the golden age

24.1

The Golden Age

The Economy

The Economy – Causes

Wartime production boosted industry, the GI Bill helped veterans buy homes and attend college, pent-up consumer demand increased spending, and government defense spending continued during the Cold War.

The Economy – Effects/Impacts

The U.S. experienced strong economic growth, rising wages, and expansion of the middle class; consumer culture grew, with more families buying cars, appliances, and televisions.

The Suburbs

The Suburbs – Causes

The GI Bill provided low-interest home loans, developers built affordable mass-produced housing (like Levittown), highways expanded, and families sought space outside crowded cities.

The Suburbs – Effects/Impacts

Suburban growth reshaped American life, encouraged car culture, reinforced traditional family roles, and often excluded minorities through discriminatory housing policies.

The West

The West – Causes

Increased defense spending, growth of aerospace and technology industries, and population movement toward warmer climates encouraged western expansion.

The West – Effects/Impacts

States like California experienced rapid growth, new cities expanded, and the region became economically and politically more influential.

Women

Women – Causes

After World War II, many women were encouraged to leave factory jobs and return to domestic roles; cultural pressure emphasized marriage and motherhood.

Women – Effects/Impacts

The “ideal” suburban housewife became a cultural norm, but many women felt limited by these expectations, laying groundwork for the later feminist movement.

Cities

Cities – Causes

Suburban migration, highway construction, and urban renewal projects changed city structures; many middle-class families moved out.

Cities – Effects/Impacts

Cities faced declining tax bases, increased poverty, and racial segregation; urban renewal often displaced minority communities rather than solving poverty.

Native Americans

Native Americans – Causes

Federal policies like termination and relocation aimed to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream society and reduce federal responsibilities.

Native Americans – Effects/Impacts

Many lost tribal recognition and support, moved to cities for work, and faced poverty and discrimination, weakening tribal sovereignty.

Religion

Religion – Causes

Cold War fears encouraged public displays of faith as a contrast to “godless communism,” and economic stability supported church growth.

Religion – Effects/Impacts

Church membership increased, “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance, and religion became closely linked to American identity and patriotism.

Conservatism

Conservatism – Causes

Fear of communism, desire for stability after war, and belief in traditional family values strengthened conservative ideas.

Conservatism – Effects/Impacts

Emphasis on free-market capitalism, limited government intervention in social issues, and traditional gender roles shaped 1950s politics and culture.