Mccurdy Us History Ch. 20 The Postwar Years At Home 1945-1960

Front 1

During the years following World War II the U.S. embarked on one of its greatest periods of ___________.

Back 1

economic expansion

Front 2

During the postwar years, the Gross National Product of the United States more than ________.

Back 2

doubled

Front 3

GNP

Back 3

Gross National Product

Front 4

The total amount of goods and services produced by a national economy.

Back 4

GNP

Front 5

From 1945 to 1960 the per capita income nearly ______________.

Back 5

doubled

Front 6

The average income per person.

Back 6

per capita income

Front 7

A giant corporation that invests in a wide range of businesses that produce different kinds of goods and services.

Back 7

conglomerate

Front 8

A corporation made up of three or more unrelated businesses.

Back 8

conglomerate

Front 9

Gives a group or individual the right to market a company's goods or services.

Back 9

franchise

Front 10

A business that contracts to offer certain goods and services from a larger parent company.

Back 10

franchise

Front 11

Many unique stores, with ties to the local community, were replaced as a result of the __________

Back 11

franchise system

Front 12

Two business systems or strategies that contributed to a major expansion of business in the 1950s.

Back 12

conglomerates and franchises

Front 13

In 1955, the average American family watched television _________.

Back 13

four to five hours a day

Front 14

In the early days of television many programs were broadcast __________.

Back 14

live

Front 15

Advertisements on this new medium helped spur economic growth in the post war years.

Back 15

Television

Front 16

A 1950s technological innovation furthered by research during World War II.

Back 16

the computer

Front 17

Computer use became much more widespread in the 1950s mainly because they became _____.

Back 17

smaller and faster

Front 18

Term introduced by Grace Hopper, when she removed a moth that had become caught in a relay switch that caused a large computer to shut down.

Back 18

debugging

Front 19

Ridding a computer of program errors.

Back 19

debugging

Front 20

A tiny circuit that improved the transmission of electronic signals.

Back 20

transistor

Front 21

A tiny circuit device that amplifies, controls, and generates electrical signals.

Back 21

transistor

Front 22

One of its major impacts was to reduce the size of electronic appliances.

Back 22

transistor

Front 23

Doctor who developed the vaccine against polio. (first successful field test 1954)

Back 23

Jonas Salk

Front 24

Penicillin and others were developed before World War II, but during the 1950s, doctors discovered more of these drugs including ones that were effective against penicillin-resistant bacteria.

Back 24

antibiotics

Front 25

Business expansion after World War II resulted in a shift in the work force from ____________.

Back 25

blue-collar to white collar jobs

Front 26

By 1956 more Americans held _________ than __________ jobs.

Back 26

white-collar blue-collar

Front 27

Some people believed that white-collar workers were less connected with products and services their companies provided and were more likely to ___________.

Back 27

conform in their behavior

Front 28

The high birth rate that started during World War II and continued after the war was over.

Back 28

baby boom

Front 29

It began in the mid 1940s, during World War II and peaked in 1957.

Back 29

baby boom

Front 30

One result of the baby boom was families moving from the _____________.

Back 30

cities to the suburbs

Front 31

It was passed by Congress in 1944 to give World War II veterans benefits like college tuition and low-interest mortgage loans.

Back 31

GI Bill of Rights

Front 32

Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.

Back 32

GI Bill of Rights (or GI Bill)

Front 33

Law that provided fuel for the postwar economic boom and the modern middle class lifestyle that developed in during the 1950s.

Back 33

GI Bill of Rights

Front 34

Developer who mass-produced new communities in the suburbs.

Back 34

William J. Levitt

Front 35

William J. Levitt contributed to the growth of suburbs by _____________________.

Back 35

mass-producing houses

Front 36

Name William Levitt gave to his new communities.

Back 36

Levittown's

Front 37

Following their customers many stores moved from the cities to _______.

Back 37

shopping centers in the suburbs

Front 38

Because many people moved beyond the reach of the public transportation systems they became more dependent upon _____.

Back 38

cars

Front 39

From 1948 to 1958, passenger car sales increased by more than __________.

Back 39

50%

Front 40

The increase in the number of cars created a need for better roads and resulted in the 1956 _______.

Back 40

Interstate Highway Act

Front 41

Provided $25 billion to build an interstate highway system more than 40,000 miles long.

Back 41

Interstate Highway Act

Front 42

Inspired the development of many new businesses, including: gas stations, repair shops, parts stores, drive in movies and restaurants.

Back 42

the car culture

Front 43

One long-lasting effect of the major highway-building projects of the 1950s was less reliance on the _________________.

Back 43

public transportation system

Front 44

Eager to cash in on the increasing number of cars on the roads gasoline companies began offering ___________.

Back 44

credit cards

Front 45

They became a popular means of purchasing things because of their ease and convenience.

Back 45

credit cards

Front 46

Just like installment plans in the 1920s, credit cards introduced in the 1950s encouraged consumers to purchase beyond their ____________.

Back 46

means

Front 47

After the years of depression and war, many Americans were searching for ____.

Back 47

security

Front 48

In the 1950s Americans placed the greatest value in ________.

Back 48

comfort and security

Front 49

Name given to the youth of the 1950s.

Back 49

"silent generation"

Front 50

In the 1950s they seemed to have little interest in the problems and crisis in the larger world.

Back 50

"silent generation"

Front 51

Members of the "Silent Generation" chose to pursue ________________.

Back 51

entertainment and fun

Front 52

The popularity of Billy Graham in the 1950s reflected a new interest in ___________.

Back 52

religion

Front 53

The renewed interest in religion in the 1950s was partially a response to the Cold War's struggle against ___________.

Back 53

"godless communism"

Front 54

In 1954 what words were added to the Pledge of Allegiance?

Back 54

"under God"

Front 55

In 1955 Congress required what phrase to appear on all American currency?

Back 55

"In God We Trust"

Front 56

Americans in the post-World War II years were keenly aware of the roles that they were expected to play as _____________.

Back 56

men and women

Front 57

Making important decisions, supporting their families financially, and going to school were all parts of _______________.

Back 57

men's roles during the 1950s

Front 58

During the 1950s most American women were expected to be ____________.

Back 58

full-time homemakers

Front 59

Were expected to manage the household by American society in the 1950s.

Back 59

women

Front 60

Pediatrician who wrote a highly influential book on child care.

Back 60

Benjamin Spock

Front 61

Pediatrician and child care advisor who believed women should stay at home with their children.

Back 61

Benjamin Spock

Front 62

Critics of Dr. Spock's child care advice believed it was too __________.

Back 62

permissive

Front 63

In spite of the traditional roles that were expected many of THEM had enjoyed working outside the home during WWII and were reluctant to give up their good jobs.

Back 63

women

Front 64

More of them held paying jobs in the 1950s than ever before.

Back 64

women

Front 65

The number of married women working outside of the home rose from _____________.

Back 65

24% in 1950 to 31% in 1960

Front 66

Author of The Feminine Mystique.

Back 66

Betty Friedan

Front 67

Woman's rights advocate who believed that the culture wrongfully forced women into staying at home and caring for children.

Back 67

Betty Friedan

Front 68

Films like "Rebel Without a Cause" and books like "The Catcher in the Rye," reflected the alienation of many of America's youth in the 1950s and their desire to resist the pressure to ______.

Back 68

conform

Front 69

Popular music combining elements of rhythm and blues, gospel music, and country and western music, and known for its strong beat and urgent lyrics.

Back 69

rock 'n' roll

Front 70

Gave young people in the 1950s a music style that they could call their own.

Back 70

Rock 'n' roll

Front 71

Disc jockey who first used the term rock 'n' roll to describe the new style of music emerging in the 1950s.

Back 71

Alan Freed

Front 72

Literary movement of the 1950s that rejected uniform middle-class culture and sought to overturn the sexual and social conservatism of the period.

Back 72

beat movement

Front 73

Counter-cultural group of the 1950s that promoted spontaneity over conformity.

Back 73

beatniks

Front 74

Counter-cultural group of the 1950s that rebelled against conformity and traditional social patterns.

Back 74

beatniks

Front 75

Considered the spiritual leader of the Beat Generation.

Back 75

Jack Kerouac

Front 76

Author of "On the Road."

Back 76

Jack Kerouac

Front 77

Another name for the Beat Generation.

Back 77

beatniks

Front 78

The resurgence of religion and the rise of rock-and-roll were examples of _____________.

