Topic 4

WW2 - production, jobs (17 million jobs and near 0 unemployment)
Presidential actions - New Deal (job creation, CCC, TVA. Poor for farmers, limited impact and no full recovery), economy
Laissez-faire - isolationism, less tax, tariffs
Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression (everyone impacted, mass unemployment - 13 million people. prices increased)
First World War
Growth of consumerism and loans
New production methods - 4 million jobs, production line, Model T cars
1920s - boom, low taxation, long-term, laissez-faire, US goods protected, limited regulation (including banking)

Farming - during war, urged to produce more wheat and were given mechanisation - increased employment
Industry - many strikes in 1919 - 20. Coal industry struggled to other fuels. In 1900 it was 90% of USA’s energy supply. By 1930, it was 60%
Government reactions - laissez-faire, tariffs on foreign goods. Pushed Americans to buy American gooods. Thought the Depression would sort itself

Mass production - quick and lower prices. 1917 - 9,727,648 registered cars. 1929 = 23,060,421. Had effects on other industries - everything needed materils to make
New management techniques - Ford’s production line and Model T cars
Farmers - kept some wartime aid and cut taxes
Hire purchase and loans - more people bought homes. 1920 - 29 - consumer debt rose from $3.3 billion. $7.6 billion. People borrowed anaverage of 5% of their income
Changing industries - many new industries ran on electricity

1920s women
All - owning a home
Leisure time
Cars
Access to money
Electrification
More eduction

Farmers
Great Depression
“Old insutries” - coal and textiles
Different social groups
Losing jobs / homes

Spent money that was saved during the war
Development of AC etc.
Baby boom
Some industries were stimulated by the wat
Impact of the was lasted longer than 1945
GI Bill of Rights 1944 - 8 million veterans got improved employment opportunities
Veterns had lower interest for housing
USA became a consumer society
Some presidential policies were helpful
1942 - US incomewas nearly 2x average Canadian income and unemployment was below 4%
Advertising and TV - appliance sales increased by 500%
1959 - poverty was 22%
Social security
Minimum wage raised from 40c to 75c an hour
Food prices jumped 25% in 2 weeks after the war
The suburbs
Employment stayed high post ww2

By John Kenneth Galbraith
1958
Says American society changed to be materialistic

Originally very expensive and small
1950 - 9% of homes had a TV, 1955 - 65%, 1960 - 85%
1948 - 17 stations, 1954 - 354 stations
Entertainment in home - families went out less
Many buyers lived in suburbs
Lead to TV dinners

Specific targeting began
Toy industry grew rapidly
Helped developments in plastic industry
Children’s advertising
1955 - $100 million sales in Davy Crockett hats Women targeted in kitchen stuff Men targeted for car adverts 1950s - more food, drink and domestic supplies sold than before Pre-made and partially made food, eg. cake mix. Better Crocker sold the American Dream

Ate more after the war
Rise of synthetic food
Coca-Cola made $55.7 million in 9150, and $79.1 million 1959
People smoked more and ate less healthily than before
1960s - first big studies on impacts on health
Formula milk became common - could measure babies’ intake

Spent ~$50 billion in 1959 1959 - 1.5 million teenagers had a car Girls consumed more clothes and cosmetics, boys spent more on sport equipment and events Teenagers ate about 20% more than adults Ate a lot of ice cream and milk - boost to dairy industry Drive-ins and fast food Spent $75 million on records
Movies targeted towards teenagers - cheap horror nd sci-fi, eg. The Blob