KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Baby Boom
After marriages had been delayed during WWII, returning soldiers and their lovers got busy making babies, which resulted in a population “boom.” This created a large demand for housing and educational facilities.
GI Bill
The GI Bill (US soldiers were nicknamed GI’s) provided veterans from WWII money for education and housing after they returned from the war. Veterans used the funds to go to college and to buy houses, usually in newly developed suburbs.
Suburban Growth
After WWII, many new families moved from the cities to suburban neighborhoods. Numerous houses (that often all looked the same) were constructed in these large suburban neighborhoods, which were connected to cities by new highways/interstates.
Interstate Highway Act
President Eisenhower signed this act in the 1950s. It was promoted as a defense measure so that the US could move troops if there was an invasion. The interstates connected suburbs to cities and improved trade/transportation in the US.
1950's Culture
During the 1950s, advertising, TV shows, and music (rock and roll) led to the rise of a “mass culture” in America. Many critics (Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, “Beat” poets) criticized cultural conformity (especially the suburbs).