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Affluence Of The United States During The 1950s And 1960s

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The United States during the 1950s and 1960s was an era of general consensus for the average middle class American. This was an era that saw the nation’s affluence grow tremendously. The middle class grew so much that the middle class had the ability to buy homes, buy cars, and live comfortably with their families. Cities began to sprawl throughout the nation, and suburbanization increased as well . The spreading affluence of America was partly induced by the introductions of a national interstate network. At the same time the nation was involved in a massive quasi-war, the cold war, in which the nation needed to be alert for a potential attack. President Eisenhower noticed how the nation’s economic growth potential was limited due to the …show more content…

Eisenhower took part in a transcontinental motor convoy from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, CA. The young officer noticed how treacherous the terrain between the nation’s capital and west coast was because the convoy was at times halted for numerous reasons. Specifically, the convoy was slowed intensely due to there being few improved roads for their vehicles to maneuver through. Eisenhower continued his careers through the Second World War and noticed the tremendous advantage Nazi Germany has because of their Autobahn network. After his military career Eisenhower then became president where he pleaded that the Unites States was in dire need of an interstate system. However, once President Eisenhower was elected into office in 1953 he was preoccupied with ending the Korean War, but then shifted his focus towards the Federal Highway …show more content…

Eisenhower passionately advocated the need for the interstate system in his state of the union address in 1954. Again he lobbied for the interstate system in the state of the union address in the following year. Eisenhower was so persistent because he foreshadowed the great prosperity this project would bring the nation. His integral role was for pushing the legislation through by pushing for the federal government to pay for the majority of the bill. Eisenhower’s proposal won the hearts of Congress, and the bill was passed into public law

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