The Second World War and the Growth of the Consumer Society, 1941-60

Question 1

What did the number of families with an annual income of $2,000 fall by?

Answer 1

50%

Question 2

What did real wages for workers in many industries rise by?

Answer 2

50%

Question 3

What did the share of national wealth owned by the top 5% fall to?

Answer 3

from 23.7% to 16.8%

Question 4

Unemployment rate in the 1940s:

Answer 4

Remained under 4%

Question 5

Personal income in 1945 than in 1933:

Answer 5

4 times higher in 1945 than in 1933

Question 6

GI Bill of Rights:

Answer 6

Offered free vocational training and higher education and contributed to a rise in those with a college education

Question 7

How many homes had a TV in 1950, 1955, 1960?

Answer 7

1950 - 9%
1955 - 65%
1960 - 85%

Question 8

How many broadcasting stations were there in 1948 vs in 1954?

Answer 8

1948 - 16
1954 - 354

Question 9

Between 1939 and 1948, what did household appliance sales increase by?

Answer 9

500%

Question 10

How many live births were there in the 1950s? and what did the number of maintain at until 1965?

Answer 10

• 3 million
• Stayed around the 4 million mark

Question 11

By 1959, how much did toy manufacturers make?

Answer 11

$1.6 billion

Question 12

How were women targeted?

Answer 12

Labour-saving devices

Question 13

What did a 1959 survey show about teenage consumption?

Answer 13

They spent $10 billion a year

Question 14

How many teenage car owners were there in 1959?

Answer 14

1.5 million

Question 15

How much was spent on lipstick by teenagers?

Answer 15

$20 million

Question 16

How much was spent on records by teenagers?

Answer 16

$75 million

Question 17

How much more did teenagers eat out than parents?

Answer 17

20% more

Question 18

During the Truman presidency, what did social service coverage extended to?

Answer 18

A further one million Americans

Question 19

During the Truman presidency, what was the hourly minimum wage raised to?

Answer 19

45 cents to 75 cents

Question 20

Form 1945 to 1960, how many Americans lived in poverty?

Answer 20

Nearly 1/3

Question 21

How many were unemployed in the 1940s compared to before the Wall Street Crash?

Answer 21

10 million people still unemployed, compared to one million before the Crash