Peace, Prosperity, and Progress: The 1950s

A Rocky Transition to Peace Truman announced a set of reforms

called the Fair Deal, including calls to

raise the minimum wage and enact a

national health insurance program.

With rising prices and unemployment,

workers in major industries went on

strike to get their demands.

In response to the strikes, Congress

passed the Taft-Hartley Act, limiting the

power of labor unions. This act outlawed

the closed shop, or a workplace in which

the employer agrees to hire only

members of a certain union. It also

banned sympathy strikes by other

unions.

An Upset Victory in 1948 Truman’s whistle-stop tour

helped him win reelection in a

narrow victory over Thomas

Dewey.

Most of Truman’s Fair Deal

reforms were blocked by

Congress.

Congress enacted Truman’s

proposal to raise the

minimum wage and to

promote slum clearance.

Ike Takes the Middle of the Road

The nation decided they “like

Ike” and his modern

Republicanism program, since

they voted him into office.

The nation looked forward to

expanded Social Security

benefits.

Eisenhower presided over a

massive peacetime arms

buildup, although he worried

about the “military-industrial

complex.”

Consumer Demand Spurs Economic Growth

Due to large savings and twice as

much real income for many

families than in the 1920s,

Americans began spending more

money than ever before.

To encourage this spending,

businesses were using

advertising and offering

consumers charge cards.

Some industries pioneered a

method called planned

obsolescence by introducing new

or improved products to

encourage consumers to buy the

latest designs.

The Economy Shifts from Goods to Services

General Motors became the first

U.S. corporation to earn more than

$1 billion a year.

One factor in GM’s success was

guaranteeing its workers wage

hikes that were tied to the cost-of-

living index.

Service industries, like fast-food

restaurants and motel chains,

began to compete for consumer

business.

New companies sold franchises. (agreements to operate a business that

carries that company’s name and sells its

products.)

Workforce Shifts from Blue to White Collar Jobs

For the first time in history,

white-collar workers

outnumbered blue-collar

workers.

Many blue-collar workers

were now members of the

middle class.

White-collar workers were

usually salaried, while blue-

collar workers were usually

paid by the hour.

A Marriage Boom Leads to a Baby Boom

The number of marriages increased tremendously since WWII, and people were getting married at increasingly younger ages.

This rise in marriages led to a large increase in the number of babies born, resulting in a “baby boom.”

More diapers, baby food, homes, cars, and schools were needed to accommodate all of these children.

Family Roles: Working Dads and Stay-at-Home Moms

Dr. Benjamin Spock’s book

encouraged mothers to stay

home and raise children full time.

Mass media, such as television,

magazines, and movies,

portrayed the so-called traditional

family with working dads and

homemaker moms.

The number of women attending

college dropped sharply, and

many who did attend often

dropped out to get married.

Middle Class Families Move to the Suburbs

New planned communities, like

Levittown, provided needed housing

for middle-class families.

New suburban communities revealed

homogeneity, being predominantly

white and middle class.

More and more Americans and

American industries moved south to

the Sunbelt, increasing population in

these states.

This population shift was made

possible by massive water projects in

the dry Southwest and the invention of

air conditioning to cool buildings

during heat waves.

The Middle Class Dream: Two Cars in Every Garage

An increased number of people

commuting from the suburbs led to

the production/sale of more cars.

Cars became a status symbol, with

car companies competing to put out

new models and better designs

each year.

Increased amount of driving led to a

demand for a nationwide interstate

highway system.

The interstate highway system

created new roadside businesses,

like gas stations, motels, and

restaurants.

Advances in Medicine

Dr. Jonas Salk created a polio

vaccine that would protect

people against polio.

New surgical techniques were

saving lives while more and

more antibiotics were being used

to treat many diseases.

All of these advances in

medicine increased the life

expectancy by almost two years,

while also helping to diagnose

and treat diseases.

Computers Enter the Workplace

The first electronic digital

computer, called ENIAC,

performed 300 multiplications

per second.

Nuclear energy helped to

generate electricity while also

helping diagnose and treat

disease.

The invention of the transistor

allowed for smaller and more

reliable computers.