____________________________________________________

AMERICAN HISTORY
CHAPTER 19
WORKBOOK:
THE POST WAR BOOMS
____________________________________________________
Name Class Date
The Postwar Boom
Section 1
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
267 Guided Reading Workbook
Postwar America
READJUSTMENT AND RECOVERY
(Pages 634636)
!"# did the end of WorId War II
affect America?
AIter World War II, millions oI
returning veterans used the GI Bill of
Rights to get an education and to buy
homes. At Iirst, there was a terrible
housing shortage. Then developers such as
William Levitt built thousands oI
inexpensive homes in the suburbs, small
residential communities near the cities.
Many veterans and their Iamilies
moved in.
The United States changed Irom a
wartime to a peacetime economy. AIter
the war, many deIense workers were laid
oII. Returning veterans added to
unemployment. When wartime price
controls ended, prices shot up. Congress
eventually put back economic controls on
wages, prices, and rents.
The economy began to improve on its
own. There was a huge pent-up demand Ior
consumer goods. People had been too poor to
buy these goods during the Depression.
Many items had not been available during the
war. Now Americans bought cars and
appliances and houses. The Cold War
increased deIense spending and employment.
1. What were three eIIects oI the end oI
World War II on American society?


MEETING ECONOMIC
CHALLENGES; SOCIAL UNREST
PERSISTS (Pages 636639)
$%&' were postwar probIems?
President Harry S. Truman Iaced a
number oI problems immediately aIter the
war. One was labor unrest. In 1946, a
Terms and Names
GI BiII of Rights Law that provided Iinancial and educational beneIits Ior World War II
veterans
suburb Residential town or community near a city
Harry S. Truman President aIter World War II
Dixiecrat Southern Democrat who leIt the party
Fair DeaI President Truman`s economic and social program
Before You Read
In the last section, you read about the developments in the Cold War at
home and abroad. In this section, you will read about the economic
boom in the United States aIter World War II.
As You Read
Use a time line to take notes on the key events in postwar America.
Name Class Date
Section 1, !"#$%#&'(
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268 Guided Reading Workbook
steel-workers` strike was Iollowed by a
coal miners` strike. In addition, the
railroad unions threatened to stop all rail
traIIic in the nation.
Truman was pro-labor. But he would
not let strikes cripple the nation. He
threatened to draIt striking workers into
the army and then order them back to
work. The unions gave in.
During this time, beIore the economy
turned around, many Americans were
disgusted with shortages, rising inIlation,
and strikes. Voters became more
conservative. In the 1946 election,
conservative Republicans gained control
oI Congress.
AIter the war, there was racial violence
in the South. AIrican-American veterans
demanded their rights as citizens. Truman
met with AIrican-American leaders. They
asked Ior a Iederal anti-lynching law, an
end to the poll tax, and a commission to
prevent discrimination in hiring.
Truman put his career on the line Ior
civil rights. But Congress would not pass
any oI his civil rights measures. Finally,
Truman acted on his own. In 1948, he
issued an executive order to desegregate
the armed Iorces. He also ordered an end
to discrimination in hiring government
employees.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that
AIrican Americans could not be kept Irom
living in certain neighborhoods. These
acts marked the beginning oI a Iederal
commitment to deal with racial issues.
Truman was nominated Ior president in
1948. He insisted on a strong civil rights
plank in the Democratic Party platIorm.
This split the party. Many Southern
Democrats leIt the Democratic Party.
These Dixiecrats were against civil rights.
They wanted to preserve the 'Southern
way oI liIe. They Iormed the States`
Rights Party. Some liberals leIt the
Democratic Party to Iorm the Progressive
Party.
It didn`t look like Truman could win.
But he took his ideas to the people. He
criticized the 'do-nothing Congress.
Truman won a narrow victory. Democrats
took control oI Congress.
Truman tried to pass economic and
social reIorms. He called his program the
Fair Deal. Health insurance and a crop-
subsidy program Ior Iarmers were both
deIeated by Congress. But an increase in
the minimum wage, extension oI Social
Security, and Iinancial aid Ior cities
passed.
2. What were some issues Truman Iought
Ior?


REPUBLICANS TAKE THE MIDDLE
ROAD (Pages 639640)
!"# did Eisenhower win?
Truman did not run Ior reelection in
1952. The big issues oI that campaign
were (1) the stalemate in the Korean War,
(2) anti-Communist hysteria and
McCarthyism, (3) the growing power oI
the Iederal government, (4) strikes, and
(5) inIlation. Voters wanted a change. The
Republicans nominated war hero General
Dwight D. Eisenhower. He easily beat
Democrat Adlai Stevenson.
Eisenhower was a low-key president
with middle-oI-the-road policies. He did
have to deal with one controversial
issuecivil rights. In 1954, the Supreme
Court ruled in Brown v. Board of
Education that public schools could not be
segregated. Eisenhower believed that the
Iederal government should not be involved
in desegregation. But he upheld the law.
When the governor oI Arkansas tried to
Name Class Date
Section 1, !"#$%#&'(
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!"# Guided Reading Workbook
keep AIrican-American students out oI a
white high school, Eisenhower sent Iederal
troops to integrate the school.
The America oI the mid-1950s was a
place oI 'peace, progress, and prosperity.
Eisenhower won a landslide reelection in
1956.
3. What two important civil rights
actions occurred during Eisenhower`s
presidency?



Name Class Date
Section 1, !"#$%#&'(
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
!"# Guided Reading Workbook
As you read this section, describe the solutions oIIered to deal with
postwar problems.

1. ProbIem: MiIIions of veterans thrown out of work as they return to civiIian Iife
Solution offered by the Truman
administration and Congress


2. ProbIem: Severe housing shortage
Solution offered by developers
such as William Levitt

Solutions offered by Congress
under the Truman and
Eisenhower administrations


3. ProbIem: Runaway infIation
Solution offered by the Truman
administration and Congress


4. ProbIem: Labor strikes that threaten to crippIe the nation
Solution offered by the Truman
administration


5. ProbIem: Discrimination and raciaI vioIence
Solutions offered during the
Truman administration

Name Class Date
The Postwar Boom
Section 2
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!"# Guided Reading Workbook
$%& ()&*+,-. /*&-)
+. 0%& 1+20+&3
THE ORGANIZATION AND
THE ORGANIZATION MAN
(Pages 641643)
!"#$ changes took pIace in the
American workpIace in the 1950s?
The economy grew rapidly in the
1950s. By 1956, more Americans were
white-collar workers in oIIices than were
in blue-collar Iactory jobs. White-collar
workers were paid better. They usually
worked in service industries, such as sales
and communications.
Businesses also expanded. They
Iormed ,4.564)&*-0&37 or major
corporations that own smaller companies
in unrelated industries. Other businesses
expanded by Iranchising. A 2*-.,%+3& is a
company that oIIers similar products or
services in many locations, such as Iast-
Iood restaurants.
These large companies oIIered well-
paying, secure jobs to certain kinds oI
workers. These workers were conIormists,
or team players. They were 'company
people who would Iit in and not rock the
boat. Businesses rewarded loyalty rather
than creativity. They promoted a
sameness, or standardization, oI people as
well as products. Books such as !"#
%&'()*+(,*-) .() and !"# .() *) ,"#
/&(0 12())#2 34*, criticized this
conIormity.
Terms and Names
congIomerate Major corporation that owns smaller companies in unrelated industries
franchise Company that oIIers similar products or services in many locations
baby boom Soaring birthrate Irom 1946 to 1964
Dr. Jonas SaIk Developer oI a vaccine to prevent polio
consumerism Excessive concern with buying material goods
pIanned obsoIescence Purposely making products to become outdated or wear out
quickly
Before You Read
In the last section, you read about the postwar boom in the United
States. In this section, you will read how many Americans achieved their
dreams oI material comIort and prosperity, but some Iound the cost oI
conIormity too high.
As You Read
Use a chart to take notes on speciIic goals that characterized the
American Dream Ior suburbanites oI the 1950s.
Name Class Date
Section 2, !"#$%#&'(
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
!"! Guided Reading Workbook
1. What changes occurred in the
American work Iorce and workplace
in the 1950s?


THE SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE
(Pages 643645)
!"#$ was Iife Iike in the 1950s?
Many Americans enjoyed the beneIits
oI the booming economy. Many worked in
cities but lived in suburbs. They had the
American dream oI a single-Iamily home,
good schools, and a saIe neighborhood
with people just like themselves.
There was an increase in births called
the #$#% #''() It was caused by the
reuniting oI Iamilies aIter the war and
growing prosperity. Medical advances also
wiped out childhood diseases. *+) ,'-$.
/$01 developed a vaccine to prevent polio.
Polio had killed or crippled 58,000
children a year.
The baby boom created a need Ior more
schools and products Ior children.
Suburban Iamily liIe revolved around
children. Many parents depended on advice
Irom a popular baby-care book by Dr.
Benjamin Spock. He said it was important
that mothers stay at home with their
children. The role oI homemaker and
mother was also gloriIied in the media. But
many women Ielt alone and bored at home.
By 1960, 40 percent oI mothers worked
outside the home. But their career
opportunities usually were limited to
'women`s Iields. These included
secretarial work, nursing, and teaching.
Even iI women did the same work as men,
they were paid less.
Americans had more leisure time. They
spent time and money on leisure activities,
such as sports. They also watched sports on
television and read books and magazines.
Youth activities, such as Scouts and Little
League, became popular too.
2. What was liIe like in the suburbs in
the 1950s?


THE AUTOMOBILE CULTURE
(Pages 646647)
!"% were cars so important?
Easy credit Ior buying cars and cheap
gasoline led to a boom in automobile
ownership. In the 1950s, the number oI
American cars on the road grew Irom 40
to 60 million.
A car was a necessity in the suburbs.
There was no public transportation. People
needed to drive to their jobs in the cities.
They also had to drive to shop and do
errands. ThereIore, more and better roads
were also needed. In 1956, the United
States began building a nationwide
highway network. In turn, these roads
allowed long-distance trucking. This led to
a decline in the railroads.
Americans loved to drive. They went
to drive-in restaurants and movies. They
drove long distances on vacation. Motels
and shopping malls were built to serve
them. These new industries were good
Ior the economy. But the increase in
driving also caused problems. These
included stressIul traIIic jams and air
pollution. Many white people leIt the
cities. Jobs and industries Iollowed.
This leIt mostly poor people in crowded
inner cities.
3. How did cars change American liIe?


Name Class Date
Section 2, !"#$%#&'(
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273 Guided Reading Workbook
CONSUMERISM UNBOUND
(Pages 648649)
!"# did Americans turn to
consumerism in the 1950s?
By the mid-1950s, nearly 60 percent oI
Americans were in the middle class. They
had the money to buy more and more
products. They measured success by their
consumerism, or the amount oI material
goods they bought.
American business Ilooded stores with
new products. Consumers had money to
spend and leisure time. They bought
household appliances like washing
machines, dryers, and dishwashers, and
recreational items such as television sets,
barbecue grills, and swimming pools.
ManuIacturers also tried a new
marketing strategy called planned
obsolescence. They purposely made
products to become outdated or to wear
out quickly. Americans began to throw
away items in order to buy 'new models.
Easy credit, including the introduction oI
credit cards, encouraged people to buy.
Private debt grew.
The 1950s were 'the advertising age.
Ads were everywhereeven on the new
medium oI television. They tried to
persuade Americans to buy things they
didn`t need. They appealed to people`s
desire Ior status and Ior a sense oI
belonging.
4. How was consumerism encouraged in
the 1950s?



