World War Two ended finally in the summer of nineteen forty-five. Life in the United States began to return to normal. Soldiers began to come home and find peacetime jobs. Industry stopped producing war equipment and began to produce goods that made peacetime life pleasant. The American economy was stronger than ever. Some major changes began to take place in the American population. Many Americans were not satisfied with their old ways of life. They wanted something better. And many people were earning enough money to look for a better life. Millions of them moved out of cities and small towns to buy newly-built homes in the suburbs. Our program today will look at the growth of suburbs and other changes in the American population in the years after World War Two. The United States has always counted its population every ten years. The government needed to know how many people lived in each state so it would know how many congressmen each state should have.
The first count was made two-hundred years ago. At that time, the country had about four million persons. One hundred years later, the population had increased to about sixty-three million persons. By nineteen fifty, there were more than one hundred fifty million persons in the United States. In the early years of America, the average mother had eight to ten children. Living conditions were hard. Many children died at an early age. Families needed a lot of help on the farm. So it was good to have many children. This
After the end of World War II, the United States went through many changes. Most of the changes were for the better, but some had an adverse effect on certain population centers. Many programs, agencies and policies were created to transform American society and government.
Due to the successfulness of World War II, Americas society underwent superb economic and social growth. Between the years of 1939 through 1965, a change was seen within minorities, women's status, and the middle class lifestyle; subsequently, resulting in an all around better life for the citizens of America prior to World War II. As a result of the war, people were now open to segregation, women were a part of the workforce, and the possibility of owning your own house was more probable than ever. One might argue that the changes seen after World War II were not superior --due to reluctant fears for growth and change in America--; however, the changes seen after World War II were inevitable acts that helped shape The America now seen in 2016.
The period immediately following WWII began a time of prosperity and abundance never experienced before. The GDP rose 250 percent from 1945 to 1960, and per capita income increased by thirty-five percent (Coontz, The Way We Never Were 24). By 1955, sixty percent of the population was considered middle class, with household purchasing skyrocketing (Coontz, The Way We Never Were 24). For the first time Americans found themselves with access to a myriad of goods and services above and beyond necessity and the financial means with which to avail themselves of them.
Historian Landon Jones said, “The cry of the baby was heard across the land.”(Post war module, 4). More babies were born in 1946 than ever before. In 1952, 3.9 million babies were born and more than 4 million were born every year from 1954 until 1964. When the boom finally tapered off, babies made up 40 percent of the nation. Almost as soon as World War II ended, developers such as William Levitt began to buy land on the outskirts of cities and use mass-production techniques to build modest, inexpensive tract houses there. These houses were perfect for young families they had informal “family rooms,” open floor plans and backyards--and so suburban developments earned nicknames like “Fertility Valley” and “The Rabbit Hutch.” The G.I. Bill made these low-cost mortgages for returning soldiers possible. Often times this meant that it was cheaper to buy one of these suburban houses than it was to rent an apartment in the city. By 1960, suburban baby boomers and their parents comprised one-third of the population of the United
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 World War II breaks into the posterior of the Great Depression in America and also culminated the era and the old United States’ tradition of isolationism in foreign matters. The United States succeeded to come forward from the immense struggle that was physically unsecured, economically healthy, and discreetly strengthened. The exceptional affluence in the post war division period promoted a vigorous sense of nationwide assurance and nourished a revolution of uprising expectations. Revitalized by the likelihood of unceasingly increasing prosperity, Americans in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and the 1960’s had greatest statistics of babies; aimed to advanced standards of living open-handedly increased the well-being of the state. Most of
During the fifties the defining features of suburban life consisted of numerous booming prosperities which assisted in the generating of fulfillment, stability and unity as a nation. Post War reshaped the American Dream making it reality now that the immolation from the War and the great depression is ceased. With the economic growth rate doubling unemployment rates were now low thanks to the growth of national product; the boost in automobile production, schools,highways, and new technologies. This boost of the nation made it accessible for middle-class people to have more money to be able to buy land on the outskirts of city, have cars and make more babies. Americans would buy land and build boxed shaped houses all identical to one another
In the vicinity between 1880 and 1900, urban communities in the United States developed at an exponential rate. Owing a large portion of their populace development to the extension of industry, U.S. urban communities developed by millions of individuals in the two decades prior to 1900. A large number of the individuals who helped represent the populace development of urban communities were migrants swarming in from around the globe. A constant flow of people from provincial America likewise moved to the urban areas amid this period. Within this time, just about 40 percent of the townships in the United States lost populace in light of relocation.
One of the biggest questions I have ever been asked is "What is an American?", As i pondered on what would be the correct response to such a delicate question I realized there is no correct answer. If this question was asked to about one thousand different people there would most likely be one thousand different responses. To me an American is much more than just a human being who is legally allowed to be in the United States.
The 1950's was the period of suburbanization. The quantity of homes in the united states multiplied during the decade, which had the pleasant side effect of making multiple development occupations. An example of a case of suburbanization was in Levittown in New York, where ten thousand almost identical homes were build and became home to forty thousand people within a small amount of time. With America's philosophy of standard living and with its abundance of consumer good and plentiful services in which was established in the 1950’s and so for many people this era was
As for the US Army, they had been given orders by which they had to abide which lacked defined rules of engagement. This meant that they had to complete the mission, and their superiors did not necessarily care if the natives were pleased or harmed with the outcomes. As far as they were concerned, there was land that had not been claimed legally and they wanted it. This was a huge change for the natives from when they had met Lewis and Clark on their journey exploring the Louisiana Territory decades earlier because both parties involved were amicable and cooperative. Even later when more white settlers came west and moved into lands the Indians once occupied, they voluntarily moved onto reservations without major issues. This was accomplished fluidly because the natives, unlike the white settlers, did not consider land to be “owned” by any person or group; land was theirs to do with what they would, which was to survive and live—rivers for water, animals for food, and other natural resources to create their homes, clothes, and instruments. The Battle of Big Hole was a demonstration of violence of action, and how rules of engagement have come to be created; the natives would have easily sat down and discussed the matters encircling the massive amounts of land available to them, but the settlers were misinformed and the government had a defense complex of doing what needed to be done for their side, and not necessarily thinking about alternative options to going in to battle
As soon as the newly independent America began, it seemed plagued by factionalism and raging materialism, and many old patriots shared concern at the inability of their peers to live up classical republicanism’s social ethic. By the middle of the 1780s, “extra-legal popular associations designed to promote the interests of particular groups—debtors, farmers, artisans, seaman (74)” were emerging throughout the states. In order to get their points across, they frequently resorted to vigilante methods. As soon as the war stopped, trade with the British seemed to start where it left off. British ships clogged American harbors and traders offered Americans low, easy credit. All classes lived in moderate luxury even if they could not afford it.
The prosperity the Americans experienced throughout the 1950s resulted in suburbanization of the country, an increase in the population, and an emphasis on religion and conservatism. The growing number of wealthy Americans further stimulated the economy through consumer spending. The automobile industry greatly benefited from this increase in consumer spending; approximately 60 million cars were sold during the 1950s. As the number of Americans who owned vehicles began to rise, so did number of suburbs. Areas which were thought of as too far from job opportunities in the cities were now more accessible and desirable. Middle class and wealthy Americans fled the poverty and congestion of the cities and moved to the suburbs, which offered a clean, safe, and family centered environment; the American suburban population nearly doubled during the 1950s (Francev, Kimberly, Ph.D. "Lectures 1: Welcome to Levittown Post War America." Lecture. 11 Feb. 2013. Www.d2l.arizona.edu. 01 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013).
Correctly portrayed as prosperous, the 1950s represented an economic boom for the United States as an effect of World War II which ended five years prior to the start of the decade. The availability of very cheap power led to a rise in productivity as well as in defense industries, such as Boeing, ship building, and various defense researches. With prosperity also came an increase in consumerism (Doc. C), as Americans could now buy luxury items that were not available during World War II. The national income level and standard of living increased accordingly. The suburbs grew more popular, as people moved away from the cities, and cars became widely used to commute to and from work (Doc. A). Similarly, there was an increase in home owners, as the availability of credit increased, and houses were mass produced in Levittowns.
In the United States by the 1800s the birth rate was higher than anywhere else in the world, and the average family has eight children. During the civil war birthrates began to drop significantly, and by the end of the 19th century the average family was having three children. During