Blog #9

After the Cold War ended, the United States economy postwar was experiencing phenomenal economic growth. Gross national product in the United States jumped from about $200 thousand million in 1940 to $300 thousand million in 1950 to more than $500 thousand million in 1960. As time went on, more and more Americans considered themselves as part of the middle class. In this postwar period, many American also migrated mainly to the west or southwest to expand their family and in hopes of finding affordable housing for larger families spawned by the postwar baby boom. Sun belt cities like Miami, Florida, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Houston, Texas, and Tucson, and Phoenix, Arizona expanded rapidly. However, farmers on the other hand, were faced with tough times. Gains in productivity led to agricultural consolidation, as farming became a big business. Family farms, in turn, found it difficult to compete, and more and more farmers were forced to leave their land. Also, as the suburbs grew, many businesses moved into large shopping centers with a great variety of stores, that ultimately revolutionized consumer shopping trends and patterns. New highways also created better access to the suburbs and shops. Television as well had a powerful impact on social and economic patterns.  In 1946 the country had fewer than 17,000 television sets. Three years later consumers were buying 250,000 sets a month, and by 1960 three-quarters of all families owned at least one set. The advertisements or commercials at this time impacted Americans of all ages because Americans were becoming increasingly exposed to sophisticated advertisements for products that were said to be necessary for the good life.