David Chandra
Mallik Guduguntla
Akshay Keerthy
Marlon Tenga
Sean Cutinha
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Overview of 1940s
Business & the Economy: Sean
The economy of the United States was in ruins at the start of the 1940's. The United States was in last parts of the recession but it was still struggling. The United States started to rebound after they entered WWII. When the United States entered WWII, they were not ready to enter a war. It took time and effort to make the United States economy to change into a war time economy. When the United States entered it is considered, the end of the Great Depression in the United States and the start of prosperity. During 1942-1945, the United States had the whole population focused on the WWII. When the men were fighting over seas, the women took over the jobs the men had before they left. With out the women, the United States economy would have come to a halt. After the men came back from the WWII they took back the jobs from the women. It took the economy about 8 months to recover after WWII and change back to a peace time economy. For the later part of the 1940’s the United States had a time of much prosperity. Also during this time period the United States became a world power and was the most powerful country in the world in terms of there economy. As one can see the economy of the U.S. was split in half just as the decade of the 1940's, first half darkness and war, second half a time of prosperity and becoming known as a world power.
During the 1940's the business and economy where linked because the government was trying to make the economy rebound. They tried to stimulate the economy by creating jobs and it effected business. The government created tons of jobs during the start of the 40's to try and stimulate the economy. There is a large debate if this programs by FDR stimulated the economy or just eased it. The United States business changed their focus when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The United States were not ready to change into a war economy. It took the US business time to change. Many business were not very eager to change into a weapon of war making business because they would be missing out on the sales in the United States, but later many decide to change. In the second part of 40's the United States changed back into a regular business and the companies started to prosper due to the United States new super power status.
Education: Akshay
In the 1940s the education was much different than it is today.The 1940's were a decade of much change to education, the education and academics in the U.S. had gone to another level. It was a decade where a many changes were made to the education in the nation. The government set higher education standards including changing the curriculum to create an emphasis on the sciences. There were multiple reasons to why the government decided to higher the education standard for the people. After World War 2 had occurred the government realized that many of the people in the U.S. were illiterate. This became a rising problem at the time because these people rejected from going to the army, making army much smaller than it could have been. Also after the war, one of the many problems was that there were not many teachers in the U.S. anymore because of the low pay and benefits that they were getting. Many people were not able to attendschool now and this was the major starter to the Red Scare in the late 1940s.Another problem in the U.S. was that there was much segregation in schools all over the country. In many schools they separated the blacks from the whites and the blacks were given a poor education. This was seen as unconstitutional, bringing up the famous case McCullum vs Board of education. This case really stressed that every child should participate and have an equal education in schools.
The education in the 1940's was alterd by the WWII, the U.S. government realized the low efficeny level of intelligence among the soldiers. The decision to do this caused the U.S. to change the standards, the education in the U.S. was heading in a positive direction, moving on from the past. Overall the education impacted univeristies, teachers, and segregation. All in all, the 1940s was a decade of transition in education and academics that set the rights for foundations for later decades.
Fashion: Mallik
American Fashion was altered in the 1940’s after World War I. Zoot suits were a fashion statement during the early 1900s, especially during the 1940s. These zoot suits were big and baggy suits with high waisted baggy pants, tight around the ankles, and a fully cut coat. These suits were a fashion statement amongst the men during the 1940s until the War Production Department restricted the amount of fabric that could be used for men’s garments as the country needed to conserve resources for ongoing World War II.
http://www.zootsuitstore.com/Shopping/assets/clothing/ultrabg.jpg
The women’s variation on zoot suits was the convertible suit which consisted of a jacket, a short skirt, and a blouse. Women usually don’t wear baggy clothes so they made their own spin off a suit by wearing a short skirt instead of the normal formal pants. The War Production Department also restricted women’s convertible suits so both men and women had to look elsewhere for formal attire.
http://www.doodysfancydress.co.uk/shop/images/26743.jpg
When the American public needed new attire, they turned to Christian Dior for the feminine look. He made long, full skirts with tight which were popular amongst the youth. Also, low heeled shoes replaced the previous high heels, and almost all women curled their hair high in the front. Rita Hayworth took the woman's fashion industry to another level by popularizing the sweater look.
