Highways, Houses & HamburgersPostwar Economics and Culture

The ‘50s

Technology: from war to life

The end of the Manhattan Project

Physicists as celebrities: Robert Oppenheimer

From scientists to suspects

Economic Strength

US: ½ wealth in world, ½ productivity, 2/3 of the machinery

Mass production: weapons and consumer goods

Worker became consumer

From coal to oil: demand increased but prices still low Oil consumption tripled from 1949-1972

Auto Industry: GM

First corporation to gross a million

2 threats: labor unrest, anti-trust enforcment

Cars got bigger because profit margin was bigger

Gov’t help Eisenhower’s Admin tolerant of big business Federal highways projects

1952 Corsair Coupe

Homeownership: The American Dream

Highways + cars = suburbia

First houses $5000 (average family wages for 2 years)

Following the war, auto-workers made $60/week= $3000/year

Hollywood pitched houses as the American Dream

GI Bill, passed in 1944 provided, among other things, low cost mortgages as well as assistance for returning soldiers to get education and training to become better employed

Bill Levitt’s Dream

Suburbia & Mass Production

• Bill & Alfred Levitt, PA & NY

• Experience in war as contractors for the US military/gov

• Mass production of homes

• 27 steps = 27 teams

• Pay for efficiency

• 1945 housing crisis

Innovation: Fast Food & Franchises

McDonald’s brothers 1940, San Bernardino

Target clients: family

Need for speed

narrow menu

mechanize production

specialize workers