Topic: Social Transformations in the United States

A period of post-war prosperity allowed the United States to undergo fundamental social change. Adding to this change was an emphasis on scientific inquiry, the shift from an industrial to a technological/service economy, the impact of mass media, the phenomenon of suburban and Sun Belt migrations, and the expansion of civil rights.

Content Statement: The postwar economic boom, greatly affected by advances in science, produced epic changes in American life.

Content Statement: The continuing population flow from cities to suburbs, the internal migrations from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt and the increase in immigration resulting from passage of the 1965 Immigration Act have had social and political effects

Expectations for Learning: Describe how American life in the postwar period was impacted by the postwar economic boom and by advances in science.

Expectations for Learning: Analyze the social and political effects of the continuing population flow from cities to suburbs, the internal migrations from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt, and the increase in immigration resulting from passage of the 1965 Immigration Act

Content Elaboration: The United States experienced an era of unprecedented prosperity and economic growth following WWII. Contributing to this prosperity was public demand for goods and services. The demand for housing and automobile ownership spurred the growth of suburbs. Economic opportunities in defense plants and high-tech industries led to the growth of the Sunbelt.

Content Elaboration: Postwar prosperity produced some other epic changes (e.g., baby boom, increased consumerism, increased mobility via automobiles, pop culture, franchising, and longer lifespans.

I. After WWII endedI. After WWII ended Baby boom: a large amount of babies were born Baby boom: a large amount of babies were born

in the years after WWII. This increased our in the years after WWII. This increased our population by 13%population by 13%

Demand for goods and services went up = good Demand for goods and services went up = good for economy. for economy.

Consumerism--Consumerism--the belief that it is good for people to spend a lot of money on goods and services

Demand for housing went up = good for economyDemand for housing went up = good for economy Demand for automobiles went up = good for Demand for automobiles went up = good for

economyeconomy

I. Many began moving from the “Rustbelt” to the “Sunbelt”1. Rustbelt

MidwestSteel and heavy industryCold weather

2. SunbeltWeather was betterJobs at defense plantsJobs at high-tech industries

**This shift in population also shifted the political power in Congress. Seats in the House of Reps were taken away from Rustbelt states and given to Sunbelt states

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1. Move to the suburbs—all made possible because of the emergence of the automobile and better roads1950: 35% lived in central cities; 27% in the suburbs1970: 31% lived in central cities; 37% in the suburbsGood: lawns, neighborhoods, gardensBad: traffic jams, suburban sprawl

Social and political effects of this shiftCities—poorer and Democrats. No jobs and decaying environment.Suburbs—richer and Republicans

2. Franchising--the right to sell a company's goods or services in a particular area

3. Pop culture: is the entirety of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early 21st century. Click on the link: Popular culture after WWII

1. Medicine: A. Polio vaccineB. Birth control pillC. Artificial heart valveD. Open-heart bypassE. Organ TransplantF. Genetic Engineering

2. CommunicationA. TransistorB. TelevisionC. ComputersD. InternetE. Mobile Phones

3. Nuclear EnergyA. Atomic weaponsB. Nuclear Power Plants

4. TransportationA. Passenger Jet AirplanesB. Catalytic converters in cars

SUMMARYThe Hart-Cellar Act abolished the national origins quota system that had structured American immigration policy since the 1920s, replacing it with a preference system that focused on immigrants' skills and family relationships with citizens or residents of the U.S. Numerical restrictions on visas were set at 170,000 per year, not including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, nor "special immigrants" (including those born in "independent" nations in the Western hemisphere; former citizens; ministers; employees of the U.S. government abroad).Allowed for immigrants to come from Asia, Africa, and Latin AmericaResults

Hispanics became fastest growing minority in U.S.Spanish language mediaFunding for bilingual education programsWho would these new immigrants vote for?

After World War II, the shift of population in the United States

A. went from the Sunbelt to the RustbeltB. went from the Rustbelt to the SunbeltC. did not change

Which advancement in the 1950s – 1970s allowed for the increased growth of the suburbs?

A. new combines and tractors B. computersC. the automobileD. skyscrapers

_____ The passing of the 1965 Immigration Act allowed for more immigrants to come from

A. Canada and MexicoB. Western EuropeC. Eastern EuropeD. Asia, Africa, and Latin America