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/40SweaterGirl.jpg
Film and Theater: Marlon
Hollywood's golden age was at its peak in the 1940s. The eight largest studios of the decade (Warner Bros, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), RKO Radio, Twentieth Century Fox, United Artists, Paramount, Universal and Columbia.) took over the movie production with making 90% of the film production. There was at least one new movie made each week by either studio. The Production Code Association (PCA) was introduced which was all about the different rules for what could be presented in films, censoring everything that could be potential threats to the public morality of the American Film Industry, such as the good-looking guy always coming out at the top, no bloody fights, no arguments including rude or violent gestures, no sex scenes. It was very rare to find actions that went agaisnt the hero of the movie, powerful women, and troubled kids.
These rules were put into use because of the censorship of the film industry in which began in the 1930s, which was introduced to fit the high moral standards of the audience.
In addition, horror movies were very popular in the 1940s because of the fact that they provided the thrill that other movies such as from the American Film Industry did not have.
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/adc/10033218B.jpg
The 1940s are also known for being the Golden Age for Theater and Musical
Theater. This decade would begin with hits from Porter, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Weill and Gershwin, who produced over 500 performances, which characterized the artistic change of the 1940s. A Famous musical play was Oklahoma from Rodgers and Hart, which integrated all the aspects of the musical theater, such as easy and comprehensive plot, songs that worked as transitions to the action of the plays, different types of dances such as dream ballet which developped and characterized the characters of the play, rather than using dance as a way to demonstrate women on stage. A famous choreographer was Agnes de Mille, who based his dances on everyday motions and movements.
http://www.horrorfilmhistory.com/index.php?pageID=1940s
Food & Drink: Mallik
The 1940s brought upon the emergence of many widely-known, popular brands today. Food brands like McDonald's, M&Ms, and Dunkin' Donuts were founded and foods like pizza, hamburgers, and French Fries became popular during the 1940s. World War II greatly improved the economy which gave the American public more disposable income. Workers were getting paid twice as much as they were before, and also, companies started producing more products than ever before. Additionally, World War II influenced the food Americans ate as M&Ms were given to the soldiers as treats but the American public demanded them as they tasted so succulent. People were mainly looking for food that was quick to make and eat.
McDonald's was one of the main cravings the American public had. Founded in 1940 and converted into a take-out restaurant in 1948 by two brothers, Maurice and Richard, they made hamburgers and French fries akin to an assembly line and were able to sell them at cheap prices. Towards the late 1940s, popularity of McDonald's grew and their company became a franchise as they started opening McDonald's elsewhere around the country. Many Americans were spending their newfound money on their cheap hamburgers and French fries. Today, McDonald's is an international company that serves approximately 46 million people everyday.
http://tradeflow21.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/mcdonalds.gif
Another influential company during the 1940s is Dunkin' Donuts. It all started when a young businessman, William Rosenberg opened a company in 1948 which provided foods and snacks to a Boston-area factory workers. He realized that approximately 40% of his sales were from coffee and donuts so he started a business called Open Kettle. Two years later, he changed the name to Dunkin' Donuts and opened up five more stores. It eventually became the successful donut shop it is today by having cheap donuts and coffee available to the general public.
http://www.clevelandsports.org/events/PATRIOT_BOWL/partners.aspx
One final company that played a major role in shaping together the 1940s in food was Mars Co. with their M&Ms. M&Ms were originally made as treats to the soldiers after World War II. The public eventually tried out M&Ms and demanded them as their taste was universally appealing to the public. This snack that was originally intended for the soldiers quickly became a hit with the American public during the 1940s.
http://www.mms.com/us/images/product_milkchocolatemms.png
Print Culture: David
Print culture in the 1940's was rising, mainly due to the WWII that carried on from 1939 into the mid 1940's. As the war progressed many news articles, magazines, and newspapers provided information of the events taken in the war. This information was vital to the American citizens who were trying to figure out what was happening in the war. As a matter of fact many of these American news writers lost their lives trying to provide the U.S. with information about the war.
