The US in 1950's History Essay Example

📌Category: History, History of the United States, United States, World
📌Words: 394
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 21 January 2022

I think the 1950's were a great time to live because of the great scientific, technological, and economic advances during that time period that led to the 1950's becoming known as "the happy days." Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, stated that "America at this moment stands at the summit of the world," and it truly did: World War II and the Great Depression were over, America had become the top military leader, the "space race" was on, "Levittowns" were springing up all over the country, and cars and appliances were becoming everyday necessities for middle-class citizens. (History.com Editors)  All of these new advances contributed to the sense of well-being that the 1950's would become known for. Americans at the time could only think of how things would continue to improve; after all, they had just achieved the American dream, something that had seemed impossible only a half-century before: who was to say that they couldn't do better?

"Better living through science" had already greatly improved the average American's life: chores had gone to the way of machinery, but other scientific discoveries were being made during this time period that would continue to impact Americans for decades to come. The emergence of discoveries such as X-rays, DNA, and polio vaccines helped the medical industry to invent new drugs and treatments, such as chemotherapy and synthetic penicillin. Of the scientific advances listed above, one in particular was an innovation: the polio vaccine, which saved hundreds of thousands of young lives during this time period; Americans had just been liberated from a terrible disease that, at the time, they had lived in fear of. With this in mind, it's no wonder that the 1950's were labeled "the happy days."

Americans also gained the Interstate Highway System in the 1950's, which led to an economic boom as Americans now thought of cars as necessity and in 1950, the auto industry set a record production rate of almost eight million vehicles; this boom created jobs, raised pay grades, and bolstered other industries, such as the oil and rubber industries. In my opinion, the auto industry was probably the one of the greatest factors of why the 1950's were the happy days, since back then cars were viewed as a sign of prosperity. All of these advances were why the 1950's were the happy days, and why I think that the 1950's were a great time to live in. In short, the 1950's were a great time to live because of the scientific, technological, and economic advances during that time period.

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