HISTORY 124B Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Racialism, Hugh Hefner, War Bond
Document Summary
Argument: the postwar homeownership boom reinforced racial inequality and gender roles in the 1950s. Postwar domestic ideal: spend to support war effort, limit use of goods, foodstuffs, ration and recycle consumer goods, victory gardens. Savings accounts & war bonds: personal savings accounts. 1945: 21% of disposable income: war bonds. From wartime to peacetime consumption: homeownership, famlly, federal government and business contributed to creation. Families and the baby boom: fertility rates dropped during the depression, during wwii more people got married and started families. Financing the suburbs: question: why do we see such distinctive racial patterns in cities, federal government facilitated homeownership: By creating new infrastructure: federal highway act (1956) Policies/programs designed to promote security: the gi bill and fha: homeownership changed how americans amassed wealth but it was deeply racialized In 1930, 30% of americans owned a home By 1960, more than 60% own their home: one of the reasons ownership increases was because of 2 federal policies:
