ipl-logo

The Economy In The 1950's

1711 Words7 Pages

The 1950’s postwar peacetime was a time of change. Post WWII Americans were breathing in the new world of consumerism and prosperity. In the post war years, social reform seem to happen at a slow pace according to activists and liberals, but with the economy recovering it brought a new and exciting look to this decade. Society has rarely experienced such a rapid and dramatic change that occurred in the 50’s. By the end of WWII only 40% of Americans owned their own homes; fifteen years later 60% owned their homes. Highways connected inner cities to suburban developments, you could find an antennae posted on nearly every roof, and families were purchasing frozen dinners from nearby supermarkets to enjoy while watching some of their favorite shows. …show more content…

The government also played the primary role in technological advances. Scientists were making breakthroughs in nuclear physics, aerospace, chemicals, and electronics. These industries were experiencing a parallel growth in productivity and discovery. White collar work had outnumbered blue collar for the first time ever. New jobs that were created specifically served the consumers. This economic shift had people exhilarated for their futures and America had come up with a new idea to advertise this lifestyle; pay them more, sell them more, prosper more. It was expected and more than that yearned for the possession of all the new gadgets that would ‘make life easier’. Consumerism was focusing on recreation. People were buying boats, swimming pools, and going on luxury vacations. More families were travelling abroad and those who weren’t were camping at local beaches or riding roller coasters at …show more content…

Despite the opinion that Eisenhower represented a dramatic departure from the democratic administration of Truman, Ike was fully within the liberal consensus established in 48’. According to Eisenhower, moderate republicanism meant running the government in a business like fashion, giving power to private interests in the states, but retaining overall responsibility of the federal government for issues of social security and welfare. As Eisenhower described it, the government should be liberal when it comes to people and conservative when it comes to spending. This would mean to recommend more schools to accommodate the needs of our children but not (providing) the

Show More
Related

1930s Economy Dbq

175 Words | 1 Pages

An economy that is good is very important in a country. In 1929, on the last day of trading, President Hoover did announce that the economy of United States was fundamentally sound. This announcement made the Department of labor in United States to predict that in the next year, 1930, there would be an increase in the number of employments. Things did not go as expected because the economy became bad. This made most investors and even the public in general, withdraw their money from banks because they feared banks would get out of business.

Read More

2003 Apush Dbq Analysis

971 Words | 4 Pages

When World War II ended, the United States rejoiced with what they assumed their victory would determine; total peace, the discontinuation of Communism, the return of all the dearly missed soldiers, and greater equality for all, especially in the workplace. Much to the dismay of many citizens at home during the war, these aspirations were not exactly what they expected. In the near short years right after the war, there was much prosperity and many were perfectly content, but in these years, many had difficult times with the changes that occurred after the war. With these rough times came many fears of the conditions of the country, but many of these fears were greatly calmed through the work of the President Eisenhower in the 1950s. In the

Read More

Comparing US Society In The 1920s And The 1950s

1659 Words | 7 Pages

Alina Serbina Pd 3 Essay #1 Compare and contrast United States society in the 1920s and the 1950s with respect to TWO of the following: role of women and consumerism The 1920’s and 1950’s played a big role in women’s roles and consumerism. The 1920’s was a time of an economic boom , due to the end of World War I. Once the soldiers came home , the life of women drastically changed. Many women were no longer satisfied with staying home and wanted to continue to work and perceive careers. The 1950’s were also a post-war decade , marking the end of World War II. This decade sparked an intellectual and economic boom because of the struggle to become a world power.

Read More

Similarities Between The 1920's And 1950

536 Words | 3 Pages

The time of the 1920’s and 1950’s both saw changes to the political and social structure following the conclusion of World War 1 and 2, respectively. The United States entered into an era of wealth and prosperity after these wars, and with more money and access to material goods, the public desired more consumer products. Also, social movements after these wars dramatically changed what the role of women are in society. While some argue that these eras are completely different, the 1920’s and 1950’s, separated by three decades, still have many similarities relating to the roles of women and consumerism. The roles of women, especially, dramatically altered after the Second World War.

Read More

What We Really Miss About The 1950s Analysis

593 Words | 3 Pages

What We Really Miss About The 1950s In her essay, “What We Really Miss About the 1950s”, Stephany Coontz talks about the myth of the 1950s. She begins her argument by stating some reasons why the nostalgia for the 1950s exists. The main thing Americans miss about the those days is the stability. She acknowledges that this fallacy is not insane.

