1 / 50

America at Mid-Century

America at Mid-Century. 1952-1963. FACTS about the 1950s…. US Population: 151,684,000 Life expectancy: W 71.1 - M 65.6 Average $: $2,992 Labor force male/female: 5/2 Gallon of gasoline: $0.18 - $0.25 Bomb shelter plans….government pamphlet You Can Survive.

elani
Download Presentation

America at Mid-Century

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. America at Mid-Century 1952-1963

  2. FACTS about the 1950s… • US Population: 151,684,000 • Life expectancy: W 71.1 - M 65.6 • Average $: $2,992 • Labor force male/female: 5/2 • Gallon of gasoline: $0.18 - $0.25 • Bomb shelter plans….government pamphlet You Can Survive

  3. AMERICAN SOCIETY AT MID-CENTURY Objective… Discuss the status of American society at mid-century and its major themes.

  4. John Kenneth Galbraith The Affluent Society…

  5. John Kenneth Galbraith Galbraith’s criticism of American society… “spend less on personal consumption and more to schools, medical care, cultural activities, and social services.”

  6. The Eisenhower Presidency Objective… Describe Eisenhower’s leadership style and political philosophy on the role of government.

  7. Dwight David EisenhowerBirth: October 14, 1890 Death: March 28, 1969 Term of Office: January 20, 1953 - January 20, 1961

  8. DDE’s background… • Born 1890 into a poor Texas family • Public education • 1915 - Graduated West Point • 1917 - WW I veteran • Advisor to MacArthur • 1943 - N. African campaign - D-Day

  9. DDE’s background… • 1945 – Allied Commander • 1945 - President Columbia U. • 1950 - Leader of NATO • 1952 – Elected US President • Retired in Gettysburg, PA • Died in Washington DC 1969

  10. Dwight D. Eisenhower Dynamic Conservatism or Modern Republicanism “Conservative when it comes to money and liberal when it comes to human beings” - DDE

  11. What was Eisenhower’s leadership style? • Moderate – middle of the road • Slow the growth of the federal government • Limit the President’s power • Cut spending/reduce taxes/balance the budget • Worked behind the scenes – “hidden hand” • Critics interpreted his style as doing nothing

  12. Ike’s view of the corporate commonwealth? • Wanted to encourage and support corporate America • Pro-big business • Appointed to FTC, FCC, and the FPC men who were friendly to the corporate interests they were charged with regulating

  13. Ike’s cabinet? • Put successful businessmen in his cabinet – “eight millionaires and a plumber” • Charles Wilson (Sec. of Defense) “What’s good for General Motors business is good for America.”

  14. Submerged Lands Act of 1953? • Transferred $40 billion worth of offshore oil lands from the federal government to the states so that the states could lease oil rights to corporations

  15. Consequences of Ike’s environmental policy? • Lax approach to government regulation • Accelerated a trend toward the destruction of the natural environment • Louisiana – massive degradation of wetlands • Florida – tropical forest damaged • Warehousing of dangerous chemicals • Use of DDT poisoned birds

  16. Ike and the New Deal? • Accepted legacy of greater federal responsibility for social welfare • Expanded Social Security • Added 4 million workers to those eligible for unemployment • Small increases in minimum wage • Created Department of Health, Education and Welfare

  17. Ike’s views on the economy… • Hesitant to pump up the economy during recessions • Would not cut taxes and increase spending to stimulate growth • End of term: • Real wages up 20% • Low inflation • Modest growth

  18. FHA? • Federal Housing Administration • Insured long-term mortgages • Spurred housing industry • Money went to suburbs • Contributed to the decline of cities • Discriminated against racially mixed communities

  19. Levittown, NY - PA

  20. Levittown…

  21. Federal Highway Act of 1956 • $32 billion for the construction of a national interstate highway system • By 1972 single largest public works program in Am. history

  22. 41,000 miles of highway at $76 billion • Stimulated auto industry and suburbia • Accelerated decline of mass transit and older cities

  23. National Defense Education Act… • Oct. 4, 1957 Soviet Union launched Sputnik • Am. Officials worried that U.S. lagging behind in training scientists and engineers • Strengthen support for math, science, and technology education

  24. 1958 - $280 million grants to upgrade university facilities • $300 million for low-interest student loans • Concede importance of education

  25. Sputnik October 4, 1957 Size of a beach ball 183 lbs. 98 minutes to orbit earth Sputnik II November 3 Dog named Laika

  26. Suburban Life How did the following typify the ideal suburban life … • Nuclear family & the suburban housewife…. • Role of religion… • California…

  27. Housewife

  28. Religion • ¾ of Americans are church members • Finding individual solutions to problems… not activism • Importance of fitting in

  29. California • Cars! • 500 miles of highway around LA • The “centerless city”

  30. Betty Freidan…Her alternative view?...

  31. Lonely Crowds & Organization Men According to critics what motivates Americans in the 1950s… What is their primary criticism?

  32. “Other-directed” man • Desire to conform • Peer-oriented • Fewer risks • Thinking and habits cued from mass media • “Belongingness” • Obsession to fit-in • Comfort & security • Rejects a top-promotion to be with his family • “When white-collar people get jobs, they sell not only their time and energy, but their personalities as well” (White Collar, 1951).

  33. The Expansion of Higher Education The rapid expansion in college enrollment in the 1950s… Reinforcing corporate culture on the college campus…

  34. Rapid growth of higher education…. • 1950 – 2.6 million attended college • 1960 3.2 million • 1970 7.5 million • Helped by • GI Bill • National Defense Education Act • Gov’t spending on research and development

  35. Changes in higher education? • Values of the postwar corporate culture • Most popular majors: business or other commercial fields • Grad educ. & fac. research become main focus versus undergrad teaching • Gateway to the middle class • Requirement for white – collar occupations

  36. Health & Medicine Improvements in heath & medicine after WWII…

  37. New improvements in medical care? Longer and healthier lives War = gov’t funded medical researchNat’l Institutes of Health Penicillin Tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough and measles nearly eradicated by 1960 Salk vaccine – eliminated polio by 1960

  38. Dr. Jonas Salk

  39. Limitations to new health care? • Increased cost of medical care • Many could not afford health care • Doctors not available in rural communities • Decline in general practitioner = focus on specialized medicine in large medical centers

  40. Limitations to new health care? • Proliferation of iatrogenic ailments – illness caused by medical treatment • Thalidomide • # of doctors decreases and # of foreign trained doctors increases

  41. Limitations to new health care? • AMA blocked gov’t intervention into public health – blocked “socialized medicine” • Truman’s nat’l health care policy • Ike’s plan to aid private health insurance companies

More Related