Middle+Class+1st+Period

=__Rise of the Middle Class__=

**__Introduction__** Following the chaos that ensued due to World War II, Americans, especially the middle class, needed an occupational and financial pick me up. The government and corporations created programs, jobs, and opportunities for Americans returning from the war, and just for the citizen repairing the U.S. after the war. The government helped out veterans from WWII with college tuition and housing or business finances. Corporate jobs became more popular and more of standard for Americans. Suburban housing became very popular and houses sprung up everywhere. The middle class was doing well and become more prominent in America.

__G.I. Bill-Home Loans and College Assistance__
The G.I. Bill was a bill that gave returning World War II veterans the opportunity of college education and one year of unemployment compensation. There were tons of loans that were given to veterans so that they could buy a home or even start a business. On June 22, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into the G.I. Bill of rights law. By the time that the bill ended in 1956, 7.8 million World War II veterans went through the training programs and education. The bill continues on even today through a bill known as the Montgomery G.I. bill. Harry W. Colmery, a World War I veteran and the former Republican National Committee chairman, wrote the first draft of the G.I. Bill. He wrote his first ideas down on a napkin in a hotel in Washington D.C. Ernest McFarland is known as one of the founding fathers of the G.I. Bill. Stamp of G.I. Bill in 1944 **__Rise of White Collar Professionals__** After WWII U.S. industrial technology grew and was used in most jobs. Most manufacturing jobs were described as Blue Collar (manual labor) jobs. With this growing amount of automation in factories, there was less of a demand for factory workers and thus jobs were looked for elsewhere. White Collar jobs were high paying, sales, etc. The government and corporations provided more services like: insurance, advertising, selling of individual products services, etc. for America after WWII, therefore creating more corporate jobs for Americans. Before WWII, the percentage of jobs in America labeled as White Collar, was 31. It jumped to 36 in 1950, and by 1970 it was 47. The businessman become more and more likable and logical to the working American. Ever since the depression companies didn't want their business to rely on a single commodity, because the financial risk was too high. These large, diverse companies were called conglomerates Conglomerates would have several services and products available, creating even more jobs. The people in these corporate, White Collar jobs were very happy because of the consistency and stability of the job. Although it was conformity in the highest degree, it maintained balance in the U.S. economy. Don Draper from the AMC television series //Mad Men//

__American Dream__
During the Great Depression, the idea of the American dream was lost when the country went into economic failure. When America had a victory in World War II, it became the strongest nation worldwide which brought new hopes and dreams for its people. The idea that if you work hard enough, you can succeed is one major aspect of the American Dream. Through this idea the United States of America became an emblem of success and new opportunities that everyone wanted to benefit from. Soldiers were returning from the war with money in their pockets and hopes of starting a new life. With this attitude the economy was great and American citizens were happy. During this time America was able to build more schools and universities, an interstate highway system, secure home mortgages and new technology that led us to the moon. The ending of World War II, made the American dream possible again and showed the world was a truly great nation America was. The American dream

One thing to note is that when many Veterans came back from war they were promised loans for education and for buy homes. Unfortunately they were greeted by the fact that there were very little houses to buy. And those that were available were NOT affordable.
 * __Post-WWII Suburban Construction Boom__ **

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The business man and well known house builder, William Levitt, had a brilliant idea: To build houses side by side and sell them for cheap prices. Regular one story houses next to each other. They built the community with such detail that children would not have to walk across the street to get to school. This magical Utopia was called Levittown. Eventually he would add two story houses to the community, but he __never__ built the same houses side by side. People moved in so fast that they they had to walk to the their doors on wood planks to avoid the wet grass. Nothing can be too perfect right? Well one of the dirty little secrets that Levittown had was there was no African-American people allowed to live there. William Levitt said, "As a Jew, I have no room in my mind or heart for racial prejudice," Levitt insisted in 1954. "But by various means, I have come to know that if we sell one house to a Negro family, then 90 to 95 percent of our white customers will not buy into the community." That is their attitude, not ours." Obviously this was not an excuse but, when one African-American family moved in they were taunted by racial slurs and rocks were thrown at them until they left. Some residents still live there today.======

**__Conclusion__** America was happy to give aid to it citizens after the war, and it proved that by providing financial, scholastic, occupational, and housing support. The reparation period for America was occurring and going well. All the things set up during this period have a had a major impact on America today, in fact the G.I. Bill is still in place today. The effect is essentially everlasting.

Work Cited: [|"As a Jew, I have no room in my mind or heart for racial prejudice," Levitt insisted in 1954. "But, by various means, I have come to know that if we sell one house to a Negro family, then 90 to 95 percent of our white customers will not buy into the community. That is their attitude, not ours."] [] []How the GI Bill Transformed The American Dream