Name Class Date
Section 2, !"#$%#&'(
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
!"# Guided Reading Workbook
As you read this section, write notes about how Americans were aIIected
by various trends oI the 1950s.

Trends Effects


1. Business expansion:
conglomerates and
Iranchises






2. Suburban expansion: Ilight
Irom the cities





3. Population growth:
the baby boom





4. Dramatic increase in
leisure time





5. Dramatic increase in the
use oI the automobile





6. The rise oI consumerism



Name Class Date
The Postwar Boom
Section 3
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
275 Guided Reading Workbook
Popular Culture
NEW ERA OF MASS MEDIA
(Pages 652655)
!"#$ infIuence did TV have?
Mass mediathe means oI
communication that reach large
audiencesinclude radio, television,
newspapers, and magazines. Television
became the most important means oI
communication in the 1950s. It both
showed and inIluenced popular culture oI
the time.
The number oI homes with television
jumped. It went Irom 9 percent oI all
homes in 1950 to 90 percent in 1960. At
Iirst, the number oI television stations was
limited by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC). The FCC is the
government agency that regulates the
communications industry. Soon, however,
TV stations spread across the country.
Many shows became widely popular all
over the nation.
The 1950s were the 'golden age oI
television. Comedy shows starring
Milton Berle and Lucille Ball were
popular. Edward R. Murrow introduced
on-the-scene reporting and interviews.
There were also westerns, sports events,
and original dramas. At Iirst, all shows
were broadcast live.
Advertisers took advantage oI this new
medium, especially oI its children`s
shows. Young Ians wanted to buy
everything that was advertised on their
Iavorite shows. TV magazines and TV
dinners Irozen meals to heat and eat
became popular.
Terms and Names
mass media Means oI communication that reach large audiences
FederaI Communications Commission (FCC) Government agency that regulates the
communications industry
beat movement Writers who made Iun oI the conIormity and materialism oI
mainstream American society
rock 'n' roII Form oI popular music, characterized by heavy rhythms and simple
melodies, that developed Irom rhythm and blues in the 1950s
jazz A style oI music characterized by improvisation
Before You Read
In the last section, you read about the American dream in the 1950s.
In this section, you will read that popular culture in the 1950s reIlected
white, middle-class America, and a subculture challenged that
conIormity.
As You Read
Use a chart to take notes on the popular culture idols oI the 1950s and
their contributions.
Name Class Date
Section 3, !"#$%#&'(
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
276 Guided Reading Workbook
Television reIlected the mainstream
values oI white suburban America. These
values were secure jobs, material success,
well-behaved children, and conIormity.
Critics objected to the stereotypes oI
women and minorities. Women were
shown as happy, ideal mothers. AIrican
Americans and Latinos hardly appeared at
all. In short, TV showed an idealized
white America. It ignored poverty,
diversity, and problems such as racism.
As dramas and comedies moved to TV,
radio changed. It began to Iocus on news,
weather, music, and local issues. The radio
industry did well. Advertising increased
and so did the number oI stations.
The movie industry suIIered Irom
competition by television. The number oI
moviegoers dropped 50 percent. But
Hollywood Iought back. It responded by
using color, stereophonic sound, and the
wide screen to create spectacular movies.
1. Was the picture oI America portrayed
on television accurate?


A SUBCULTURE EMERGES
(Page 655)
!"#$ was the beat movement and
rock 'n' roII?
Television showed the suburban way oI
liIe. But two subcultures presented other
points oI view. One was the beat
movement in literature. These writers
made Iun oI the conIormity and
materialism oI mainstream American
society.
Their Iollowers were called beatniks.
They rebelled against consumerism and
the suburban liIestyle. They did not hold
steady jobs and lived inexpensively. They
read their poetry in coIIee houses. Their
art and poetry had a Iree, open Iorm.
Major works oI the beat generation
include Allen Ginsberg`s long poem
Howl, Jack Kerouac`s novel On the Road,
and Lawrence Ferlinghetti`s A Conev
Island of the Mind.
2. How did the beat movement criticize
mainstream culture?