Read More

Similarities Between The 1960s And 1930s

1426 Words | 6 Pages

(JaneNotali, 2010) The 1960s differed from the 1930s with it having a booming economy and booming technological advances. To many people’s enjoyment, “it had been a long long time since Americans have been free to buy wants but now the war is over. Cars, radios, cordless electric irons, consumer goods of all kind ” (The Second World War, 2015). In the 60s children from the 30s could buy whatever they wanted which they could not do during their childhood of barely affording

Read More

Differences Between The 1920's And 1950

1000 Words | 4 Pages

While the 1920’s and 1950’s have many things in common, there are also a lot of differences. While in the 1920’s America was in isolationism to try and avoid the war, they were also providing more job opportunities for women. While also facing the issue of prohibition that started in 1920. In the duration of the 1950’s America was involved in many world affairs, and caused women to lose or quit their jobs due to veterans coming home and the political trend being a stay - at - home mother. Civil rights movements are also going on during this time period.

Read More

Changing Role Of American Consumers In The 1950s

592 Words | 3 Pages

American consumers had lots of money saved and earned throughout WW2. This money was invested into living places like the suburbs, leading many Americans to move out of cities. Consumers eventually started to spend money on things like vehicles, more specifically automobiles. Vehicles were changed in the 1950s which spiked American consumers' interest in these vehicles, since Americans had saved throughout the war and wanted to have access to these vehicles, they would make vehicles a monumental change in American history. With the industrialization of the suburban neighborhoods, Americans wanted a lifestyle that matched everyone else's.

Read More

Consensus And Conformity In The 1950's

469 Words | 2 Pages

The 1950’s in the United States was a very conflicting time in the country’s history. On one hand there was much economic prosperity, but on the other there was still massive amounts of segregation, discrimination, and the urge to conform to the idealistic “all American family”. The term that historians use when describing the 1950’s is an age of “consensus and conformity”. This means that due to the innovations of the time such as television, the consumer was told what they should buy, and how they should live their life. This restricted society by putting standards at which society should meet, and if they did not meet those standards they were considered odd, or out of place.

Read More

Impact Of Consumerism In The 1950s

851 Words | 4 Pages

As World War II came to an end, the United States entered the 50s. This decade became a major influential time that brought many cultural and societal changes. Categories such as the economy, where a boom in new products increased, the technology world which incorporated new medicines and computers, entertainment when the television became popular and the overall lifestyles that Americans adapted to. All of these topics reshaped and created several advancements throughout society during the 1950s.

Read More

American Consumerism In The 1950's

143 Words | 1 Pages

During the 1950s consumerism became widespread, the Golden Age was a period of economic growth that benefited both capitalist and workers. More production equalled higher wages. Inventions such as vacuums and dishwashers became household items. These appliances enabled the idea of more leisure time intertwining the notion of freedom, the symbol of America. The introduction to credit cards made purchases easier; giving Americans the feeling of being rich and wealthy.

Read More

Essay About The 1950's

906 Words | 4 Pages

The 1950’s was seen as a fantastic era in the United State’s history. Sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of the United States, this time period was seen as a pinnacle of the country’s economic and social growth. Although this era is called the Golden Age, the 1950’s wasn’t as bright as we remember it. In reality, the 1950’s were a pretty dark time in the history of America and for the rest of the world as well. The article “What we really miss about the 1950’s” by Stephanie Coontz and the excerpt by Malcolm X entitled “Learning to read” explain how and why the 1950’s isn’t an age to feel nostalgic over.

Read More

American Economy In The 1950's

166 Words | 1 Pages

The economy was prospering at enormous heights during the 1950’s. In order to keep the economy running smoothly, the promotion of low inflation was encouraged for people to continue buying goods. The American economy was strong and new businesses were sprouting up all over the country. As a result of these businesses, the job market stayed strong and Americans were high paid in relation to other industrialized countries. In the 1950’s the big motto of “buy now, pay later,” was what Americans followed, in which they bought goods such as houses, appliances, and cars on credit.

Read More

The United States Collapse Of The Economy During The 1920's

230 Words | 1 Pages

The Great Depression was when the economy in the United States collapsed and where millions of people went crazy money and some people committed suicide. This was because they invested their money in the stock market, manufacturing industry, and people lost their jobs, as the economy contracted causing people to stop spending. However, during the 1920’s the American economy was prosperous, and owners of the businesses thought the value of stocks would just keep going up, so they invested their money and they borrowed money from banks to buy stocks and used money that people deposited. The value of the stock dropped rapidly then the people were panicking began to sell their stocks.

Read More

What Are The Financial Disadvantages Of The 1950's

248 Words | 1 Pages

Americans faced financial disadvantages during the 1950s. They still were able to gain respect through rock n’ roll from the youth of America. Even though the rise of rock n’ roll and the emergence of the civil rights movement occurred the same period. This respect and new attitude would help garner support for the civil rights movement that hit a high level of achievement in the 1950s and 1960s. The way young Americans look at African Americans assisted a change from the rise of rock n’ roll.

Read More

More about The Economy In The 1950's

Related Topics

Open Document