Introduction

The 1950s is a decade in U.S. history that is often referred to as a time of “booms.” Post–World War II economic growth and consumer spending, population growth, and suburban expansion are defining characteristics of those years. In this lesson, you will explore what led the United States to this period of financial prosperity; how economic factors, new technologies, cultural norms, and advertising drove consumer spending; and whether all Americans were able to benefit from the economic growth  of the 1950s. At the end of the lesson, you will construct a written response to the essential question: