Abundance in the U.S.

Look familiar?

Suburbia• The postwar era was responsible for many aspects of life we

experience today (popular music, adolescence, rock and roll) and the suburbs are no exception

• Increased wealth, population, advertising, as well as new housing projects created this phenomenon

Levittowns

• G.I. Bill provided returning soldiers with low-interest loans which allowed veterans to purchase houses• One family revolutionized housing industry• Levittowns: earliest form of suburbs; areas of

mass produced, “cookie cutter” houses in tightly packed neighborhoods• The suburbs and G.I. Bill help many more

Americans own their homes (1940-1960, 20% more Americans owned their homes)

Levittown

Phoenixville, PA

Discussion Slide

• Why would this method of production be effective?

• Why would people want to move to the suburbs? What was the appeal?

• What consequences, positive or negative, could the suburbs have? Relate this to your own life.

Reasons for Moving to the ‘Burbs• Escape crime in cities• Leave the stress and

congestion of the city behind• Suburbs provided better

life for children• Provided security after

stressful times• White-collar workers in

the workforce• Conformity in the 1950s• Fulfillment of the

American Dream

The Baby Boom• Growth of suburbs

went hand in hand with the baby boom• 1945-1960: more

than 65 million children born in the U.S.• At its height, one

child born every seven seconds

Discussion Slide• What are possible reasons for this increase in population?

Causes of the Baby Boom• Young couples married

when soldiers returned from war and started families• Government encouraged

growth of families with G.I. benefits for home purchases• Popular culture

celebrated the large, nuclear family

Advertising

• With more disposable income than ever to spend, Americans were anxious to buy new products

• With consumption running high, the advertising industry boomed (it became the fastest growing industry in the U.S.)

• Companies paid large sums of money to market their products

Advertisements from the 1950s• GE Refrigerator:• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB7asgcOXB4

• What is this commercial communicating?• How does the commercial try to persuade you to

purchase this item?• How could this commercial influence life in the

1950s?• Why would it be important to sell convenience

items during this time?

• Cereal advertisement:• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Actu5Da5IPY

• Do you see similarities between this commercial and commercials you see today?• Are you influenced by advertising today? • Do you think advertising is as important to us

today as it was in the 1950s?

Other Ideas• Rise of Television/Impact on radio and movies

• Rock ’n’ Roll stems out of R&B movement• Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Little Richard• Generation Gaps appear

• Beat Movement: criticized the conformity of American life, meaninglessness of politics, and emptiness of popular culture

• African Americans impact entertainment