1950s American Socioeconomic Changes

Flashcards focused on key vocabulary and concepts about postwar America, economic policies, and the early stages of the Cold War.

Postwar Prosperity

The period following World War II characterized by significant economic growth in the United States.

Demobilization

The process of ending military operations and returning troops to civilian life after the war.

G.I. Bill of Rights

Legislation providing benefits to returning veterans, including unemployment pay and funds for education.

Baby Boom

A significant increase in birth rates in the United States during the late 1940s to early 1960s.

Taft-Hartley Act

An act passed in 1947 that limited the power of labor unions and made it illegal for businesses to hire only union members.

Gross National Product (GNP)

The total value of all goods and services produced by American residents in one year.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period.

Interstate Highway System

A network of highways established in the 1950s to facilitate transportation across the United States.

The Cold War

The geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, characterized by ideological conflict and competition.

Communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society and collective ownership of production, as theorized by Karl Marx.

Iron Curtain

A term describing the division between Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War, representing the ideological separation between the Soviet bloc and the West.

Yalta Conference

A meeting in 1945 between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss postwar reorganization and the future of Europe.

Potsdam Conference

A 1945 meeting where Truman and Stalin discussed the postwar order in Europe and revealed their differences.

Assembly-line Production

A manufacturing process that increases efficiency by moving products through a series of steps to reduce production costs.

Eisenhower Years

The period of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency (1953-1961), marked by economic growth and the rise of mass media.