Back 78

disparate trends in the 1950s

Front 79

The social and economic transition to peacetime after war.

Back 79

reconversion

Front 80

When the government lifted price controls after the war, prices rose _____________.

Back 80

faster than wages

Front 81

One of the greatest challenges that President Truman faced in reconverting to a peacetime economy was keeping _______________.

Back 81

inflation in check

Front 82

Although Truman agreed that workers deserved higher wages, he thought their demands were ______________.

Back 82

inflationary

Front 83

When a railroad strike disrupted the economy in 1946, President Truman attempted to _____.

Back 83

draft the striking workers into the army

Front 84

This law was passed by Congress in 1947 to restrict labor strikes that threatened the national interest.

Back 84

Taft-Hartley Act

Front 85

The Taft-Hartley Act was a piece of anti _____________________.

Back 85

labor legislation

Front 86

The Taft-Hartley Act was passed over Truman's ____.

Back 86

veto

Front 87

Truman's plan which extended Roosevelt's New Deal goals.

Back 87

The Fair Deal

Front 88

A higher minimum wage, national health insurance, and housing assistance were all parts of Truman's ________.

Back 88

Fair Deal goals

Front 89

In the 1946 mid-term elections Republicans won majorities in both ___________.

Back 89

houses of congress

Front 90

Area where Truman found opposition throughout his presidency.

Back 90

civil rights

Front 91

Truman attempted to make progress in civil rights but was consistently blocked by __________.

Back 91

congress

Front 92

Progress in the area of civil rights was made difficult because of the coalition between Republicans and _______.

Back 92

Southern Democrats

Front 93

He banned discrimination in the hiring of federal employees and ordered the armed forces to end segregation and discrimination.

Back 93

Harry Truman

Front 94

It did not appear that Harry Truman had much chance to win reelection in 1948 because he had lost support in his ____________.

Back 94

own party

Front 95

Southern segregationists split off from the Democratic party in 1948 forming the States' Rights or __________.

Back 95

Dixiecrat Party

Front 96

Dixiecrat Party nominee for the presidency in 1948.

Back 96

Strom Thurmond

Front 97

Truman also lost the support of the liberal wing of the Democratic party which supported Henry Wallace on the ticket of the ______.

Back 97

Progressive Party

Front 98

Truman's Republican opponent in 1948.

Back 98

Thomas Dewey

Front 99

Even though Truman won the election of 1948 and the Democrats won control of congress Truman had only occasional successes implementing his _____.

Back 99

Fair Deal goals

Front 100

Adopted in 1951, it limited the President to two terms in office.

Back 100

Twenty-second Amendment

Front 101

Democratic Candidate for President in 1952 & 1956.

Back 101

Adlai Stevenson

Front 102

President who was the former commander-in-chief of the Allied forces.

Back 102

Dwight Eisenhower

Front 103

Eisenhower's vice presidential running mate.

Back 103

Richard Nixon

Front 104

His formula for victory in the Presidential election of 1952 focused on: Korea, communism, and corruption.

Back 104

Dwight Eisenhower

Front 105

President Eisenhower's conservative approach to government.

Back 105

Modern Republicanism

Front 106

"dynamic conservatism"

Back 106

Modern Republicanism

Front 107

Cutting spending, reducing taxes, and balancing the budget.

Back 107

Modern Republicanism

Front 108

Eisenhower said he intended to be "conservative when it comes to money, and liberal when it comes to ___________."

Back 108

human beings

Front 109

Eisenhower endorsed a military strategy of relying on nuclear weapons, rather than more costly ______________.

Back 109

conventional armies

Front 110

Eisenhower and his administration supported _____.

Back 110

big business

Front 111

Because he favored big business President Eisenhower's domestic policy reflected his Republican predecessors _____________.

Back 111

Coolidge & Hoover

Front 112

The 1957 event that caused Congress to increase spending on teaching science and mathematics.

Back 112

launching of Sputnik

Front 113

Was an act designed to improve science and mathematics in schools.

Back 113

National Defense Education Act

Front 114

In response to Sputnik the U.S. government created an independent agency for space exploration ____.

Back 114

NASA

Front 115

NASA

Back 115

National Aeronautics and Space Administration