing families sent Americans looking for new housing  During the war families moved in together  Some lived in basements  Suburbs grew 40 times faster than cities

The suburbs grow  William Levitt pioneered a new way of building suburban housing  Bought large tracts of land then subdivided them into lots  Built identical houses  Called the project Levittown

Cars and highways  Suburban houses were far from stores  Needed a car to commute to work  BY out of 10 families owned a car  Federal state and local governments encouraged movement to suburbs by building thousands of miles of new roads

Cars and highways  Interstates Highway Act: network of high speed roads linking the entire nation  auto makers competed with each other over car style and engines size  shopping centers sprang up near suburb housing developments

Television  The economy prospered  Americans could buy luxurious goods Refrigerators, electric toasters, washers and dryers  Made life easier

Television  1950s nearly 7 million televisions were sold each year Brought news, sports, and entertainment Teenagers watched American Bandstand Children watched Howdy Doody 7j9_WA&feature=related 7j9_WA&feature=related

Families watched I love Lucy 7JcU74&feature=BFa&list=PLBF59092A 1473F6D6&index=6 7JcU74&feature=BFa&list=PLBF59092A 1473F6D6&index=6  xVmc&feature=BFa&list=PLBF59092A147 3F6D6&index=10 xVmc&feature=BFa&list=PLBF59092A147 3F6D6&index=10  Television became a major influence in American life