The post-World War II boom and the start of the Cold War marked the 1950s. In 1945, “America at this moment,” said the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, “stands at the summit of the world.” The United States economy was growing, and the fruits of that prosperity, new cars, suburban houses, and other consumer goods, were more widely available than ever before. But this decade was also an era of conflicts. The civil rights movement and the crusade against communism exposed some underlying divisions in American society.
The post-World War II boom
After World War II, the gross national product doubled between 1945 and 1960, ushering in “the Golden Age of American Capitalism.” The construction of interstate highways and schools, the distribution of veterans’ benefits, and the increase in military spending-on new technologies like computers all contributed to the decade’s economic growth.
Rates of unemployment and inflation were low, and wages were high. Middle-class people had more money to spend than ever. And because the variety and availability of consumer goods expanded along with the economy, they also had more things to buy.
