The 1950s was a time in history of great improvement in technology. The development of new materials and items to make everyday life easier was escalating. With soldiers coming back to from WWII to their old jobs, industries were able to grow once again. The automobile industry was one of the most influenced industries from the return of US soldier. To follow along the lines of the automobile industry, an interstate highway system was developed to make traveling with the now more trustworthy automobiles easier and quicker. Other advances in the 1950s were televisions. Televisions were able to shape the culture of the 1950s. Televisions also helped the economy grow with the amount of people being them. One of the most important discoveries …show more content…
As the 1950s came about and the war was over, “the automobile industry jumped from from 39 million to 74 million” (Shmoop Editorial Team, “Society in the 1950s”). The industry helped with the grow of the economy after the war with people being hired to build and fix the cars. Along to support the Industry was the build of Interstate Highways. The constructing of the highway was designed to make evacuating out of cities quicker and easier. “It was a monumental undertaking to build 41,000 miles of four-lane roads” (Shmoop Editorial Team, “Society in the 1950s”). The construction of the highway supplied jobs for many people helping the economy further grow. The highway helped with the popularity of suburban towns. Because they were outside of the city; “it was often cheaper to buy one of these suburban houses than it was to rent an apartment in the city” (History.com Team). Along with it being a cheaper living situation, it gave opportunities to businesses to set up in the suburban towns and grow their popularity. Ultimately, the automobile industry was a chain reaction to the growth of the United states …show more content…
“By the end of the '50s, TVs were present in 90% of homes and watching television was the favorite leisure activity of nearly half the population” (Shmoop Editorial Team, “Science & Technology in The 1950s”). The television shaped the culture of the 1950s. “Citizens could watch political conventions, hear presidential speeches, and follow local sports teams without leaving their living rooms” (Shmoop Editorial Team, “Science & Technology in The 1950s”). Televisions helped sell the products that kept the economy moving ahead. And above all, it entertained. But because of television, people across the country had something in common, “they all watched I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan, and Gunsmoke, and some analysts argued that this helped pull the country together” (Shmoop Editorial Team, “Science & Technology in The 1950s”). The television was the perfect post war industry to help the economy grow, and the people at
As this suburban sprawl of the fifties took America by storm, Spiegel discusses how television provided a necessary means of escapism for frustrated families. The first television show, broadcast in 1949, was a very simple program in which a man and woman sit watching and discussing the TV. Although by today's standards this would be seen as unsurpassingly boring to audiences, this simple show provided a stress relief and easy entertainment; it seemed as though audiences enjoyed watching programs which, similar to their own situation, seemed more rewarding.
The early 1960s saw the expansion of television. The television had become a common household
Technology in the 1950s started with many great innovations that shape the way we live now. Probably the most important innovation of television was the introduction of cable T.V., television broadcasting, sitcoms and talk shows. Television went though many changes in its younger years. The way T.V. Developed in the early years is the foundation for what we watched now days. Transitory radios became very popular in the fact that Music could be heard in any location because it was now portable. Still T.V. Innovations were what the 1950s were all about from a technology and the birth of the T.V. show.
Life in the 1950’s was a time of prosperity for the United States of America. This was the time of baby boomers, many civil rights movements, the terrifying cold war, as well as a much improved economy due to the outcomes of World War II. An incredible innovation was introduced in 1951, the color television;
Many of the technological advancements in entertainment helped people live a much happier and exciting life. The television was wanted by almost every average American family in this decade and overwhelmed millions of baby-boomer children who’s relationship with TV has influenced the United States’ culture and politics. Television
Many mass construction projects in the history of the United States have had a major impact on the economy and culture; however, not many of these have had as large as an impact as the Interstate Highway Act of 1956. The Interstate Highway Act revolutionized the way that we think about highways today. The act created an extremely easy mode of transportation for people across the country. Not only was the Interstate Highway Act extremely helpful in making rural and urban transportation for normal people, but it also helped commercial businesses in increasing sales across the country. These businesses were now able to transport their goods cheaper and faster. The Interstate Highway Act was tremendously beneficial in regards to its economic, social, and cultural significance. The legislation was significant economically in the way that it promoted business and cut travel costs, it was significant socially in the way that it allowed people to see friends and family even if they did not live close, and it was significant culturally in the way that it allowed people to move out to the country for low costs in order to live a happier life.
As early as the 1870’s, the American public started putting all their work and effort into the growth and development of only a few industries like the Automobile industry. The
The 1950s in America was a time that was peaceful; five years after winning World War II, America established themselves as a power country. Society was optimistic; soldiers were coming back from war to start their new jobs, families getting new homes and the baby boom is about to begin. American industries expanded and people began to get products that were not available to them during the war. Televisions were coming up in family households and becoming a main staple in America. Coca- Cola was in the golden age of their product. With growth of televisions in homes, Coca- Cola began making advertisements that featured relaxing, and being comfortable on the television, billboards and magazines which appealed to America. Even though America recently came out of war, America was headed into another one called the Cold War against the Soviet Union that lasted until the late 80’s. The 1950’s was a time of feel good in America and there are many reasons why it was including Coca- Cola, sports and breaking down racial barriers.
