Automobiles have been around since the late 1800’s/ early 1900’s. Americans have come a long way with automobiles of all sizes. Thanks to people like Henry Ford and the Dodge brothers we have inventions (cars) that help us in many ways. They have helped to create jobs, show social status and allow Americans to travel great distances in shorter amount of times. The automobile has helped this country to develop over time and become what it is today. In the early 1900’s automobiles such as the Model
The 1950s is described as the “‘golden age’ of capitalism,” where a comfortable standard of living became accessible to many new, middle-class Americans (991). According to Foner, “the official poverty rate, 30 percent of all families in 1950, had declined to 22 percent a decade later”(991). The poverty rate declined as more Americans entered white-collared jobs with increased wages. Essentially, the “American standard of living” during the 1950s was characterized by the ability of citizens to participate
Automobiles Then and Now The automobile has become an important part in our nations economy. In fact such an important part that is has called for many changes through out its history. One of the main changes is the body. In the 1950's the body was made mostly of steel. This was okay if you like bulky, heavy, gas guzzling cars. The main reason why steel was so widely used is that the steel industry was so huge and steel was so cheep that it was the logical thing to use. However with all
Out of some of the most turbulent times in history have come the greatest ages of success and prosperity. The 1920’s and 1950’s are two eras that exemplify the spirit of triumph and wealth. In both decades, a nation thrilled by the victorious conclusion of war and the return of their loved ones from war entered into an age of capitalism and materialism, bolstering the economy and with it national pride. Some of features most common to the 20’s and 50’s were consumerism and the accompanying optimistic
Consumerism in Post World War II After WWII why did the economy prosper and what role did consumerism play in the 1950s? After WWII many economists predicted a recession in the American economy. It is easy to do so when at the peak of post war unemployment in March 1946 2.7 million searched for work. In 1945 people were laid off from their jobs. However, “ in 1945 the US entered one of its longest, steadiest, periods of growth and prosperity” (Norton 829). How could this be? With
like the automobile that has affected the way society has changed in the last years. In only 50 years the number of cars in the USA were from 8,000 at the beginning of the century, to 25,000,000 in the sixties. The automobile affected many aspects of society such as the economics, environment, the family, the shape of the cites, and the pace this country moves ahead. The automobile has contributed in the advance of the society and have changed the history. In the decade of 1950, automobile led to the
American culture, its society, and its landscapes are all shaped by the automobile. The automobile is more than just a vehicle or a means to get from one point to the next. A car is a symbol, upon which Americans project their dreams, desires, goals, values, beliefs, and identities. In Dagoberto Gilb's short story, "Love in L.A.," the protagonist's name is Jake. Jake envisions his ideal car, with crushed velvet interior, an FM radio, electric controls, and a heater because "he could imagine lots
America in the 1950's Society in America during the 1950’s was one that portrayed men and women in very different, but rigid roles. Women were housewives, secretaries, and mothers. Men were providers, war heroes, and businessmen. Television, newspapers and magazines played an important role as well in determining ways men and women should behave. Advertisements for real estate were designed to sell to the “All-American” family. For example; Dad would be the returned home veteran who is now
The “Drive Thru” Consumerism Of The 1950’s In Eric Schlosser’s 2001 piece, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, he examines the rise of the fast food industry in the 1950’s as it was associated with the rampant consumerism of the era and shows how this led to the fast food industry becoming one of the most unethical, manipulative, and greedy industries that ever existed. Schlosser shows how fast food corporations, through mass appealing advertising, were able to manipulate
After World War II, in the 1950s the United States domestic economy prosper drastically, therefore, it is usually named by historians as the age of affluence. Unlike USSR, the United States took advantage of the war and became a world power. Several changes Even though, there was fear of the nuclear emergencies American citizens wanted to forget the atrocities of the war by an influx of new technologies as the automobile and many others. One of the essential factors of domestic change was known as