The American Dream (Post-War American society)

Created by: SatintheLabrador2007
Created on: 08-04-24 15:30

Post-War Prosperity

• The 1944 G.I. Bill of Rights helped America to avoid a post-war recession.
• By the early 1950s, the federal government had spent ~$13 billion on education, training, housing and business loans for Americans who had fought in the war.

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Baby Boom

• 1946: record number of births. Baby boom continued until 1965.
• Increased demand for housing, so homes were mass-produced in new suburbs. Suburban houses with modern appliances became a key feature of the American Dream.

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Consumerism

• The growth of suburbs created a new lifestyle and fuelled consumerism.
• High demand for refrigerators, cars and televisions.

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Consumerism contd.

• 1956- Federal Aid Highway Act: Construction of a national highway system, which improved the road network and connected the country. Enabled access to new shopping malls, drive-in cinemas and restaurants.

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Despite widespread prosperity, what percentage of Americans still lived below the poverty line?

1/4 of all Americans and half of all African-Americans lived in poverty.

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When did Harry Truman replace Roosevelt?

April 1945. Truman was also elected to the presidency in his own right in 1948.

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What was the Fair Deal?

It was Truman's own social reform plan that continued the legacy of the New Deal.

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What was Truman able to do through the Fair Deal?

• Desegregate the military through Executive Order 9981 in 1948
• Almost double the minimum wage, from 40 cents to 75 cents per hour
• Improve the coverage of social security

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What was Truman able to do through the Fair Deal contd.

• Provide funds for slum clearance and the development of low-cost housing
• Create a commission to investigate the problems of racial injustice in America

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What was Truman unable to do through the Fair Deal?

• Introduce a national health insurance scheme- rejected by Republicans
in Congress and condemned by the American Medical Association as "socialised medicine"
• Get any civil rights laws passed in Congress, because the southern Democrats opposed them

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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Baby Boom

Back

Card 3

Front

Consumerism

Back

Card 4

Front

Consumerism contd.

Back

Card 5

Front

Despite widespread prosperity, what percentage of Americans still lived below the poverty line?

Back

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The American Dream (Post-War American society)