To What Extent Did The USA Experience Urbanisation And Affluence 1955-63

Question 1

What was the state of employment in the USA after the Second World War?

Answer 1

Full employment

This period marked a significant economic recovery and growth.

Question 2

What was the economic status of the USA during the decade after the Second World War?

Answer 2

Dominance in the global economy

The USA emerged as a leading economic power.

Question 3

What significant societal development occurred in the USA post-World War II?

Answer 3

The world’s first consumer society

This marked a shift towards increased consumerism.

Question 4

What was the gross national product of the USA in 1940?

Answer 4

$99.7 billion

Question 5

What was the gross national product of the USA in 1950?

Answer 5

$284.8 billion

Question 6

What was the gross national product of the USA in 1960?

Answer 6

$503.7 billion

Question 7

What trend occurred in consumer credit from 1950 to 1960?

Answer 7

Increased from $8.4 billion to $45 billion

Question 8

What was the median income of a white family in 1953?

Answer 8

$4,392 per year

Question 9

What was the median income of a non-white family in 1953?

Answer 9

$2,461 per year

Question 10

What was the median income of a white family in 1960?

Answer 10

$5,835 per year

Question 11

What was the median income of a non-white family in 1960?

Answer 11

$3,233 per year

Question 12

Fill in the blank: The 1950s was a period of _______.

Answer 12

affluence

Question 13

True or False: The income gap between white and non-white families decreased from 1953 to 1960.

Answer 13

False

Question 14

What was a significant indicator of personal buying power in the 1950s?

Answer 14

Consumer credit

Question 15

What economic change occurred in the USA from 1940 to 1960?

Answer 15

Significant rise in gross national product

Question 17

What was the population of the USA in 1940?

Answer 17

The population was approximately 130 million in 1940.

Question 18

What was the impact of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on housing?

Answer 18

The FHA supported anti-Jewish and anti-black restrictive covenants on new suburban housing.

Question 19

What was the result of the FHA’s policies?

Answer 19

Non-white residents were barred from much suburban development and forced to live in rundown inner-city areas.

Question 20

What were the ‘projects’ in urban areas?

Answer 20

The projects were public housing areas, often cramped and built in massive high-rise blocks.

Question 21

What was the trend in American cities during the 1950s?

Answer 21

Many white residents left city centres for life in the suburbs, leading to the decline of city centres.

Question 22

What is a Levittown?

Answer 22

A type of new suburb built near New York City and in eastern Pennsylvania in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Question 23

What were the characteristics of Levittowns?

Answer 23

Levittowns were affordable private housing developments that discriminated against black Americans and other minorities.

Question 24

What percentage of American households had at least one car in 1960?

Answer 24

75 percent of American households had at least one car in 1960.

Question 25

What significant event happened in 1957?

Answer 25

The Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, into outer space.

Question 26

When did McDonald's open its 100th restaurant?

Answer 26

McDonald's opened its 100th restaurant in 1959.

Question 28

What was the home ownership rate in the USA by 1960?

Answer 28

By 1960, home ownership had become the norm for the first time in American history, with three in five families owning a home.

Question 29

How many people moved to the suburbs between 1950 and 1960?

Answer 29

Between 1950 and 1960, 18 million people moved to the suburbs.

Question 30

What term was used to describe the suburban growth from Boston to Washington DC by 1960?

Answer 30

The term 'megalopolis' was used to describe the suburban growth from Boston to Washington DC.

Question 31

What regions did many Americans migrate to during the 1950s?

Answer 31

Many Americans migrated from the north-east to the Sun Belt, including cities in Florida, Texas, and California.

Question 32

How many Americans lived in suburbs by 1970?

Answer 32

By 1970, 80 million Americans lived in suburbs, 15 million more than lived in central areas of cities.

Question 33

What was the GNP in billions of dollars in 1960?

Answer 33

In 1960, the GNP was 503.7 billion dollars.

Question 34

What was the disposable personal income in 1956?

Answer 34

In 1956, the disposable personal income was 318.8 billion dollars.

Question 35

What was the purpose of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956?

Answer 35

The Act aimed to construct a nationwide network of interstate highways to facilitate rapid movement of troops and military equipment across the country.

Question 36

What was the significance of the Cold War in relation to highway construction?

Answer 36

The Cold War heightened the need for a highway network to ensure rapid military mobilization.

Question 37

How much did car ownership increase between 1945 and 1960?

Answer 37

Between 1945 and 1960, the number of cars in the USA increased by 133 percent.

Question 38

What was President Eisenhower's view on the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act?

Answer 38

President Eisenhower regarded it as his greatest achievement as president.

Question 39

How many cars did the USA produce in 1955?

Answer 39

In 1955, the USA produced eight million cars.

Question 40

What percentage of Americans owned at least one car by 1960?

Answer 40

By 1960, 75 percent of Americans owned at least one car.

Question 41

What cultural impact did car ownership have in the USA?

Answer 41

Car ownership contributed to the development of a car-based culture and influenced teenage culture.

Question 42

What was built to accommodate the growing car culture?

Answer 42

By the mid-1950s, 1,800 drive-in movie theaters and multilevel car parks were built.

Question 43

What was the significance of built-in obsolescence in consumer products?

Answer 43

Built-in obsolescence encouraged consumers to purchase new products regularly.

Question 45

What significant act was passed in 1956 related to highways?

Answer 45

The Federal Highways Act was passed, establishing the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

Question 46

What was the impact of car ownership in the suburbs during the 1950s?

Answer 46

Car ownership fueled a growing teenage culture, increased mobility, and contributed to the development of the tourist industry.

Question 47

How did car manufacturers encourage purchasing in the 1950s?

Answer 47

Manufacturers introduced built-in obsolescence, changing styles and features annually to entice consumers.

Question 48

What was the percentage of American families owning cars by 1955?

Answer 48

By 1955, 76.1% of American families owned cars.

Question 49

What trend occurred in employment by 1956 in the USA?

Answer 49

For the first time, the number of white-collar workers outnumbered blue-collar workers.

Question 50

What was the percentage of women in the workforce in 1960 compared to 1940?

Answer 50

In 1960, twice as many women were at work compared to 1940.

Question 51

What is a white-collar job?

Answer 51

White-collar jobs are associated with office work and service industries such as banking and retail.

Question 52

What is a blue-collar job?

Answer 52

Blue-collar jobs are associated with manufacturing industries, traditionally held by men.

Question 53

What cultural phenomenon emerged alongside car ownership in the 1950s?

Answer 53

A 'hot rod' car culture emerged, with young men customizing fast cars.

Question 54

What was the significance of the car in American consumer culture during the 1950s?

Answer 54

The car represented the American standard of living and reflected an age of affluence.

Question 56

What was the trend in US defense spending from 1945 to 1948?

Answer 56

The Truman government cut defense spending significantly, making it lower than that of the USSR during that time.

Question 57

What happened to US defense spending in 1950?

Answer 57

Defense spending increased dramatically in 1950.

Question 58

What characterized the Cold War from 1950 to 1953?

Answer 58

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.

Question 59

How did defense spending impact employment in the 1950s?

Answer 59

Defense spending created hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Question 60

What was the approximate annual defense spending in the 1950s?

Answer 60

Defense spending stood at approximately $40 billion a year.

Question 61

What percentage of the federal budget did defense spending account for in the 1950s?

Answer 61

Defense spending accounted for 60 percent of the federal budget.

Question 62

What was the employment situation in the federal government by 1957?

Answer 62

The federal government employed eight million workers, double the number in 1940.

Question 63

What term did President Eisenhower use to describe the relationship between the federal government and defense corporations?

Answer 63

Military-industrial complex.

Question 64

What was the vested interest of the military-industrial complex?

Answer 64

To maintain high levels of military spending for job creation.

Question 65

How did the average family income in suburbia compare to the rest of the nation in the 1950s?

Answer 65

The average family in suburbia earned $6,500 a year, 70 percent higher than the average income of the rest of the nation.

Question 66

What types of businesses grew in response to the new wealth in suburbia?

Answer 66

Service industries such as motels, shopping malls, and drive-in movie theatres.

Question 67

What significant event in 1955 contributed to the growth of the internal tourist industry?

Answer 67

The opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, southern California.

Question 68

What facilitated the consumer boom of the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 68

The ready availability of credit to buy goods and services.

Question 69

What was the first credit card introduced and when?

Answer 69

Diner's Club introduced the first credit card in 1950.

Question 70

How many customers did Sears Roebuck have by 1960 who bought on credit?

Answer 70

Sears Roebuck had ten million customers buying on credit.

Question 71

What changes occurred in the American retail industry during this period?

Answer 71

Old city-centre retail areas declined and were replaced by new, out-of-town shopping centres.

Question 72

How many shopping centres were there in the USA by 1960?

Answer 72

By 1960, there were over 4,000 shopping centres.

Question 73

What was the impact of the Soviet Union launching Sputnik in 1957?

Answer 73

It intensified the Cold War and added a new dimension to the arms race.

Question 74

What was one of the technological developments from the US space programme that appeared on the domestic market?

Answer 74

Products like non-stick cooking pots and pans, transistors, home computers, and advanced electronics.

Question 75

How did the affluence of Americans shape the teenager as a new class of consumer?

Answer 75

Teenagers' spending power fueled the growth of the popular music industry.

Question 76

Who was a nationally known music idol by the early 1960s?

Answer 76

Elvis Presley.

Question 77

What became the norm for many American families during this period?

Answer 77

Watching television, attending sports fixtures, or traveling in cars.

Question 78

What is the AS Level Exam-Style Question regarding suburbia?

Answer 78

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?

Question 79

What should be included in the answer to the suburbia question?

Answer 79

Evidence of how suburbia stimulated the economic boom and a comparison with other factors like white-collar jobs and car ownership.

Question 80

What was a key activity for knowledge check regarding urbanization?

Answer 80

Identify reasons why cities developed rapidly in the period 1955 to 1963.