The majority of the print media was focused on the war, but during the 1940's comics became a great hit, this was known as the golden age for comics. The purpose of all these comics were to entertain and provide laughter for all the people. But in this decade comics were directed to young teenagers. There were many great comics that were published such as the Archie Comics, Green Latern, Captain America, Curious George, and many more that enticed many to read and enjoy.Another magazine that rose to high selling was Highlights which many people could read and gain knowledge through its educational entertainment. All these print made in the 1940's still is our world today, as one goes around they are still popular among many today in the U.S.
Many people who liked the literature of the 20's and 30's were amazed by these comics and books that were being sold. The 1940's created a buzz through the print media, the young and the old all intrested, and the times of the past were fading and put away. It was time of anew, after the World War 2 had come to an end. The U.S. was heading in a different direction.
Sports & Games: Akshay
World War II had a significant impact on professional sports in the United States. Many varying materials were needed for the war effort such as rubber and wood. There were shortages of rubber for baseballs and basketballs and there was not enough wood for baseball bats. Also, many athletes left their positions on sports teams to help the war effort. The sports nation fell apart as many players started to leave for the war and were in desperate need of replacements. Women soon were the answer to this sudden decrease in professional sports players. The first sport women started to play in was baseball. Soon enough, the war ended, and the men returned back to their original positions on their respective teams. The women’s short role was diminished until the end of the century when professional sports leagues were made for women such as WNBA and PSL.
Towards late 1940s, professional sports were drastically changed again. This time around, professional sports were changed by another major event. The signing of Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers forever changed all sports team around the country, especially baseball as the Brooklyn Dodgers were a prominent team. African Americans were known for their success in the sport of boxing, but remained relatively unknown in other sports. The signing of Jackie Robinson really displayed his talents as a baseball player and the Brooklyn Dodgers crossing the racial border to improve their team. Also, baseball, at the time, was the most watched sport in the U.S. which helped break down other racial barriers in baseball and other sports.
http://www.pleasanton.k12.ca.us/avhsweb/pagtakhan/darrenweb/Images/JackieRobinson.jpg
Along with sports, toys and games also were aggressively developed and advanced and were precursors to what they are today. In the 1940s, the slinky was invented, which is a coil shaped object that young children use for amusement. This simple yet innovative toy captured everyone’s interests as it was relatively cheap and very radical compared to previous toys. Scrabble was another game that came out in the 1940s. This game broadened adults vocabulary as well as children’s vocabulary as participants were forced to think of more complicated words as the larger and more complicated words scored more points than the shorter and simple did not score as many points. Lastly, Tonka trucks that are still made today were invented in the 1940s.
http://www.temple.edu/provost/international/ielp/about/images/scrabble1.jpg
Day-to-Day Life ("The way we lived"): David
The day-to-day life in the 1940's were vastly different from other decades, since the first half was war time and the second half was time of prosperity after the victory in WWII. During the depression many of the Americans lived in poverty without a shelter and money. This time of depression was hard for the people, many were in state of panic, life in chaos and not knowing what to do next. But this all changed when the war had begun, as times of the depression were drawing to an end, many of the citizens attitude had changed, from the low life to supporting the country in the war. Although jobs were being easier to find and money became in increase for every family, no one was being wasteful, were more conservative. The first part of the 40's (1940-1945) were a time of supporting the troops and backing the country after a peroid of sinking all the way to the bottom.
Now the 1940's as said earlier were split in 2, one period (1940-1945) and second period (1946-1949). After the war had ended many people who jobless started finding jobs, people who were poor began to increase in money, all the industries that were effected by the depression revived once again. America became the top notch country around the world, now truly known as a world power. As the country began to get better, so did the people within enjoying the benefits the country was beginning to gain.
In the 1940's many different aspects came into play, for example Las Vegas became a center of action for all, and to the world today Las Vegas is center of gambling and entertainment to all. Action and entertainment were not the only aspects to gain power in the 40's it was also housing as well, a housing comapny known as Leviitown came out creating houses for people to take shelter. Leviitown is like todays Pullte Homes and Centex Homes, it was thriving company which increased the living of the people. It might not have be as productive as the housing homes now but it gave the poeple a better view that the U.S. was going to another level. Other things that increased and helped the day-to-day life of a Americans were the new cars taht were being, the Hot Rods, became the new car after the Model T. As it can be seen the 1940's decade was a time for the people to come out of depression, supporting the country and prospering from the victory from the war.
Music: Marlon
The music of the 1940s and the 1950s combined as one genre, mostly because of the influence of the radio. World War II also played a big part because it created an increase in social development, which is illustrated through the music that was played back then.
The "theory" of the moon being made of cheese was introduced in the 1940s, and major elements of music combined to create rock and roll. Based on electric-guitar Chicago blues, the popular types of music were jazz, country, folk, swing and others. It was common to find "bebop" jazz and boogie woogie blues. By 1949, the style had become famous among blacks. Elvis Presley's single "Hound Dog" is what started off music styles popular among blacks such as rock and R&B.
Chuck Berry developed rhythm and blues and other elements that really made rock and roll a special type of music, lyrics focusing on teen life using guitar instruments which played a big part in rock music of today.
Top 10 hit musics from 1940s: (according to http://www.amazon.com/Most-Requested-Songs-1940s-Vol/dp/B0000026SP)
1. Around Midnight ~ Thelonius Monk 1948
2. Blue Moon of Kentucky ~ Bill Monroe 1945
3. Body and Soul ~ Coleman Hawkins 1940
4. Boogie Chillun ~ John Lee Hooker 1948
5. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy ~ The Andrews Sisters 1941
6. Cattle Call ~ Eddy Arnold 1945
7. Deep in the heart of Texas ~ Alvino Ray 1942
8. Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around ~ The Fairfield Four 1947
9. God Bless the Child ~ Billie Holiday 1941
10. Goodnight Irene ~ Leadbelly 1944
Top 10 Most Requested songs from the 1940s: (according to http://www.amazon.com/Most-Requested-Songs-1940s-Vol/dp/B0000026SP)
1. Sentimental Journey ~ Les Brown And His Orchestra
2. You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It) ~ Harry James And His Orchestra
3. Buttons And Bows ~ Dinah Shore
4. (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover ~ Kay Kyser And His Orchestra
5. Amor ~ Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra
6. Symphony ~ Benny Goodman And His Orchestra
7. Ballerina ~ Buddy Clark
8. I'm Beginning To See The Light ~ Harry James And His Orchestra
9. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart) ~ Les Brown And His Orchestra
10. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly ~ Dinah Shore
Top 5 Party songs from the 1940s: (according to http://www.playlists.com.au/top-1940s-party-songs/)
1.Elmer's Tune ~ Glenn Miller (1941)
2. In the Mood ~ Glenn Miller (1940)
3. Mule Train ~ Frankie Laine (1949)
4. Rum and Coca-Cola ~ The Andrews Sisters (1946)
5. Swinging on a Star ~ Bing Crosby (1944)
Government & Politics: All
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR, was the President of the United States since 1933 until 1945 and helped the country out of the Great Depression and kept the country out of war until he was forced into it when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He was a radical president who was a popular public figure and planned and executed World War II plans successfully. Following FDR's legacy as president was Harry S. Truman and he became president when FDR passed away three months into his fourth term as president. He was the only president to have served in World War I and faced many economic shortages and numerous strikes as a result of World War II.
WWII was a war which was fought all over the world. The United States did not enter WWII until after the Japanese bombed the U.S. in 1942. The United States was ill equipped to fight in WWII. The United States was supplying Britain with war supplies but the amount was not enough for the United States plans for war. The United States initially planned on going to war with Japan, but when the Germans declared war with the U.S., the U.S. were forced to enter war in Europe. In 1942 and the beginning of 1943 the United States had significant losses, due to trouble in the war and were not gaining ground. But in the latter part of 1943 and 1944 the United States started to win major battles and started push both the Germans and the Japanese on to the defensive. In 1945 the United States won the war, but before winning they did something which will go down in history as one of the most controversial call ever, dropping the atom bombs.
Truman took over after FDR death in 1945, he was not informed about what was going on, and thus he did not know that the atom bomb would do as much as it did. Truman dropped the atom bomb twice, once on Hiroshima and then the city Nagasaki.This forced Japan to surrender and the end of WWII had come, but other conflicts arose.
FDR's administration was effective during the early part of the 1940's. The administration was able to handle the depression before WWII the United States joined WWII. FDR, when the WWII started, was able to create a war time economy and nation with out any time, and was also able to help the U.S. get out of the depression through these means. Even though he was not there to see the end of WWII, he created what
President Truman was able to finish.
Truman's administration was able to end WWII and help the United States become the nation it is today. There has been a lot of controversy over the dropping of the atom bombs by President Truman, some say it was not needed, others say it was the perfect way to end the horrid war. President Truman's dropping of the atom bomb did end WWII and help make the U.S. into thriving and prosperous nation during the 1940's. All in all Truman's administration was effective in the limited time it had after FDR's death.
The adminstrations of President Roosevelt and President Truman were a success, their adminstrations were as a stepping stone for future success in the following decades after the 1940's.
Leadership: Sean
Franklin Delanor Roosevelt (FDR 1933-1945)
President Roosevelt was an episcopal democrat from New York. He attended the prestigous Harvard University and Colombia Law school. At first President Roosevelt's occupation was lawyer this paved his way to being known around the country. FDR became the State senator during his early political career. Soon after this he became the assistant Secretary for the navy. FDR was on the 1920 democratic ticket as vice president, the lose in election for FDR was devestating.. After this lost the position of the governor of New York. On the 1932 election, FDR ran for the democratic party and brought forth a win won the chance to be president of the United States. In his first two terms he had to deal with the Great Depression. In his efforts to clean up the mess he created what is known as the New Deal, this was a "solution" to ending the Great Depression. FDR created many acts providing benefits for the people and the main goal was to stimulate the economy back to normal. In his third term he had to focus mainly on WWII, the depression had ended at the start of World War II was on. One could say that the depression time was coming to a close and new problem arose, war. He died during his fourth term in 1945 and was not able to be there when WWII had come to end with a allied victory.
Harry S. Truman (1945-1953):
President Truman took over after FDR's death in 1945. President Truman's dream was to go to West Pointe and become a general in war, at first his dream was not accepted due to his troubling eyesight, but he later tricked the authorities and became a general. He was a general during WW1 and is one of 4 five star generals ever. Just like FDR, President Truman attended a law school, Univeristy of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He started as a county judge, as well as being the senator for the state of Missouri and served for one term. In 1944 he was put on the ticket as FDR's running mate. But he gained the presidency due to FDR's death and so Harry S. Truman became the 33rd president of the United States of America. President Truman served his presidency for 2 terms. The term that is most looked at by historians is the first term in which WWII had come to an end. Since, President Truman came into office in 1945 the war efforts were coming to an end in Europe but the fight in the Pacfic continued on, with Japan not backing down. So due to that President Truman gave orders to drop the atom bombs on the main Japenese Island. The atomic bombs were devestating and the Japanese surrendered and then came the end of the WWII both in Europe as well as in the Pacific with Japan. FDR was the great president who fought valiantly through the war and President Truman completed it. President Truman went through much in his early life, but to look at his presidency was a great success, which started of with the ending of the war.
Law & Justice: David
Law and Justice were greatly affected in the 1940’s due to the ending of the depression and victory to WWII. Laws and regulations were put in to provide benefits and provisions for the people in need from the depression and during war time. Franklin D. Roosevelt created what is known as the New Deal, one of the great programs formed at the beginning of the depression. Within in this were many acts that pushed the American economy out of the doldrums.
Many of the U.S. citizens were in a mode of isolation, not wanting to express their views, but after the results of the war people and government officials became more worldly and cosmopolitan in their thinking. The Supreme Court became liberal and this could be seen through the laws that were being created, many Americans view changed drastically. The racial barriers that were set up before the war were starting to diminish; the freedoms that were taken away before did not exist. Color and race were losing the bonds that were put on them before the war. People had the freedom of speech, own property, and have the right to join the jury, etc…
Due to the prosperity and wealth gained after the victory the U.S. had conflicts with other nations. This in turn created a security issue, a chance of a war starting at any time. The war ended, but yet there was much tension between countries, Soviet Union formed capitalism government and U.S. disagreed causing conflicts between both countries. This broke out into what is known as the Cold War. Many restrictive laws were built due to the tension between the Soviet Union and U.S., one known to all is the Smith Act. Arguments broke out and these conflicts involved the rights of individuals, many of the people who desired to restrict individuals created an activist Supreme Court which made way to the interpretations of the laws created after the 1940’s.
One final aspect that influenced the law and justice in this decade was the formation of the United Nations (UN). This was a branch of from the failed process of the League of Nations; it was to get peace throughout the world after the WWI, no more wars. United States became a leader in forming the UN; the United States was one of the countries fighting for a peaceful and dependent world. The U.S.’s main duty through this time was to create international law among the other countries. It was way of settling disputes and arguments a way to shorten down on conflicts and further the chance of war.
The U.S. no longer looked upon the horrid past of the depression and the ugly war that took place. The United States was on a mission to be at the top of the world to bring peace to all. As the country itself took a new form so did the people within, the views and direction of the country greatly impacted the people. The law and justice were significantly altered, causing the country to switch its whole direction, in the article it says, “1940’s a pivotal decade” and one can clearly see as to why it has such impact on the history of the U.S. The 1940’s became a decade of opposites leaving the past behind and creating a new future.
Religion: Sean
At the start of the 1940's, religion was not the main focus of the general public.The people were split between religion, some went to church based on the fear of what will happen with the war results and others forsook and rejected the belief in God fully. Many people did not emphasize the importance of religion as they were greatly perturbed by the depression. After the finish of the war, the economy of the United States started improving again which gave the people a renewed sense of hope. As a result, the church attendance rose to 55% from a previous low of 43%. People were happy about the improving economy and the end of World War II. They returned to church and reconnected with their religion as they had been before the start of the Great Depression.
During the 40's, people followed many religions, such as Presbyterianism, Catholicism, Judaism, Methodist, Baptist, and Lutheran. During this time Protestantism grew to become a religion practiced by many, it had its own sub groups such as the Methodist Church. People from different religions lived in the same general areas. Catholics and Jews predominantly lived in suburbs, whereas the Protestants were in the rural areas. At the end of World War II, the Catholics started to accept African Americans. In the late 1940's, church attendance became a normal event and it quickly became a part of the suburban lifestyle. Jewish and Catholic followers felt that they were drifting towards Protestantism so they returned to their roots and attempted to become pure Jewish and Catholic respectively. Religious leaders gained more power than political leaders as the public believed that religion was a wonderful thing and listened to their religious leaders instead. This was mainly due to the fact that the leaders led the country to war and people lost faith in them and turned religious leaders for advice.
Positive Political Cartoon
This positive cartoon was a representation of the 1940’s because it portrayed the support the people had for FDR. This cartoon was basically drawn after Japans Bomb on U.S., it illustrated that the Congress was limiting the war. The positive aspect of this is U.S. is fighting for its rights and this can be seen through Uncle Sam who represents the U.S. army in war
Negative Political Cartoon
http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/freeman-cartoon-sep-1940.jpg
This negative cartoon was a representation of the 1940’s because during this time period was supplying Britain with war supplies. This can be seen through the weapons and armor carried in the car by Uncle Sam, the figure of the United States. The cartoon is a negative propaganda because the cars wheels were flat and written on wheels are; depression, unemployment, and poverty illustrating the worst parts of the Great Depression in the United States. The U.S. was basically going in blindly, supplying war weapons without thought, as can be seen on the board, “To the war, wherever it is…” Many of the American citizens were disappointed and wanted the government to worry about the country’s problems rather than world issues.
MYP Unit Question
How did culture, events and leadership shape and reflect post-WWII America?
World War II was the main event during the 1940s. The war ended in 1945 and the remainder of the decade was filled with many events such as advancements in sports, technology, movies, and food. The United States improved in almost every sector and government policies and actions led to a strong economy. Profession sports were changed after the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play a professional sport. The film industry was rapidly expanding while the games available to the public increased. Fashion was radical as people were required to create new fashion trends with limited supplies as World War II created many shortages across the country. The 1940s foreshadowed the future trends that the American public see as commonplace today.
Food, fashion, and lifestyle were rapidly expanding during the 1940s. The food industry was rapidly changing with the introduction of McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts, and M&Ms. All of these foods maximized convenience and taste over health and nutrition. The American public was amazed at fast food as it did require the time and effort to prepare like the old-fashioned meals and were relatively cheap compared to other outside food. The fashion was also rapidly changing as the government regulated popular trends of the early 1940s such as zoot suits due to the shortages of natural resources created by the war. Designers such as Christian Dior designed new outfits for men and women with these new parameters set by the government. Also, few people collectively brought back the sweater look towards the end of the 1940s. Like food and fashion, lifestyle was also radically changing. The United States government removed many restrictions and many people were allowed to express themselves while not feeling constrained by the government.
In addition to lifestyle changing, the government, politics, economy, and business were all drastically changing. Business started to rise from the fall of the depression; the industries were all revived and taken to another level. Due to this the economy was also significantly affected, money supply started to increase as debts started to decrease. Business and economy as whole shifted into a new direction, prior to the 40’s these two aspects were not stable, but due to the prosperity after the war the economy and the business rose up. Business that were created during this time still exist; such as McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and M&M’s. The government took of many restrictions and provided freedom to the citizens. The citizens received many benefits, as to freedom of speech, freedom to own property. In general, government was in total transforming their mindsets to a new direction. One main that still lasts from the 1940’s are the agencies organized by FDR, they are still in place so as to keep the country out of another economic crash. Many were able to voice their opinion to help push the country towards a better future.
All in all the 1940's was a pivatol decade in the United States history, the prespective a ways of the U.S. people were fully turned. One could say it was a period of opposities the 1940-1945 (War efforts) latter part of 1945-1949 was a time of prosperity, thirving, and rebuilding the nation of America to be one of the most powerful countries. The 1940's were a time of moving from the dark past and creating a bright future. In conclusion the 1940's was a stepping stone to the decades to come, even the world we live in today.
Works Cited
"1940s: Food and Drink." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 545. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 June 2010.
"1940s: Print Culture." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 567. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 June 2010.
Berg, Timothy. "Levittown." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of
20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3:
1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 629-631. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web.
15 June 2010.
Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Eds. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: U*X*L, 2002. Print.
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