AFRICAN AMERICANS AND ROCK
'N' ROLL (Pages 655657)
!"#$ roIe did African-American
artists pIay in the 1950s?
Some musicians also took a new
direction. They added electronic
instruments to the AIrican-American
music called rhythm and blues. The result
was rock `n` roll. The new music had a
strong beat. Its lyrics Iocused on the
interests oI teenagers, including alienation
and unhappiness in love. And teenagers
responded. They bought millions oI
records. The biggest star oI allthe King
oI Rock `n` Rollwas Elvis Presley. He
had 45 songs that sold more than one
million copies.
Some adults criticized rock `n` roll.
They said it would lead to teenage crime
and immorality. But television and radio
helped bring rock `n` roll into the
mainstream.
Many oI the great perIormers oI the
1950s were AIrican American. Nat 'King
Cole, Lena Horne, Harry BelaIonte, and
Sidney Poitier were popular with white
audiences. They led the way Ior later
AIrican-American stars. 1azz musicians
like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie also
entertained audiences oI both races. The
most popular black perIormers were the
Name Class Date
Section 3, !"#$%#&'(
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!"" Guided Reading Workbook
early rock `n` roll stars, like Little Richard
and Chuck Berry.
Television was slow to integrate. One
oI the Iirst programs to do so was Dick
Clark`s popular rock `n` roll show
American Bandstand. In 1957, Bandstand
showed both black couples and white
couples on the dance Iloor.
BeIore integration reached radio
audiences, there were stations that aimed
speciIically at AIrican-American listeners.
They played the popular black artists oI
the day. They also served advertisers who
wanted to reach black audiences.
3. How did AIrican Americans inIluence
the entertainment industry oI the
1950s?



Name Class Date
Section 3, !"#$%#&'(
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
!"# Guided Reading Workbook
As you read this section, take notes to answer questions about innovations
and trends in 1950s popular culture.



1. TeIevision



a. What are some of
the most popular
shows produced?
b. What kinds of
subjects did
television tend to
present?
c. What kinds of
subjects did it tend
to avoid?


2. Radio



a. How did radio
change to compete
with television?
b. What role did it play in popularizing African-
American culture?


3. FiIm



How did movies change to compete with television?


4. The beat
movement



a. Who were the most
famous beat writers?
b. What were the movement's chief
characteristics?


5. Rock 'n' roII



a. Who helped to
popularize rock 'n'
roll?
b. What were rock's chief characteristics?
Name Class Date
The Postwar Boom
Section 4
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
279 Guided Reading Workbook
The Other America
THE URBAN POOR (Pages 660661)
!"#$ was the pIight of the inner
cities?
Prosperity reached many Americans
in the 1950s. But it did not reach all
Americans. In 1962, one out oI every
Iour Americans was poor. Many oI these
poor people were members oI minority
groups.
In the 1950s, millions oI middle-class
white people leIt the cities Ior the
suburbs. This was called 'white Ilight.
Meanwhile, many poor AIrican Americans
moved Irom the rural South to Northern
cities. Businessesand jobsIollowed
whites out oI the cities. Cities also lost the
taxes these people and businesses had
paid. City governments could no longer
aIIord to keep up the quality oI schools,
public transportation, or other services.
The urban poor suIIered as their
neighborhoods decayed.
Many suburban, middle-class
Americans could not believe that a
country as rich as the United States had
such poverty in its cities. However,
Michael Harrington`s 1962 book, The
Other America. Povertv in the United
States, made many Americans aware oI
the problem.
One way the government tried to
solve the problem oI the inner cities was
called urban renewal. Minorities could
not aIIord the new homes that had been
built in the suburbs during the 1950s.
Also, minorities were not welcome in
the white suburbs. As a result, inner-city
neighborhoods became very
overcrowded.
Urban renewal was designed to tear
down decaying neighborhoods and build
low-cost housing. However, sometimes
highways and shopping centers were
built instead. The people who had lived
in the old slums ended up moving to
other slumsrather than into better
housing.
Terms and Names
urban renewaI Plan to tear down decaying neighborhoods and build low-cost housing
bracero Farm workers entering the United States Irom Mexico
termination poIicy Federal government decision to end Iederal responsibility Ior Native
American tribes
Before You Read
In the last section, you read about mainstream American society in the
1950s. In this section, you will read about Americans who were not part
oI the American mainstream.
As You Read
Use a diagram to take notes on the problems Iaced by AIrican
Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans in the 1950s.
Name Class Date
Section 4, !"#$%#&'(
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
!"# Guided Reading Workbook
1. What were some reasons Ior the decay
oI America`s inner cities?


POVERTY LEADS TO ACTIVISM
(Pages 662663)
!"# were Mexican Americans and
Native Americans treated?
During World War II, there was a
shortage oI laborers to harvest crops.
The Iederal government allowed
$%&'(%)*+ or hired hands, to enter the
United States Irom Mexico. They were
supposed to work on American Iarms
during the war, and then go back to
Mexico. However, when the war ended,
many braceros stayed illegally. Many
other Mexicans entered the United States
illegally to Iind jobs.
Mexican Americans suIIered
prejudice and discrimination, too, even
though they were citizens. When
Mexican-American veterans came home
Irom the war, they wanted to be treated
Iairly. They Iormed an organization to
protest injustices. Other groups worked
to help Mexican Americans register to
vote. Pressure Irom these groups Iorced
CaliIornia to stop placing Mexican-
American children in segregated classes.
Mexican Americans began to have a
nationwide political voice.
Native Americans also struggled Ior
equal rights. This struggle was
complicated by Iederal involvement in
Native American aIIairs. At Iirst, the
government had supported assimilation,
or absorbing Native Americans into
mainstream American culture. That
Iorced Native Americans to give up their
own culture. In 1934, the Indian
Reorganization Act changed that policy.
The government now wanted Native
Americans to have more control over
their own aIIairs.
In 1944, Native Americans Iormed an
organization to work Ior their civil rights
and Ior the right to keep their own
customs. AIter World War II, Native
Americans got less Iinancial help Irom
the government. Outsiders grabbed tribal
lands Ior mining and development.
In 1953, the Iederal government
decided to end its responsibility Ior
Native American tribes. This
,(%-./&,.)/ 1)2.'3 stopped Iederal
economic support. It also ended the
reservation system and distributed tribal
land among individual Native
Americans. One result oI this policy was
that many acres oI tribal lands were sold
to developers.
As part oI the termination policy, the
Bureau oI Indian AIIairs also moved
thousands oI Native Americans to the
cities. It helped them Iind jobs and
housing. This program was a Iailure.
Native Americans did not have the skills
to succeed in the cities. They were cut
oII Irom medical care. And they suIIered
job discrimination. The termination
policy was ended in 1963.
2. How did Mexican Americans and
Native Americans work Ior equal
rights aIter World War II?



Name Class Date
Section 4, continued
Original content Houghton MiIIlin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility oI the instructor.
!"# Guided Reading Workbook
As you read about problems Iaced by the 'other America oI the 1950s,
note some causes oI each problem, solutions that were oIIered, and some
eIIects oI those solutions. (Notice that two answers have been provided Ior
you.)

ProbIem: Decaying Cities
1. Causes: Solution Offered:





Urban renewal







2. Effects of solution:
ProbIem: Discrimination Against Mexican Americans
Causes:

Prejudice against Hispanics;
hard feelings toward braceros
who stayed to work in the
U.S. after World War II; illegal
aliens escaping poor
conditions in Mexico
3. Solutions offered:










ProbIem: Economic Hardship for Native Americans
4. Causes: 5. Solutions offered: 6. Effects of solutions: