The Postwar Housing Boom
Were Levitt's houses restrictive to minorities?
Yes, Levitt's houses came with restrictive covenants prohibiting occupancy "by members of other than the Caucasian Race"
What did the majority of citizens use for transportation?
Cars.
What caused the consumer culture to change?
More people migrated to the suburbs.
What was the Sunbelt?
A broad strip of area of the South and Southwestern states that was rapidly growing after WWII.
Who mainly lived in the urban and suburban societies?
- Working-class migrants (mainly African Americans from the South) moved to urban areas
- Middle-class white people moved away from cities and went to the suburbs
What was the town name of Levitt's basic four-room houses with complete kitchen appliances for $7,990?
Levittown
What caused the creation of interstate highways?
To improve transportation through the expansion of ways cars can reach locations.
What did malls allow the middle class to do?
These malls allowed the middle class to continue accessing all of the popular goods.
What did the growth of the Sunbelt do to power in the United States?
This growth shifted power away from the industrial Northeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States.
Where was poverty mainly?
Urban areas were a home to poverty as after the war, poverty was seen in an immense amount. Poverty wasn't really seen in the suburbs since the people that moved there were middle-class individuals.
What were the two organizations that helped finance young families?
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Veterans Administration (VA).
What was the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act?
Provided funding to expand the highway system over the span of 10 years. It would combine existing highways into one system.
Why was fast food created?
Fast food was created around accessibility to regular citizens.
Where was the Sunbelt?
Stretched from Florida to West California.
How were African Americans treated in suburban societies?
African Americans, despite not being welcomed in the suburbs, found low-paying work and low-quality housing.
Who applied mass-production techniques to construction, allowing his company to build modest, affordable houses rapidly and inexpensively?
William J. Levitt
How much did the Interstate Highways project cost?
The large public works project cost nearly $26 billion.
What was one of the benefits of fast food? (Hint: There's 2!)
The prices were low enough that the fast food would be affordable to the majority of the population, increasing sales.
What did the Sunbelt symbolize for the United States?
The rise of the Sunbelt was the economic, demographic, and political transformation of the South and Southwestern region of the United States.
Why did urban areas decline?
New Migrants who searched for jobs and opportunities worsened conditions in urban areas.
What was Shelley v. Kraemer (1948)?
The Supreme Court outlawed restrictive covenants, but racial discrimination in housing persisted.
Why was Interstate Highways seen as a necessity?
Interstate Highways were seen as a necessity for escape during a time of potential nuclear outbreak.
What was the other benefit of fast food?
The food was rapidly produced and became popular as chain restaurants sprung up across the country.
Region that grew significantly after the Second World War due to technological advancements (such as A.C.), lower taxes, weaker Union presence, and more affordable housing. Took power away from Northeastern and Midwestern regions.
Sunbelt
What was a major difference between urban and suburban societies?
By the 1950s, urban economy was struggling and there was decaying infrastructure. Suburbs were prosperous and saw urban residents as part of the "other America".