1. HOT ROC: What were 3 conditions set up by the Taft-Hartley Act? Copy down Homework in your agenda: Part 1: STAR Notes- pgs 557-561, due Tuesday.

2. Peace, Prosperity, and Progress THE 1950s:

3. Postwar Politics: Readjustments and Challenges A Rocky Transition to Peace –Truman’s “Fair Deal” Tried to help society by increasing minimum wage, aid to farmers and education Dixiecrats of the South are Democrats who favor segregation –Inflation War contracts are over, unemployment rises Price controls are over, prices rise

4. Postwar Politics: Readjustments and Challenges Truman battles the Republican Congress –22 nd Amendment: presidential term limits –Taft-Hartley Act: reduced the power of labor unions –Congress resists civil rights changes Truman fights back by desegregating the military Election of 1948 –Truman narrowly wins (huge surprise)

5. Economic Growth Creates an Age of Affluence Americans saved a lot of money during WWII, leads to: –Consumer demand ↑ –Production ↑ –Advertising ↑ –Buying on Credit ↑ –“Planned Obsolescence” is when the producer creates products that are intended to be thrown out so more can be bought. The Economy Begins to Shift from Goods to Services –Service instead of manufacturing –Example: Howard Johnson Motels and McDonald’s franchises

6. Consumerism 1950  Introduction of the Diner’s Card Credit cards come into households which fuels a consumer culture in the 1950s.

7. Popular Consumer Items of the 1950s

8. Marriage, Families, and a Baby Boom Increase in marriages + people begin to get married younger + soldiers returning from war = “Baby Boom” from 1946-1960. Results: –↑ in consumer spending –↑ in home sales –↑ in schools

9. Average age of first marriages

10. Suburbia $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment. Aimed at middle class families. Levittown, L. I.: “The American Dream” 1949  William Levitt produced 150 houses per week.

11. Suburban Living: The New “American Dream” k 1 story high k 12’x19’ living room k 2 bedrooms k tiled bathroom k garage k small backyard k front lawn By 1960  1/3 of the U. S. population in the suburbs. What’s the square footage of this house?

12. Suburban Living: The Typical TV Suburban Families The Donna Reed Show 1958-1966 Leave It to Beaver 1957-1963 Father Knows Best 1954-1958 The Ozzie & Harriet Show 1952-1966

13. Shifts in Population Distribution More people live in suburbs than cities or rural areas: More people live in suburbs than cities or rural areas: 1940 1950 1960 1970 1940 1950 1960 1970 Central Cities 31.6% 32.3% 32.6% 32.0% Suburbs 19.5% 23.8% 30.7% 41.6% Rural Areas/ 48.9% 43.9% 36.7% 26.4% Small Towns Popuplation also moves into the South and Western states, known as the “Sunbelt” states. Popuplation also moves into the South and Western states, known as the “Sunbelt” states. “White flight” transforms cities, but segregation keeps middle class minorities in the cities. Add inner city to vocab. “White flight” transforms cities, but segregation keeps middle class minorities in the cities. Add inner city to vocab.

14. The Culture of the Car First McDonald’s (1955) Franchises make America more “homogenous”. What else in 1950s popular culture encouraged people to conform to fit in? Drive-In Movies Howard Johnson’s