theme 1 - urbanisation and affluence Flashcards
(28 cards)
how many people moved to cities?
the number of people living in urban areas rose from 96.5 mill (1950) to 124.77 mill (1960).
the USA’s 12 largest cities gained 1.8 million non-white residents
why did people move to cities?
they took the opportunity to have a new life where there were more consumer goods and a higher standard of living
what was the result of an influx of non-white residents in cities?
increased racial tension which resulted in segregation.
what segregation occurred in cities?
black Americans were excluded from white neighbourhoods.
leading institutions and city officials made it difficult for black Americans to buy decent housing.
whites staged ‘housing riots’.
1951: used looting and burning to drive out the sole black family
‘white flight’ led to overcrowded black ghettos
how did federal policies promote residential segregation?
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) distributed low-cost mortgages, which excluded applicants of ‘un-harmonious racial or nationality groups’
what evidence is there for the expansion of the suburbs?
1948-58: 11 million houses were built in the suburbs
1960: 33% of Americans lived in suburbia
what led to an increase of Americans living in suburbia?
increased car ownership and federal highway construction made it easier for people to commute to work.
‘white flight’ - more affluent white people preferred comfortable homes in racially and economically homogenous neighbourhoods, so fled inner-city areas to live in suburban areas.
Levittowns
first development in 1947 in Hempstead, Long Island
- 17,000 homes
- 80,000 residents
- homes cost $8,000, which was 2.5x the average family income
were greatly popular - people formed queues to view properties
racially exclusive
- 1957: people threw rocks as a black American family in the Pennsylvania Levittown, and state authorities had to intervene.
what evidence is there for the growth in car ownership?
car ownership increased from 39.3 mill (1950) to 73.8 mill (1960).
1960: 75% of Americans owned at least one car and 15% of Americans owned more than one car per family.
why did car ownership increase?
after the post-war economic boom, people had more job security and more money to spend.
National Interstate and Defence Highways Act (1956)
Eisenhower argued that American roads were in poor condition after the war, and highway construction would help to handle increased traffic due to increased car ownership.
Congress authorised the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways
- This opened up the continent to travel and changed American society and culture
how did cars demonstrate social and ethnic status?
wealthy white men favours expensive, spacious models - Lincolns and Cadillacs
white middle and working-class Americans tended to buy Fords and Chevrolets
poorer Hispanic Americans often bought cheap second-hand Chevrolets
how did car ownership affect young people?
reflected and encouraged their desire for independence
became an important part of dating culture
young men expressed their individuality by economising their cars
how did car ownership impact women?
helped to free them by providing them with some independence
however, they also reflected traditional attitudes - e.g the 1955 Dodge La Femme came with a matching lipstick and shoulder bag.
how did an increase in cars change American culture?
created an ‘on-the-road’ culture
cars made life easier and more varied as people were able to get places faster and more comfortably
what evidence is there of the ‘on-the-road’ culture?
1956: 3,000 drive-in movie theatres opened
mid-1950s: 1,800 out-of-town shopping malls had been built
1960: 228 McDonald’s
1956: 75 mill cars and trucks on the USA’s roads
how did car ownership impact American economy and workforce?
an increasingly large proportion of Americans were employed in service industries and office-based work.
Due to increase car ownership, these people were able to commute to work and live in suburbia rather than crowded inner-cities.
what evidence is there for an increase in service industries and white-collar jobs?
the number of white-collar workers increased from 21.2 mill (1950) to 27.2 mill (1960)
1960: 34.8 mill service workers compared to 25.6 million manual workers
women in work
1960: twice as many women in work as in 1940
1960: 40% of all women over 16 held a job
female employment was growing at a rate 4x that of men
how did the Cold War impact jobs?
defence spending increased as a response to the Cold War, which created hundreds of thousands of jobs
what is the military-industrial complex?
vested interest of the federal government, Congress, and military defence firms to maintain high levels of military spending, which created a large number of jobs in the defence industry.
how did income impact service industries?
1950s: the average family in suburbia earned $6,500, which was 70% higher than the average income.
motels, shopping malls, and drive-in movie theatres all catered for this new consumer
development of new products
new models of cars, radios, and home appliances (e.g refrigerators and dishwashers) were created
- must-have domestic technology products made housewives’ lives easier
the ability to buy what you wanted when you wanted it became an essential part of the ‘American Dream’
rise in consumer credit
1950: Diners’ Club introduced the first credit card
1958: America Express introduced its own card
1960: middle-class credit use became commonplace
