Men, Refrigerators, and White Picket Fences
After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States entered World War II. Life across the the United States drastically changed. The peacetime draft sent over twelve million male soldiers into the war. With the absence of men, women took the jobs they left in factories and defense plants. Due to the needs of soldiers, rations were placed on food, clothing, and gas. Finally, when Japan surrendered on 14 August 1945, Americans celebrated but also felt uneasy about what the future held. Many people feared a return to conditions similar to the conditions endured during the Great Depression. However, on the contrary, the postwar economy soared, producing a level of material abundance never before seen in American history. Millions of Americans purchased new homes in the suburbs and invested in luxury goods such as cars, appliances, and television sets. With theses postwar changes came the image of the "perfect family". This image was a result of male soldiers returning home, the rise of consumer culture, and the growth of suburban communities.
When men returned home from the war, they took back the jobs women were occupying. Due to this change, women began moving back into the home. Many people in the postwar era looked forward to having children because they were economically secure due to a prosperous post war economy. Discharged veterans also wanted to take advantage of the GI Bill which entitled them to financial support for education and vocational training, medical treatment, and loans for building houses or starting businesses. Because the veterans felt they could support a family, they were extremely eager to marry and start families. Consequently, by 1946 the infamous baby-boom was underway. The birth rate in 1946 was 20% higher than it was in 1940. This high rate of births continued until 1964. (1)
Wartime production helped pull America's economy out of depression, and from the late 1940s on, young adults saw a remarkable rise in their spending power. Jobs were plentiful, wages were higher, and because of the lack of consumer goods during the war, Americans were eager to spend. At the end of the war, the items people most desired included televisions, cars, washing machines, refrigerators, toasters, and vacuum cleaners: the machines that would help them modernize their lives. Between 1945 and 1949, Americans purchased 20 million refrigerators, 21.4 million cars, and 5.5 million stoves, a trend that continued well into the 1950s. (2) Historian Elaine Tyler May noted, "The values associated with domestic spending upheld traditional American concerns with pragmatism and morality, rather than opulence and luxury. Purchasing for the home helped alleviate traditional American uneasiness with consumption: the fear that spending would lead to decadence." (3) Additionally, May believes that the federal government and the American people saw the new consumerism as a way to deemphasize class differences while stressing traditional gender roles. (4) These modern items defined "the good life" and were a key staples to the lives of 1950's housewives.
The idea of "the good life" extends to the main cause of the 1950's "perfect" lifestyle: the rise in popularity of suburbs. The suburbs were areas near but not in the middle of city centers. The suburbs created a sense of community and safety that defined 1950's life. Because of the booming economy and bills such as the GI Bill, homes became increasingly affordable for many Americans. Advertisers for suburban developments emphasized the green, open spaces of the suburbs and hinted that buyers would find a sense of peace and tranquility unattainable in city life. Historian Kenneth Jackson has written that the post-world War II single-family tract house, “whatever its aesthetic failings, offered growing families a private haven in a heartless world.” (5) The first established and most widely recognized example of the suburbs were Levittown houses. Levittown houses were affordable, located in a picture-perfect area, and provided a safe, controlled community for families. The houses were simple, unpretentious, and most importantly accessible to both the white and blue collar workers. The video below shows how quickly Levittown houses were built. The suburbs gave the American couples a safe place for to start and raise families and lead to the traditional image of the 1950's household.
When men returned home from the war, they took back the jobs women were occupying. Due to this change, women began moving back into the home. Many people in the postwar era looked forward to having children because they were economically secure due to a prosperous post war economy. Discharged veterans also wanted to take advantage of the GI Bill which entitled them to financial support for education and vocational training, medical treatment, and loans for building houses or starting businesses. Because the veterans felt they could support a family, they were extremely eager to marry and start families. Consequently, by 1946 the infamous baby-boom was underway. The birth rate in 1946 was 20% higher than it was in 1940. This high rate of births continued until 1964. (1)
Wartime production helped pull America's economy out of depression, and from the late 1940s on, young adults saw a remarkable rise in their spending power. Jobs were plentiful, wages were higher, and because of the lack of consumer goods during the war, Americans were eager to spend. At the end of the war, the items people most desired included televisions, cars, washing machines, refrigerators, toasters, and vacuum cleaners: the machines that would help them modernize their lives. Between 1945 and 1949, Americans purchased 20 million refrigerators, 21.4 million cars, and 5.5 million stoves, a trend that continued well into the 1950s. (2) Historian Elaine Tyler May noted, "The values associated with domestic spending upheld traditional American concerns with pragmatism and morality, rather than opulence and luxury. Purchasing for the home helped alleviate traditional American uneasiness with consumption: the fear that spending would lead to decadence." (3) Additionally, May believes that the federal government and the American people saw the new consumerism as a way to deemphasize class differences while stressing traditional gender roles. (4) These modern items defined "the good life" and were a key staples to the lives of 1950's housewives.
The idea of "the good life" extends to the main cause of the 1950's "perfect" lifestyle: the rise in popularity of suburbs. The suburbs were areas near but not in the middle of city centers. The suburbs created a sense of community and safety that defined 1950's life. Because of the booming economy and bills such as the GI Bill, homes became increasingly affordable for many Americans. Advertisers for suburban developments emphasized the green, open spaces of the suburbs and hinted that buyers would find a sense of peace and tranquility unattainable in city life. Historian Kenneth Jackson has written that the post-world War II single-family tract house, “whatever its aesthetic failings, offered growing families a private haven in a heartless world.” (5) The first established and most widely recognized example of the suburbs were Levittown houses. Levittown houses were affordable, located in a picture-perfect area, and provided a safe, controlled community for families. The houses were simple, unpretentious, and most importantly accessible to both the white and blue collar workers. The video below shows how quickly Levittown houses were built. The suburbs gave the American couples a safe place for to start and raise families and lead to the traditional image of the 1950's household.
Footnotes
1.) "The 1950s: Happy Days," U.S. History, (accessed February 17, 2016).
2.) "The 1950s: Happy Days," U.S. History.
3.) "Women and Work After World War II," PBS, (accessed February 7, 2016),
4,) "Women and Work After," PBS.
5.) "People & Events: Mrs. America: Women's Roles in the 1950s," PBS, last modified 2002, accessed February 7, 2016,
cover image courtesy of Tree Hugger (http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/james-russell-says-stop-suburb-bashing-already.html)
2.) "The 1950s: Happy Days," U.S. History.
3.) "Women and Work After World War II," PBS, (accessed February 7, 2016),
4,) "Women and Work After," PBS.
5.) "People & Events: Mrs. America: Women's Roles in the 1950s," PBS, last modified 2002, accessed February 7, 2016,
cover image courtesy of Tree Hugger (http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/james-russell-says-stop-suburb-bashing-already.html)