Post-War Society & Economy Flashcards
All 16 cards in this deck
Give one cause of America's prosperity after the Second World War.
Any one of: Americans spent their wartime savings on consumer goods; high government spending on defence; exports to help rebuild Europe; the baby boom and growth of suburbs raised demand.
What was the 'American Dream'?
The belief that any American could achieve success and prosperity through hard work — shown in the 1950s by owning a suburban home, a car and consumer goods.
What was McCarthyism?
Senator Joseph McCarthy's campaign of accusations from 1950 that communist spies had infiltrated the US government, creating a 'witch hunt' with no real evidence.
What was Rock and Roll, and how did many older Americans react to it?
A new style of music popular with teenagers; many older Americans disliked it and blamed it for encouraging lawlessness and rebellion.
Why did businesses begin aiming advertising directly at teenagers in the 1950s?
Teenagers had growing purchasing power, as prosperous parents could support them for longer instead of them working to support the family.
True or false? Senator Joseph McCarthy set up the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).
False. HUAC was a House of Representatives committee set up in 1938; McCarthy was a Senator and ran his own Senate investigations.
True or false? People accused of being communists during McCarthyism kept their jobs if no evidence was found against them.
False. The disgrace of simply being accused forced many out of their jobs and made it hard for them to find work again.
What is consumerism?
An economy and way of life built around people buying more and more goods, which is thought to drive growth; in 1950s America it was fuelled by advertising and buying on credit.
What was the GI Bill?
A 1944 law giving returning servicemen cheap home loans and grants for college or training; millions of veterans used it, boosting house-building and the suburbs.
How widespread was television in America by the end of the 1950s?
About nine in ten households had a TV set, up from fewer than one in ten in 1950.
Who was Elvis Presley?
The most famous Rock and Roll star of the 1950s; his 1956 TV appearances drew enormous audiences and alarmed many older Americans.
Give one group that did not share in America's post-war prosperity.
The elderly: many relied on small pensions or savings, and in 1959 about a third of Americans over 65 lived below the poverty line.
Who were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?
Americans convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and executed in June 1953, a case that deepened fear of communist spies.
Give one reason fear of communism grew in America after 1945.
The Soviet Union tested its own atomic bomb in 1949, the same year China became communist, so Americans feared communism was spreading.
What was Truman's Loyalty Programme (1947)?
Truman's scheme to vet the loyalty of federal government workers through FBI checks; anyone judged a possible 'security risk' could lose their job.
Why did McCarthy lose public support in 1954?
He accused army officers of being communists without evidence, and the televised Army–McCarthy hearings showed him as a bully; the Senate condemned him that December.