Impact of WW2 on USA

Question 1

Types of impact on the USA

Answer 1

Economic
Social
Military

Question 2

Why was the economy impacted by WW2?

Answer 2

Decrease in unemployment
Coal, iron etc industries expanded
WPB set up
USA producing 50% world’s weapons
Ends Great Depression
War bonds

Question 3

Number of unemployment in 1939

Answer 3

9.5 million

Question 4

Number of unemployment in 1944

Answer 4

670, 000

Question 5

Why did unemployment decrease?

Answer 5

Conscription
Munition factories
Women + men now working

Question 6

WPB

Answer 6

War production board
Set of industrialists/ experts in coal etc to redirect economy for war specially

Question 7

Social impacts on the US

Answer 7

Women employed in new spaces
Black Americans given new jobs
Integration in previously segregated places
Baby boom
Affluence
Suburbanisation
Consumerism
People migrating from South t North for work, mostly black Americans

Question 8

How did people become affluent?

Answer 8

Cashing in war bonds and profiting because of the war
Soldiers rewarded after returning

Question 9

War bonds

Answer 9

Giving money to government and gaining money back
Increased product because of the war

Question 10

Suburbanisation

Answer 10

People moving from the city to small neighbourhoods on the outskirts
Because they could afford to commute with increased owning of cars
City life was more polluted and dangerous

Question 11

First suburb

Answer 11

Levittown in Long Island

Question 12

Consumerism

Answer 12

Increased buying of products as people were richer and technology, such as cars, TVs fridges etc advanced
Luxuries became necessities

Question 13

Affects of consumerism

Answer 13

Businesses thrive
Helped economy
Envy to complete possession wise with others so even more buying

Question 14

How are affluence, suburbanisation and consumerism connected?

Answer 14

People have more money moved to suburbs
Now living with richer people = envy to buy what they have
Because these luxuries were now symbols of status
Increased consumerism

Question 15

Women in the workplace statistics

Answer 15

50% in munition
7 million joined the war effort

Question 16

How many people owned hoses by 1960?

Answer 16

33 million

Question 17

Baby boom

Answer 17

Many more people started having children
Population rose over 40 million

Question 18

Causes of the baby boom

Answer 18

Men had returned from war and wanted to start families
Confidence this era would be full of prosperity as many people benefited financially

Question 19

Impact of the baby boom

Answer 19

Population increased by 40 million
Greater demand for housing

Question 20

Economic impact after WW2?

Answer 20

1945 = US most powerful economy in the world
Ended the Great Depression

Question 21

Military impact after WW2

Answer 21

Billions of dollars spent on weapons research
Desert areas eg New Mexico test areas for bombs
Industry busy as a result of the Cold War.

Question 22

How much higher was the standard of living for a US person vs UK in 1960?

Answer 22

3x

Question 23

Truman’s fair deal

Answer 23

Anti lynching law
Tax increase to reduce government debt
Increase minimum wage
Increase public housing

Question 24

Who didn’t benefit during this time?

Answer 24

Ethnic minorities, especially black Americans
People on lower incomes

Question 25

Negative impact on black Americans specifically

Answer 25

Building developers refused to sell homes to them
1955 = 44% of New York’s welfare recipients were black

Question 26

Effects on poorer people

Answer 26

1959 = 29% of people still lived below the poverty line
No health service = cost of medical care increased
USA didn’t provide good pensions nor welfare systems

Question 27

How many families were making less than $2000 a year

Answer 27

11 million