Impact of WW2 on USA Flashcards
Types of impact on the USA
Economic
Social
Military
Why was the economy impacted by WW2?
Decrease in unemployment
Coal, iron etc industries expanded
WPB set up
USA producing 50% world’s weapons
Ends Great Depression
War bonds
Number of unemployment in 1939
9.5 million
Number of unemployment in 1944
670, 000
Why did unemployment decrease?
Conscription
Munition factories
Women + men now working
WPB
War production board
Set of industrialists/ experts in coal etc to redirect economy for war specially
Social impacts on the US
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
How did people become affluent?
Cashing in war bonds and profiting because of the war
Soldiers rewarded after returning
War bonds
Giving money to government and gaining money back
Increased product because of the war
Suburbanisation
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
First suburb
Levittown in Long Island
Consumerism
Increased buying of products as people were richer and technology, such as cars, TVs fridges etc advanced
Luxuries became necessities
Affects of consumerism
Businesses thrive
Helped economy
Envy to complete possession wise with others so even more buying
How are affluence, suburbanisation and consumerism connected?
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
Women in the workplace statistics
50% in munition
7 million joined the war effort
How many people owned hoses by 1960?
33 million
Baby boom
Many more people started having children
Population rose over 40 million
Causes of the baby boom
Men had returned from war and wanted to start families
Confidence this era would be full of prosperity as many people benefited financially
Impact of the baby boom
Population increased by 40 million
Greater demand for housing
Economic impact after WW2?
1945 = US most powerful economy in the world
Ended the Great Depression
Military impact after WW2
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.
How much higher was the standard of living for a US person vs UK in 1960?
3x
Truman’s fair deal
Anti lynching law
Tax increase to reduce government debt
Increase minimum wage
Increase public housing
Who didn’t benefit during this time?
Ethnic minorities, especially black Americans
People on lower incomes
Negative impact on black Americans specifically
Building developers refused to sell homes to them
1955 = 44% of New York’s welfare recipients were black
Effects on poorer people
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
How many families were making less than $2000 a year
11 million
