Please Discuss the Social, Political, and Economic Conditions of the 1950’s; Which Lead to the Social Upheaval of the 1960’s.

During the “Baby Boomer” era, following WWII, America underwent one of the largest demographic shifts and population growths in history. Huge amounts of home construction on the outskirts of America’s largest cities, known as “levittowns” became the new staple of the American dream, with the houses sporting two car garages, and white picket fences. These low density, predominantly middle class residential districts, were America’s first true suburbs. These suburbs were constructed mainly in response to the new postwar consumerism that enveloped the parents of the baby boomers. With the new economy, affordable housing, and most families becoming single income dependent, families grew bigger and bigger. The 1947 passing of the bill that lead to the interstate highway system, only added fuel to the fire of suburbanization. With the new interstate highway system, more affordable and fuel efficient automobiles, and the government aiding in the financing of new suburban homes, the choice seemed elementary. All of these factors pushing to the suburban movement, only spurred the baby boomers on, and between 1940-50, there was an 835% percent increase in living births with nearly 4 million children being born every year. In 1940, 19.5% of the United States population lived in what would be considered to be suburban areas outside of large metropolitan areas, however, by 1960; the number was pushing nearly 40%. The postwar suburbanization of America during the baby boomer

In the 1950’s American families went through several changes, some of which were positive and beneficial. There were many new technological breakthroughs. Additionally, new forms of entertainment created a generational divide between young people and adults. Americans entered a period of postwar abundance, with expanding suburbs, growing families, and more white-collar jobs. The average income of American families roughly tripled. Thousands of families rushed to buy the inexpensive homes. New suburbs multiplied throughout the United States. Affordability was the key reason most Americans moved to the suburbs.

After World War Two, Winston Churchill said that “America…stands at the summit of the world.” During the 1950s, the United States of America was the world’s strongest nation. Its economy was strong, growing, and booming more than ever before. During this time of great economic prosperity, many Americans were eager to have children. A baby boom began in 1946 and ended in 1964, with almost 77 million “baby boomers.” Many of these new families went and lived in perfect houses in the Suburbs that never developers constructed. Although there was great peace, there was great conflict during the 1950s. Racial outcries for equality shaped the era and also the Cold War. Nonetheless, among the great prosperity, a new music genre

The 1950s marked an incredible time in United States history. Many events that lead to the inspiration of future generations were revolutionized in economic and social expenditures of paramount proportion, most notably the manufacturing of war related materials for World War II. With an economic surge that catapulted the US even further into a position of world power, several industries flourished and suburban America took shape. Of these industries, film was one of the most substantial influences on the public and subsequently sparked a multitude of emotions. The culmination of entertainment adjoined with pressing issues allowed for designations of many political agendas. Some agendas proved to be melodramatic in nature regarding social reform while others were seen as substantial regarding national safety and protection.

Due to economic security, the baby boom, and the "American Dream" suburbs grew in the 1950's. Our economy was the largest in the world at the time and we were becoming a largely consumerism based country. We even had enough money that the government helped pay half the loans of American Veterans through the GI Bill of Rights. That security was sure, the government would not offer to pay back so much money if they thought it would be necessary for every person (Doc 1). Home ownership rates went up by over 10% the first 10 years after WW2 (Doc 4). This was caused by a great rush of babies being born also known as the baby boom. These many children needed space to live, and suddenly, suburbs are born! With the money needed families could take

With World War II and the Great Depression ending, America was ready to make itself better than ever before. The suburbs was a new development in America that brought change in the way people lived. Throughout time, many families moved out of the city and into the suburbs in America, to live a more happy and peaceful lifestyle. With the suburbs came new innovations, making the American way of living life better. The television was a new invention that became very popular as time went by. The highway system emerged in America, creating a easier and more efficient way of traveling through the country. Ray Kroc introduced fast food with McDonalds. Unlike the 30s and 40s were people tended to move north into the cities, americans started moving south and west towards the Sun Belt states such as Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, etc. The news became increasingly popular, as Americans were eager to know what was going on around them. As Stephanie Coontz said in her Families in the Fifties essay, “ The traditional family of the 1950s was a qualitatively new phenomenon. At the end of the 1940s, all trends characterizing the rest of the twentieth century suddenly reversed themselves. In a period of less than ten years, the proportion of never married persons declined by as much as it had during the entire previous half century”. As Coontz proves along with the many new things America created to make itself better, this period of time was a time of

