The transformation of the USA 1945-54

Question 1

What was per capita income at the beginning of the period and what was it in 1953?

Answer 1

$1,450- 4,011

Question 2

What happened to home ownership rates in the 50s?

Answer 2

Rose from 55 to 62 %.

Question 3

What percentage of homes lacked running water and flushing toilets in 1945?

Answer 3

33% water and 40% toilets.

Question 4

What did the GI bill of rights do?

Answer 4

Offered grants to veterans to improve their education, learn skills or set up businesses. All former combatants would receive 20 dollars a week while looking for work. Offered low interest home loans allowing ex servicemen to move to new suburban houses.

Question 5

What happened to the sales of cars from 1945 to 1950?

Answer 5

Rose from 69,500 to 6.7 million.

Question 6

What were the big three car manufacturers?

Answer 6

Ford, General motors and Chrysler.

Question 7

How much was a new Chrysler car?

Answer 7

1,300 or about 40% of the average family income.

Question 8

What sort of facilities came along with the new growth in the car industry?

Answer 8

Roadside hotels, motels, petrol stations, garages.

Question 9

In the decade after 1945 how many houses were built?

Answer 9

15 million, mainly for private purchase.

Question 10

What happened to the percentage of people living in suburbs between 1920 and 1960?

Answer 10

Rose from 17 to 33%.

Question 11

What were the downsides of the growth of suburbs?

Answer 11

Lacked variety, cinema and restaurant managers complained about lack of business, conditions deteriorated in residential areas. Growth of the shopping mall caused disaster for many shopkeepers.

Question 12

How much had the average families income increased annually between 1945 and 1953?

Answer 12

17%

Question 13

Why was the amount of leisure time rising?

Answer 13

Labour saving devices called white goods. Many families had washing machines, fridges and telephones.

Question 14

How much of the world’s good was the US consuming in the early 50s with how much of the world’s population?

Answer 14

33% with 6% of population.

Question 15

How many houses did William Levitt build in 1947?

Answer 15

2,000 on a site in Long Island.

Question 16

How much was an average Levitt house?

Answer 16

$8,000-$15,000 comparatively cheaper than other houses of similar size.

Question 17

Name one industry that grew due to the baby boom?

Answer 17

Nappies, which were a $50 million industry by 1957

Question 18

What happened to the American nuclear family in this era?

Answer 18

Was a golden era for it. Divorce rate fell from 17.9 per 1,000 to 9.6. Average age of marriage for females from 21.5 to 20.1 and within 7 months of marriage most were pregnant.

Question 19

What labour saving devices were people buying in the 50s and what % owned each?

Answer 19

90% had fridges. 75% had washing machines and telephones. 55.7% had Tv’s

Question 20

What happened to the amount of debt between 1945 and 1960?

Answer 20

From $5.7 billion to $56.1 billion.

Question 21

What % of the worlds goods did the USA consume in the early 1950s and what % of the population did they have?

Answer 21

Consumed 33% and had 6£ of population.

Question 22

What did Roosevelt’s 1944 economic bill of rights commit the federal government to?

Answer 22

Full employment and adequate welfare provision.

Question 23

What did the 1946 employment act do?

Answer 23

Formalised the quest for full employment, was unneeded due to such large demand for labour.

Question 24

What happened to the average family’s disposable income in the 50s?

Answer 24

Rose by 17%

Question 25

How many family homes were built in 1944 as opposed to 1950?

Answer 25

114,000 to 15 million

Question 26

What happed to home ownership between 1950-60?

Answer 26

Rose from 50 to 60%

Question 27

How did states vary in income?

Answer 27

Per capita income in southern states was noticeably less than those in northern and western sates. Alabama $700, New Mexico, $1,812

Question 28

By 1945 what % if the global income did the USA have?

Answer 28

42% with 7% of the population

Question 29

How many Ex-servicemen used grants for education or to set up businesses from the GI bill of rights?

Answer 29

Eight million

Question 30

How did Marshall aid benefit the US?

Answer 30

They gave money to Western European countries who usually spent this money on American goods which gave much of the money back to America.

Question 31

What % of automobiles did the USA produce

Answer 31

80%

Question 32

How did per capita income compare to Britain?

Answer 32

Was $1,450, around twice that of Great Britain

Question 33

What did the interstate highway act do?

Answer 33

Built infrastructure in the form of 41,000 miles of road

Question 34

How did the US car industry compare to other regions?

Answer 34

More cars in LA than in Asia. General Motors wealthier than Belgium in GDP

Question 35

How many houses did Levitt build in 1947 and how did this compare to the average builder pre war?

Answer 35

2,000 as opposed to 5.