The bureaucratization of business in the 1920’s meant that more people could be employed in higher paying white-collar jobs than before, including, for the first time, housewives. This new income combined with the reduced prices for goods that resulted from mechanized production, assembly lines and a general decrease in the cost of technology created a thriving consumerist middle class that went on to fuel the economy in all sectors, especially the upper classes. Likewise, during World War II Americans saved up around 150 billion dollars, and this sum combined with the income of the GI Bill allowed normal people to buy expensive things, from houses to cars to electronics to education at a rapid rate, fueling the trademark prosperity of the 1950’s. The new automobile culture of the 50’s spawned new businesses that catered to mobile Americans, such as nicer and more standardized hotels like Holiday Inn, and drive-up restaurants like McDonalds. Just as the culture of the 1920’s was transformed by modernist ideas, the world of the 1950’s was reinvigorated by the introduction of the automobile to the middle class....
Television influenced people’s lives like no other phenomenon of its time in the 1950’s. Culture and politics was effected by the 1950’s through television programming as shows changed how people viewed the world, commercials stimulated the growth of both new and old products and news could be seen and not just read in the newspapers. When television first came on the scene, it was considered a toy for the wealthy but by the 1950’s most homes had a television as their new form of entertainment. Families changed their routines so they could gather together to watch their favorite television program. As television brought information and entertainment into homes, the world became smaller as people watched the same programs at the same time
Television became widely marketed across the nation. In 1949, consumers were buying 250,000 sets a month, and by 1960, three-quarters of all American families owned at least one set. This set in motion an industry that is still popular today. Shows like Howdy Doody Time, The Mickey Mouse Club, I Love Lucy, and Father Knows Best captivated audience nationwide on a weekly basis. Along with new television shows, American were being exposed to increasingly sophisticated advertisements for products “necessary for the good life.” Americans also felt the need to catch up on subjects like science, technology, and education. In 1957, when the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite launched into orbit, Americans and the government felt the need to invest in education. Suburban parents approved ninety percent of proposed school bond issues during the 1950s. The new middle class was also America’s first college-educated generation. With an increase in funding and value, more and more students began attending college. Church also surged in the postwar years. Membership rose from 50 percent in the 1940s to 63 percent in 1960. Suburban families valued the church’s role in promoting family togetherness and social
People increasingly bought new television sets as they became more affordable after the war, and by the end of the 1950s, ninety percent of American households owned a television. People watched news networks, educational programs, sporting events and entertainment shows, but most importantly, they watched series that illustrated the new American standard. Shows such as Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best display the well-off, suburban, and happy white families that spread the idea that living a life of affluence was the normal and best way to live in America. These shows also portrayed the ‘ideal woman’ of the mother and housewife who stays at home, as well as avoided thought-provoking programs that criticized American society, as they would cause accusations and controversy. Another extremely important invention that shaped society were new and improved automobiles. The new usage of synthetic rubber created a better alternative to using hard to find natural rubber, which helped manufacture tires. With increased wealth and consumers ready to buy, companies consistently produced millions of cars, each new model with improved features that would symbolize status in the 1950s. The new car led to new industries and entertainment for American families, such as drive-in restaurants, drive-in movie theaters, and the ability to take a nice ‘cruise’ out on the country with friends or family. The television provided a source of entertainment for American families, as well as displayed social norms that shaped society. The car allowed for increased travel and created new sources of entertainment, as well as contributed to the affluent society of the 1950s. These inventions greatly affected the daily lives of Americans who now spent indoors watching shows and outdoors in
The 1920s exploded with fast paced and lively creativity and culture that influence the world, yet no invention affected American everyday life in the 20th century more than the automobile. The rapidly growing automobile industry led by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Increased wages and lower cost vehicles made possible through mass production meant that cars became increasingly affordable, although 3 out of 4 cars were bought on installment plans. Company produced new and better models every year to supply the insatiable public demand( http://www.1920-30.com). With, automobiles it made it easier for people to go place to place, it also was affordable for the people to buy. The automobiles were easy to make because of the assembly line in that
With improvements to broadcasting technologies and greater access by more families, television was now in more homes in the 1960’s, bringing news, advertising, and family comedy shows to the nation. Moreover, the influence on social aspects of people’s live was apparent when it came to depicting women and their gender roles through acting. Consequently, television played another role regarding social dynamics thus, showing the realities of civil rights and the horrors of war. Additionally, television brought the political candidates to the forefront and had a strong influence on the American people’s political ideologies, as the first ever presidential debate aired on television. Finally, television aided the economy by waging advertising campaigns that convinced consumers to purchase their products. Coupled with consumer’s extra income contributing to a strong economy, despite the slightly high unemployment rates. As can be seen, television played a key role in the social, political, and economic culture in the 1950’s and
Up until 1935, televisions were not electric as they are today. They were mechanical, powered by a small motor with a spinning disc and a neon lamp. The picture projected was very small, sometimes half the size of a business card, and only showed shades of orange and red. From 1935 up until World War II, the electric television was perfected and made ready for public distribution. The electric television provided a much larger, clearer screen with a full range of colors. In 1948-1949, during the post-WWII spending craze, the television became a must-have item for every American family, bringing a world of information and entertainment into living rooms across the country and changing the way Americans viewed many things.