Post World War Two brought upon not only the Baby Boom but urbanization of the African American community and the Great Black Migration. As the birth rate rapidly increased so did construction growth. However developers began pulling people to the outskirts of cities by creating affordable track homes. Along with the GI Bill this allowed people to afford homes and brought upon a surge in consumption. The growth in consumption and development pulled African Americans to Northern and Western cities in search of a better life. They were tired of the oppression and sought out better opportunities economically. As African Americans and the population moved from the country life to the city, the United States became highly urbanized.

During the 1950’s, Americans purchased 58 million cars, which improved mobility but contributed to increased highway fatalities, air pollution, and the movement of white families to the suburbs. Government highway building, loans, and tax credits also made it possible for former city dwellers to purchase homes in suburbia. The construction industry build 2 million new homes a year, 85 percent of them in suburbs. 20 million Americans moved to the suburbs, so that by 1960 the suburban population of the US equaled that of the central cities. People and industries also moved from the Northeast to the South and West. By 1963, California had become the state with the largest population, and by 1980 more Americans lived in the South and West than in the North and East. The shift of population to the usually more conservative regions of the nation would soon boost the political fortunes of the

The age of change was coming upon America in a big way leading to political movement an advancement of technology. The country at this time was recovering from War II and the great depression which crippled America’s economy and weakened the working class in the US. Change was need in the economy and the social structure of America was in need of better leaders to take charge and restore order and balance back to society. Thus giving the name of the 50’s the booming area, a chance for America to be known for the land of opportunity. The model for 1950’s was better structure for the modern family and brings the working class status back to economical market. The demand for growth in the economy is needed to spark innovation in the poorly out come from job loss to safety nets need to run a stable economy in the

The 1950’s, also known as the Atomic Era, was a prosperous time in many different aspects. The American Dream, for many people, became more than just a dream. Appliances such as televisions, fancy refrigerators, and convertible cars that were originally toys for the upper class were now middle class staples. President Eisenhower negotiated the tensest decade of the Cold War, seeing as how American and Soviet forces stockpiled H- bombs in preparation of a nuclear shutdown. Television and music became more and more diverse with the new popularity of Rock and Roll and many loved television sitcoms like I Love Lucy. Fashion was nothing like what we see today and society was very different.

People had more leisure time, they could spend their incomes however they chose, and were free to live and do as they pleased in the fifties. The ideal American life in the fifties was to get married, start a family, and settle down. As a result suburban life was created. Families wanted to be like the Cleavers, or other unrealistic families that were portrayed on television. These idealistic families were perfect, never raised their voices, and solved problems within seconds. They had several children, a beautiful, perfect stay at home mother who cooked and could wash the floor in stilettos, along with a hard working father who supported his family. These families would live in a house enclosed by a white picket fence and they were happy all the time. Now the image of these families for women especially had a profound impact. It made women believe that they had to be perfect all the time, when in fact many mothers and

“The postwar years are remembered as a time of affluence, consumerism, conformity, and stability, a time when American enjoyed an optimistic faith in progress and technology.”(Heretta, pg.779) These words best describe the decade that Americas experienced in the 1950’s. It was age of dad’s always-right attitude and a culture that was family centered. The standard of living for American’s was the best in the world. The times just looked to perfect lives were lived to privately. This private enjoyment was centered on the family, leisure, and consumerism. Soon everyone tried to become to “Leave it to Beaver” type of family and culture exploded. The explosion is

of the 1950s and the liberality of love of the people in the 1970s. The baby boom and the suburban

The 1950s are correctly portrayed as prosperous and conventional, evident in the economic boom and overall social atmosphere, however, the 1950’s strayed away from uniformity in music and the Beatniks, as well as with civil rights, and similarly, the 1960s displayed disorder in the social revolution, civil rights, and anti-war movement, but exemplified prosperity particularly with the Great Society.

The fear of social change was also predominate in the 1950s. The greatest social change of the 50's can be contributed to the rise of the babyboom era. At the end of World War II thousands of soldiers returned home to their families where the