50s-Happy+Days?


 * Heck Yeah! They were happy as can be!!! || No Way! Abhorrent! Horrendous! Atrocious! ||
 * * Economy had turned around since WWII
 * New technologies had been invented since WWII (new cars, new electronics...)
 * By 1952 the US was manufacturing over 65% of the worlds manufactured goods
 * Housing Industry increased
 * Suburbs expanded even larger
 * US population increased by 28 million people in between 1950 and 1960
 * Workers wages increased
 * International telephone/telegram
 * Increased jobs
 * More schools, therefore higher education
 * Largest period of retail spending in US history
 * Television
 * Americans were buying much more products like : bought frozen dinners, plastic items, dishwashers, garbage disposals, washing machines, automatic dryers, high fidelity record players, power lawn movers, synthetic fiber clothing and fabrics, and much more
 * Doctors started to use more antibiotics and vaccines
 * Vaccines were made in order to fight polio
 * New military missiles were invented, and much more weaponry
 * Scientists started to develop satellites
 * The US launched their satellite, and put much money into the Space Program, pushing America in the lead of the space race once again
 * Many returning war veterans were able to go to college
 * || * Communism was spreading in Europe
 * China became a communist country
 * Soviet Union started testing nuclear weapons
 * All of this American prosperity left out many Americans, specifically African Americans.
 * Polio became more common
 * Russians launched sputnik, putting them in the lead in the "space race"
 * There was trouble providing returning soldiers with supplies