urbanisation and affluence Flashcards
what is one of the reasons for growth in car ownership?
- originally cars weren’t cheap - however through out the post war period people had more disposable income due to the economic boom.
- as well as more job security
how many cars had been manufactured by 1955?
7.9 million
who were the big three car manufactures?
Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.
what did Eisenhower initiate that allowed the extended the growth of car ownership?and when
1956 he initiated the great highway construction programme - through the federal highway construction act
how did cars reflect social and ethnic status?
wealthy white males = favoured Lincolns and Cadillacs middle/working class = favoured Chevolts and Fords poor Hispanics = second hand Chevy's black middle class 60's = Cadillacs became an important symbol of status for blacks.
what did a survey find about young people and cars?
1953 - kinsey sex survey found that young people had almost as much sex in their cars as they did at home - big part of dating and freedom.
how did car’s shape “on the road” culture?
- drive in’s (service industry developed massively)
- roadside hotels and restaurants created thousands of jobs
how did cars allow people to relocate and where to?
car ownership increased suburbinisation - as it meant people could live there and commute to work without living in the city.
when did suburbinisation increase?
accelerated massively in mid-40’s
- although they were nothing new, 17% of people lived in suburbs in 1920.
how many people lived in the suburbs by 1960? and who teneded to live there?
33% of Americans - middle class white American's in Ranch houses with double garages, two bathrooms and three bedrooms.
what was the reason for the increase in suburban living?
- there was little house building during the war
- veteran administration allowed veterans to buy houses with little to 0 down payment
- part of the American dream to raise a family outside the city
- cars made it possible.
what were Levitt towns?
1947 the Levitt brothers constructed homes outside of the city, mainly in mind for young veterans.
were Levitt towns popular?
yes, there was ques of people waiting for them to come on sale and prices were only $8,000 which is relatively cheap.
how did Levitt towns increase racial discrimination?
they were racially exclusive;
- trying to purchase a house as a black family was virtually impossible
- if you did get a house then rocks were throne at black homes.
what contributed to major changes in the US cities?
- white flight ( to suburbs )
- the great migrations - from the south to the north
how did whites contribute to the growth of black ghetto’s?
- use of restrictive convents: a legal document which banned “undesirables” from living in certain buildings or area’s.
- housing agencies made it really difficult for black to buy a house
- housing riots 1951 : in Chicago, working class whites used looting and burning to drive out one black family in a neighbourhood.
how did the FHA and gov contribute to residential segregation?
in the late 1940’s the FHA distributed millions of dollars towards low costing mortgages, however this excluded any “unharminous racial or nationality groups” due to them causing a hostile reaction.
- constructions of highways allowing “white flight”
- they construction of public housing units was passed - this was meant to provide better housing - however the ghetto’s were destroyed and the new houses were too expensive leaving people homeless. 1949
how much did purchasing power increase between 1950 - 1960 for the consumers?
peoples disposable income gave them 30% more purchasing power in 1960 in comparison to 1950.
why were some people against the idea of consumerism?
intellectuals such as David Riesman feared that consumerism would undermine traditional american values - “ rugged individualism. “
the Teenage consumer?`
1959 - life magazine recorded that teenagers had become a vital factor in contributing towards american society - for example owning 10 million record players.
what were Eisenhower’s reasons for the great highway construction programme?
- after the second world war he described US road to be “in shocking condition” compared to Germany.
- car ownership rocketed from 39.3 million in 1950 to 73.8 million in 1960 (therefore an interstate system was necessary to handle increased traffic.)
what did most American’s agree with Eisenhower about regarding cars?
more cars meant “greater convenience…greater happiness and greater standard of living.”
how many miles of interstate highways did congress authorise? and what did this do?
- 41,000 miles
- opened up the continent to travel and changed American society and culture.
what did cars allow kids to do?
- gain independence and escape from parental control
- crucial part of dating.
- expressed their individuality by customising their cars
