CH 41: Post WWII Domestic Prosperity

GI Bill of Rights• As the men came home the Congress

approved the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act– Low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to

start a business, cash payments of tuition and living expenses to attend college, high school or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment compensation.

• Available to every veteran who had been on active duty during the war years for at least ninety days and had not been dishonorably discharged; combat was not required.

• By 1956, roughly 2.2 million veterans attend colleges or universities, and an additional 6.6 million used these benefits for some kind of training program

Truman’s Fair Deal• As World War II ended Truman

announced a group of reforms called the Fair Deal– increase the minimum wage– increase spending on education

and agriculture– enact a national health insurance

program• These reforms came in the wake

of the government cancelling millions in war contract, and 5 million people lost their job

1948 Election• Truman had become President

after FDR’s death• Congress had attempted to stall

many of Truman’s Fair Deal proposals (since most Republicans never liked the New Deal)

• In 1948 Truman also desegregated the military, a move that was not popular with everyone (Executive Order 9981)– Truman went on an aggressive

campaign tour and blasted Congress for “doing nothing.” He would in in a shocking up set victory

Blue & White Collar

Workers

• As the 1950s arrived the economy started to change– Blue-Collar Workers: Large part of

the work force. Made up of factory workers or skilled tradesmen (Hourly Workers)

– White-Collar Workers: For the first White-Collar workers outnumbered Blue-Collar. Made up of Doctors, lawyers, engineers, office staff, teachers• Both groups would help to make up

the NEW middle class

Women in the workforce (or not)• Women’s roles in 1950s would

change from the 1940s– Women would move out of

factories– The idea of the “stay at home

mom” became more common and actually was pushed by famous child psychologist Dr. Spock

– College attendance by women would drop as women would skip college or leave college early to start a family

Baby Boomers• During the 1930 & 40s birth

rates dropped (Depression/War)• After WWII ended, the men

came home, and life changed– In 1946 there were 2.3 million

marriages• People were marrying younger

and more often– Average marriage age: Men-22,

Women-20

• 1950s Math:– Men + Women + Marriage = Babies

• Maternity wards overflowed• During the 1950s California would (on average)

open a school per week to handle enrolment • In 1957, the Baby Boom Peak, there were 4.3

million births• By 1964, four in ten Americans were under the age

of 20

Suburbs • All these new families needed someplace to live (and the GI Bill would help pay for it)

• The Levitt brothers saw a fantastic economic opportunity

• In 1947 they created, Levittown, the first planed community in the nation– Built 20 miles outside New York

City• By 1951 they had built almost

17,500 homes• The homes were small, boxy, and

identical– The Levitt’s built 36 houses a day,

at $8,000 a piece

Sunbelt

• People also moved from the cold snowy North, to the warm sunny South

• This area became known as the Sunbelt

• The two main reasons people could move South: Reservoir systems (so you could have water to drink and grow things), and Air Conditioning (because, be honest, would you live in Florida if it wasn’t for AC???)

Interstate Highway System

• In 1956 Congress approved the construction of an interstate highway system (inspired by Germany’s autobahn)– The goal was to link major cities,

make movement easier, (and provide nuclear escape routes)

• Also called the Eisenhower Highway System

• By 1960 there were 10,000 miles of highway, today there are over 45,000 miles– This also made it a status symbol to

own a car