To What Extent Did The USA Experience Urbanisation And Affluence 1955-63 Flashcards
What was the state of employment in the USA after the Second World War?
Full employment
This period marked a significant economic recovery and growth.
What was the economic status of the USA during the decade after the Second World War?
Dominance in the global economy
The USA emerged as a leading economic power.
What significant societal development occurred in the USA post-World War II?
The world’s first consumer society
This marked a shift towards increased consumerism.
What was the gross national product of the USA in 1940?
$99.7 billion
What was the gross national product of the USA in 1950?
$284.8 billion
What was the gross national product of the USA in 1960?
$503.7 billion
What trend occurred in consumer credit from 1950 to 1960?
Increased from $8.4 billion to $45 billion
What was the median income of a white family in 1953?
$4,392 per year
What was the median income of a non-white family in 1953?
$2,461 per year
What was the median income of a white family in 1960?
$5,835 per year
What was the median income of a non-white family in 1960?
$3,233 per year
Fill in the blank: The 1950s was a period of _______.
affluence
True or False: The income gap between white and non-white families decreased from 1953 to 1960.
False
What was a significant indicator of personal buying power in the 1950s?
Consumer credit
What economic change occurred in the USA from 1940 to 1960?
Significant rise in gross national product
What was the population of the USA in 1940?
The population was approximately 130 million in 1940.
What was the impact of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on housing?
The FHA supported anti-Jewish and anti-black restrictive covenants on new suburban housing.
What was the result of the FHA’s policies?
Non-white residents were barred from much suburban development and forced to live in rundown inner-city areas.
What were the ‘projects’ in urban areas?
The projects were public housing areas, often cramped and built in massive high-rise blocks.
What was the trend in American cities during the 1950s?
Many white residents left city centres for life in the suburbs, leading to the decline of city centres.
What is a Levittown?
A type of new suburb built near New York City and in eastern Pennsylvania in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
What were the characteristics of Levittowns?
Levittowns were affordable private housing developments that discriminated against black Americans and other minorities.
What percentage of American households had at least one car in 1960?
75 percent of American households had at least one car in 1960.
What significant event happened in 1957?
The Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, into outer space.
When did McDonald’s open its 100th restaurant?
McDonald’s opened its 100th restaurant in 1959.
What was the home ownership rate in the USA by 1960?
By 1960, home ownership had become the norm for the first time in American history, with three in five families owning a home.
How many people moved to the suburbs between 1950 and 1960?
Between 1950 and 1960, 18 million people moved to the suburbs.
What term was used to describe the suburban growth from Boston to Washington DC by 1960?
The term ‘megalopolis’ was used to describe the suburban growth from Boston to Washington DC.
What regions did many Americans migrate to during the 1950s?
Many Americans migrated from the north-east to the Sun Belt, including cities in Florida, Texas, and California.
How many Americans lived in suburbs by 1970?
By 1970, 80 million Americans lived in suburbs, 15 million more than lived in central areas of cities.
What was the GNP in billions of dollars in 1960?
In 1960, the GNP was 503.7 billion dollars.
What was the disposable personal income in 1956?
In 1956, the disposable personal income was 318.8 billion dollars.
What was the purpose of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956?
The Act aimed to construct a nationwide network of interstate highways to facilitate rapid movement of troops and military equipment across the country.
What was the significance of the Cold War in relation to highway construction?
The Cold War heightened the need for a highway network to ensure rapid military mobilization.
How much did car ownership increase between 1945 and 1960?
Between 1945 and 1960, the number of cars in the USA increased by 133 percent.
What was President Eisenhower’s view on the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act?
President Eisenhower regarded it as his greatest achievement as president.
How many cars did the USA produce in 1955?
In 1955, the USA produced eight million cars.
What percentage of Americans owned at least one car by 1960?
By 1960, 75 percent of Americans owned at least one car.
What cultural impact did car ownership have in the USA?
Car ownership contributed to the development of a car-based culture and influenced teenage culture.
What was built to accommodate the growing car culture?
By the mid-1950s, 1,800 drive-in movie theaters and multilevel car parks were built.
What was the significance of built-in obsolescence in consumer products?
Built-in obsolescence encouraged consumers to purchase new products regularly.
What significant act was passed in 1956 related to highways?
The Federal Highways Act was passed, establishing the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
What was the impact of car ownership in the suburbs during the 1950s?
Car ownership fueled a growing teenage culture, increased mobility, and contributed to the development of the tourist industry.
How did car manufacturers encourage purchasing in the 1950s?
Manufacturers introduced built-in obsolescence, changing styles and features annually to entice consumers.
What was the percentage of American families owning cars by 1955?
By 1955, 76.1% of American families owned cars.
What trend occurred in employment by 1956 in the USA?
For the first time, the number of white-collar workers outnumbered blue-collar workers.
What was the percentage of women in the workforce in 1960 compared to 1940?
In 1960, twice as many women were at work compared to 1940.
What is a white-collar job?
White-collar jobs are associated with office work and service industries such as banking and retail.
What is a blue-collar job?
Blue-collar jobs are associated with manufacturing industries, traditionally held by men.
What cultural phenomenon emerged alongside car ownership in the 1950s?
A ‘hot rod’ car culture emerged, with young men customizing fast cars.
What was the significance of the car in American consumer culture during the 1950s?
The car represented the American standard of living and reflected an age of affluence.
What was the trend in US defense spending from 1945 to 1948?
The Truman government cut defense spending significantly, making it lower than that of the USSR during that time.
What happened to US defense spending in 1950?
Defense spending increased dramatically in 1950.
What characterized the Cold War from 1950 to 1953?
The Cold War became a ‘hot war’ with fighting in Korea between the USA and its United Nations allies and communist China and North Korea.
How did defense spending impact employment in the 1950s?
Defense spending created hundreds of thousands of jobs.
What was the approximate annual defense spending in the 1950s?
Defense spending stood at approximately $40 billion a year.
What percentage of the federal budget did defense spending account for in the 1950s?
Defense spending accounted for 60 percent of the federal budget.
What was the employment situation in the federal government by 1957?
The federal government employed eight million workers, double the number in 1940.
What term did President Eisenhower use to describe the relationship between the federal government and defense corporations?
Military-industrial complex.
What was the vested interest of the military-industrial complex?
To maintain high levels of military spending for job creation.
How did the average family income in suburbia compare to the rest of the nation in the 1950s?
The average family in suburbia earned $6,500 a year, 70 percent higher than the average income of the rest of the nation.
What types of businesses grew in response to the new wealth in suburbia?
Service industries such as motels, shopping malls, and drive-in movie theatres.
What significant event in 1955 contributed to the growth of the internal tourist industry?
The opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, southern California.
What facilitated the consumer boom of the 1950s and 1960s?
The ready availability of credit to buy goods and services.
What was the first credit card introduced and when?
Diner’s Club introduced the first credit card in 1950.
How many customers did Sears Roebuck have by 1960 who bought on credit?
Sears Roebuck had ten million customers buying on credit.
What changes occurred in the American retail industry during this period?
Old city-centre retail areas declined and were replaced by new, out-of-town shopping centres.
How many shopping centres were there in the USA by 1960?
By 1960, there were over 4,000 shopping centres.
What was the impact of the Soviet Union launching Sputnik in 1957?
It intensified the Cold War and added a new dimension to the arms race.
What was one of the technological developments from the US space programme that appeared on the domestic market?
Products like non-stick cooking pots and pans, transistors, home computers, and advanced electronics.
How did the affluence of Americans shape the teenager as a new class of consumer?
Teenagers’ spending power fueled the growth of the popular music industry.
Who was a nationally known music idol by the early 1960s?
Elvis Presley.
What became the norm for many American families during this period?
Watching television, attending sports fixtures, or traveling in cars.
What is the AS Level Exam-Style Question regarding suburbia?
How accurate is it to say that the growth of suburbia was more a result of the economic boom than a cause of it in the period 1955 to 1963?
What should be included in the answer to the suburbia question?
Evidence of how suburbia stimulated the economic boom and a comparison with other factors like white-collar jobs and car ownership.
What was a key activity for knowledge check regarding urbanization?
Identify reasons why cities developed rapidly in the period 1955 to 1963.
