The World s Strongest Military Power - 1580 Words

By the end of World War II, it was globally evident that the United States was the world’s strongest military power. During the 1950s, the United States experienced a period of glaring economic growth, with an increase in manufacturing and nation-wide consumerism. The benefits of this prosperity — television sets, new cars, new homes (suburbanization), and other consumer goods — were more prominent than ever before. The 50s were also an era of great conflict. (ex. racial discrimination and the early stages of civil rights movement, the fear/fight against communism at home and abroad, and the issues of classism and social inequality). The 1950s in the United States are commonly described as socially conservative and extremely materialistic.†¦show more content†¦The term â€Å"boom† is frequently used when describing the United States during the 1950s. It’s used to refer to the booming economy, the booming suburban development, and most of a ll the â€Å"baby boom†. After World War II ended, despite the fear caused by the Cold War, many Americans were confident that the future held nothing but peace and prosperity. This belief made Americans start having children, at a rapid rate (around four million babies were born each year). Between 1945 and 1960, the country’s GNP was more than twice the amount prior, increasing from two-hundred billion to more than five-hundred billion. The unemployment rate and inflation rate were very low, and the wages were high. During World War II, many people had to pick up jobs that they weren’t normally doing, so after the war traditional job titles were reaffirmed. The men were expected to be the source of income for the family and women were to take care of things at home. Another critical element of the 1950s was the Cold War(1945-1991). The Cold War was the continuing state of military tension, economic competition, political conflict, and ideological rivalry betw een the Soviet Union and the United States. The war did not consist of any physical fighting or violence. The Cold War was characterized by the use of espionage, the building up of military forces and nuclear arsenals, weapon