The American Dream in the 1950s

1. Baby Boom
This was significant because it vastly increased the population size. It also caused advances in medicine, and the economy (toy sales etc).
2. Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Salk developed a vaccine for polio.
3. Interstate Highway System
The Interstate Highway System unified the nation and allowed for one culture to exist across the entire nation. It also allowed people to move farther from cities, caused a decline in the use of public transportation and rail roads, and caused towns away from them to decline.
4. Franchise
Franchise was important because it allowed people to make lots of money easily, and also made workers not have to think, just be part of the system.

5. In a paragraph, describe in detail how Americans spent their leisure time in the 1950s
In the 1950's, people had much more leisure time than before because of advances in transportation, appliances such as washing machines and dryers, and worked less than before as well as getting vacation time. Thus, in 1953, Americans spent $30 billion on leisure products and activities. These included reading, playing and watching sports, television, and in-home projects. People also read more magazines and comic books. Moreover, because of the rise in automobiles and the interstate highways, people went to drive in theaters, as well as driving and maintaining cars.