HIST 2112The Affluent Fifties: Suburbia, Consumerism, and “Liberal Consensus”- Between 1945-1955, most houses built in that decade in history- 1960 – first year that more people own a home than do not- William Levitt made a fortune off selling houses to returning GIso Created an assembly line, basically, for a general, American homeo Quick and cheap house productiono Called Levittownso Eventually made multiple styles- Economic growth was hugeo Doesn’t cease after WWIIo 1945-1970 – economy will double in size Average income will double- 1970 – U.S. produced the most oil in history- Cold War military spendingo Helps with the economic growth- Liberalism continued into the 1950so Moderate to liberal decadeo Due to legacy of New Dealo Corporate liberalism Because of WWII, many liberals become less suspicious of corporations and their power Realize that corporations can be very useful if handled correctly Decided to be corporate friendly Can appeal to both parties Liberal consensus periodo Dwight D. Eisenhower Moderate Republican Supported by both parties Believed in the New Deal- Federal Highway Act of 1956o Employing more peopleo Stimulating the growth of suburbso Wherever a highway is placed, you open up the land to settlement- Buying houseso Take out loanso Banks create balloon loans Knows the government was going to back them incase the ones they loan too cannot pay- Explosion in consumerismo Growth in economy gives citizens idea to buy moreo Consumerism becomes apart of our national identityo Consumerism and freedom begin to intertwineo Used this to combat the ideas of Soviet Russian and communism- Many WWII vets struggled finding purpose after the war and in the corporate world- Struggle of feminismo Women were expected to go home and keep up the house and children once they were married- Invention of the teenagero Product of consumerismo Teenage years are a
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