Year 11 - History
The American Dream in the 1940s and 1950s
America 1920–1973, Opportunity and inequality
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils undergo a period study that provides an unfolding narrative which tells a story about a period that shaped the world we live in today. They look at the key events, developments, people and stories that defined the chosen period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to assess the extent to which the American dream was experienced in the post-war period.
Key Notes
- American incomes rose during the post-war period.
- Americans began to buy more consumer goods after the end of WW2.
- Government policies were introduced in the 1940s to support economic growth.
- Many people were unable to live the American Dream.
- There were significant inequalities in 1940s and 1950s America.
Vocabulary To Learn
- GDP: GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year
- consumerism: consumerism is a situation where growing amounts of non-essential goods are sold and purchased
- tariff: a government tax on imports into a country is called a tariff
- inequality: inequality is a situation in which some groups in a society have more advantages than others
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Women experienced no economic improvements in the post-war period.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
American incomes rose during the post-war period. Americans began to buy more consumer goods after the end of WW2.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'GDP'
GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Women experienced no economic improvements in the post-war period. Correction: Female employment fell and women suffered from lower pay than men but average incomes for women did still rise.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 1930s American popular culture Study Guide
- American people and the 'boom' in the 1920s Study Guide
- American recovery from the Great Depression Study Guide
- American society in the 1920s Study Guide
- Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement Study Guide
- Causes of the 'boom' Study Guide
- Change in Post-War America Study Guide
- Civil rights legislation in the 1960s Study Guide
- Direct action and the Civil Rights Movement Study Guide
- Effects of the Great Depression on American society Study Guide
- Losers of the 'boom' in 1920s America Study Guide
- Martin Luther King and peaceful protest Study Guide
- McCarthyism and the second Red Scare Study Guide
- Opposition to the New Deal Study Guide
- Post-war American popular culture Study Guide
- President Hoover and the 1932 presidential election Study Guide
- Racial tension in early 20th century America Study Guide
- Roosevelt's New Deal Study Guide
- Segregation in the USA Study Guide
- Social and civil progress in the USA, c.1950-1973 Study Guide
- The Great Depression Study Guide
- The New Frontier and Great Society Study Guide
- The Red Scare in 1920s America Study Guide
- The role of Henry Ford in the 'boom' Study Guide
- The US Feminist Movement in the 1960s and 1970s Study Guide
- The Wall Street Crash Study Guide
- Women and the 'boom' in 1920s America Study Guide
- World War Two and the US economy Study Guide
- World War Two and US society Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 History guide library.