"The postwar years were the most affluent in American history. Salaries rose in the 1950s, and by 1960, the Gross National Product had more than doubled in comparison to 1940. By 1962 median family income reached $5,700, and the average college graduate earned $7,260 annually. This meant that many more American families joined the middle class and were able to raise larger families, become homeowners, and purchase a growing range of consumer products. Of those products, the automobile and television brought the most change to family life." ("Family and Daily Life")
Television"In 1950 only 10 percent of Americans owned televisions, and 38 percent had never even seen a TV program. By 1950 there were 98 television stations and four million TV sets in the United States. Television was quickly becoming part of daily life; and by 1952 1,000 new appliance stores were opening each month to meet the demand" ("Family and Daily Life). In the 1950s television was just beginning to take off. The television stations did not broadcast all day and only 10 percent of Americans actually owned a television set. But, growing technology added to the advancements of the television, which is a very common household item today.
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Advertisements"Manufacturers were quick to see the advantage of television-related products and began offering a plethora of items" and "By 1959 sales from products advertised on Saturday morning television were recorded at $75 million per year" ("Family and Daily Life"). Companies took notice to the way that television sets had been interesting Americans. The times began to shift as companies used commercials for advertising, and manufacturers adjusted their products to be more television-related.
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Baby Boom/Expansion of Products Produced"No twentieth-century demographic phenomenon in the developed countries has attracted greater attention than the "baby boom"–the sustained post–World War II fertility increases in many developed countries that produced large birth cohorts from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s" (Morgan).
As men returned home from war they were reunited with their loved ones and saw opportunities for expansion of their families. This was one of the leading causes of the baby boom. Another cause came from the fact that during war people had been saving money so upon the return of military men they had money to spend and could afford to support a family. The increase in birth rate from 1940-1960 is clearly shown in the graph below. With more children being born, a change in industry took place in terms of toys and an industrial focus on children. |
Two-income Families "The decision for women to work was very often economically based. Women were working to purchase extra items for the children or a larger house. Women were also working to help provide financial security that the experience of the Great Depression caused them to doubt. The 1950s were the decade when consumerism established its hold on America—which it has never lost since. That consumerism was financed, in part, by women working." ("The Two-Income Family")
After the experience of the Great Depression people became less confident in financial stability. As a result of this more women went into the work force. Although they were not allowed to do all jobs, women took opportunities as they became available. Other women worked so they were able to purchase more items for their children or families. More people were needed all around in the workforce due to the fact that the toy industry was growing as the size of families and income increased. |
More Money Spent Leading to First Credit Card
"Department stores first introduced the charge card in the 1920s, usually in the form of a small metal plate imprinted with the customer's name. These “charge plates” inspired loyalty to the store that issued them because they could only be used at that store" (Pendergast). "But, McNamara's Diners Club card (originally made of paper) would be accepted by many different businesses, like restaurants and travel and retail outlets" ("Credit Card"). Groups began to follow the idea of the credit card and enjoyed being able to pay for their purchases at a later point in time. 1958 is when both BankAmericard (Visa) and American Express made advances and came out with the first plastic credit cards. Credit cards allowed for even greater amounts of spending, which boosted the economy and industry of the time.
Works Cited
"Credit Card." American History 44.6 (2010): 17. U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.
"Family and Daily Life." Life In America Online. Infobase Publishing. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
Morgan, S. Philip. "Baby Boom, Post–World War II." Encyclopedia of Population. Ed. Paul Demeny and Geoffrey McNicoll. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. 73-77. U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.
Pendergast, Sara, et al. "1950s: Commerce." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms:Pop Culture of 20th- and 21st-Century America. Ed. Cynthia Johnson and Lawrence W. Baker. 2nd ed. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: U*X*L, 2012. 707-720.U.S. History In Context. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
"The Two-Income Family." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 6: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 343-346. U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.
"Family and Daily Life." Life In America Online. Infobase Publishing. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
Morgan, S. Philip. "Baby Boom, Post–World War II." Encyclopedia of Population. Ed. Paul Demeny and Geoffrey McNicoll. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. 73-77. U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.
Pendergast, Sara, et al. "1950s: Commerce." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms:Pop Culture of 20th- and 21st-Century America. Ed. Cynthia Johnson and Lawrence W. Baker. 2nd ed. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: U*X*L, 2012. 707-720.U.S. History In Context. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
"The Two-Income Family." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 6: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 343-346. U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.
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