Urbanisation and Affluence: 1955-63 Flashcards
Impact of the Second World War
In wartime years, national income, wealth, and industrial production more than doubled
By 1947, producing 57% of steel, 43% electricity, 62% oil in the world
By 1945, full employment
Car Ownership
Ownership Statistics
Car ownership 73.8 million in 1960, 75% owned at least one
1950s- approx. 7 million discarded every year
Rich- Lincolns or Cadillacs
Working/Middle class- Chevrolets or Fords
Car Ownership
Industry
Investment of $10bn a year
1955- 8 million new cars a year
Detroit (motor city)- hub of manufactutring (General Motor, Ford, Chrysler)
1 in 7 worked in car-manufacture-related industries
Car Ownership
On-the-road Culture
1952- first motel chain (Holiday Inn, near Memphis)
1960- 228 McDonald’s
Mid-1980s, 1800 out-of-town shopping malls
Incresing tourism- national parks + Disneyland (1955)
Car Ownership
Analysis
Increased people in employment + disposable income
Demand for cars- latest design, consumerism
Development of OTR culture created jobs
Suburbia
White Flight
Car ownership allows people to move away from cities- 1950s many white residents left
Affluent white Americans prefered racially homogenous suburbs- city had higher tax rates, noise + congestion
Suburbia
Statistics
17% in 1920, 33% by 1960
By 1970, 80 million Americans in suburbs
Suburbia
Levittowns
NYS + Pennsylvania
Hempstead, Long Island in 1947- 17,000 homes, 80,000 residents, 7 shopping centres
Conform to rules- weekly lawn mowing, no washing out at weekends
Racist covenants- first black family in New Jersey Levittown was 1960
Suburbia
Analysis
Development in service + retail industries
Boom in construction
Increased demand for cars
Highway Development
Act Passed
Eisenhower- American roads in ‘shocking condition’
National Interstate and Defences Highway Act (1956)
42,500 miles of highways built, 4-8 lanes wide, 10 year programme, cost $25 bn
Highway Development
Analysis
Development of service + retail (on-the-road), allowed expansion of suburbia (commuting easier)
Boom in construction industry
Availabilty of Credit
Homes
Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Administration offered mortgages up to 90% of home value, with up to 30 years to pay off + low interest rate
1944-1952- nearly 2.4 million WW2 veterans purchased homes with next to no deposit
Availability of Credit
Credit Cards
1950- Diners’ Club card
1958- Amercian Express (Amex) credit card
1960- Sears Roebuck (mail order) had 10 million customers on credit
4,000 shopping centres by 1960 (8 in 1945)
Availability of Credit
Analysis
Credit culture- increasing consumerism + spending power
Increased jobs in banking industry
Increased demand for housing- boom in contruction + growth of suburbia
Cheaper mortagages- more disposable income
Other New Industries
New Products
Washing machines, dishwashers, freezers- household appliances increased fivefold (1939-48)
Technology such as non-stick cooking utensilis, home computers (1946)
