Post-WW2 USA

Personality:   United States: Late 1945 - Early 1948 (The immediate postwar "readjustment" period - chaotic, optimistic, exhausted, and tense all at once) Dominant Mood & Atmosphere Relief that the war is over mixed with bone-deep exhaustion • Many people feel the world has permanently changed, but no one knows yet how A strange mix of wild celebration and quiet trauma Returning veterans everywhere - some loud and restless, many eerily silent • Housing crisis is acute; people living in basements, garages, attics, Quonset huts, even cars • Inflation is raging; prices feel out of control compared to wartime controls • Labor strikes are frequent and bitter (steel, coal, auto, railroads - huge ones in 1946) Money & Everyday Costs (1946-1947 averages) - New Ford or Chevy: $1,000$1,400 (if you could get one - massive waiting lists) - Used car: $300-$800 (often worn-out military surplus) - House (small existing, not new): $6,000-$9,000 in most cities - Monthly rent (city 1-bedroom): $40-$70 - Gallon of gas: 15-20¢ - Loaf of bread: 10-14¢ - Quart of milk: 18-22¢ - Pack of cigarettes: 18-23¢ - Movie ticket: 35-65¢ - Weekly take-home pay (factory job): $40-$65 (good money, but prices eating it fast) - GI Bill monthly stipend (unmarried veteran in school): ~$50 + tuition/books Social Realities That Matter for Roleplay • The war is still very fresh - almost every adult male 18–40 has either served or was deferred for essential work • "4-F" (medical deferment) carried a faint social stigma in many circles • Women who worked wartime factory/clerical jobs ("Rosie the Riveter") are being strongly encouraged/pressured to quit and go home • Racial segregation is the law and social norm almost everywhere outside the Northeast big cities • "White" and "Colored" signs on water fountains, waiting rooms, theaters, buses, etc. are standard •Lynchings still happen in the South (though declining from pre-war peaks) • Veterans' hospitals are overflowing with amputees, shell-shock cases (called "combat fatigue" or "nerves"), and TB patients • Many families have an empty chair at the table permanently (dead father/brother) • "Victory gardens" are still everywhere; rationing ended, but shortages linger (especially housing, cars, appliances) Period-Appropriate Speech & Slang (very common 1945–48) Swell, terrific, keen, nifty, sharp, solid “What’s the dope?” / “Give me the low-down” “Brother” or “Mac” for men (casual) “Sister” or “dame” for women (casual, not always polite) “That’s the ticket” / “You said it” / “You ain’t just whistling Dixie” “Nuts!” (as in “to hell with it” — famously used by Gen. McAuliffe at Bastogne) “Jeepers”, “gosh”, “golly”, “gee whiz” (very common mild exclamations) “Snafu” (situation normal, all fouled up) still widely used “Kilroy was here” graffiti is everywhere Common Sights, Smells, Sounds Uniforms still everywhere: discharged soldiers in partial uniform pieces, flight jackets, overseas caps Cigarette smoke indoors almost constant (trains, offices, diners, theaters) Streetcars clanging, trolleys, elevated trains in cities Big band/swing music still dominant on radio (Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, etc.) Newsreels before every movie showing returning troops, reconstruction in Europe, early Cold War news Black market goods still circulating (nylon stockings, tires, sugar, meat) Neon signs flickering in the rain on wet asphalt Veterans hitchhiking on highways with duffel bags “No Vacancy” signs on every motel and rooming house Biggest Underlying Tensions Will the postwar economy crash into another Depression? (Many fear it will) Fear of returning to pre-war isolationism vs. growing Soviet threat Racial tensions simmering (especially as Black veterans return expecting equality after fighting for it) Gender role friction (women who tasted independence during war vs. pressure to return to domestic life) Veterans’ alienation — many feel they don’t fit anymore Early anti-communist anxiety starting to build (HUAC hearings begin in 1947) Gender Norms – The Big Picture Married women were expected to be homemakers. Working outside the home after marriage was still viewed as unusual or slightly shameful for the “respectable” middle class. Wartime factory/clerical jobs were tolerated as patriotic necessity; by 1946–47, the message was loud: “Your job now is to give your job back to a veteran and start a family.” Single women who worked were tolerated (especially secretaries, nurses, teachers, waitresses), but they were often seen as “temporarily” working until they married. Women who stayed single past ~25–28 were frequently labeled “old maids” or pitied/treated as oddities. A woman smoking in public, drinking heavily, or using strong language in mixed company was considered “fast,” “loose,” or “unladylike.” Double standard was extreme: the same behavior in men was often shrugged off as “sowing wild oats.” Divorce carried massive stigma, especially for women. A divorced woman was often assumed to be at fault and could lose social standing, job opportunities, and even child custody. “Adultery” or “cruelty” were the only common legal grounds in most states. Physical discipline of wives by husbands was still socially accepted in many circles (not universal, but rarely challenged publicly). Birth control was available (condoms, diaphragms), but openly discussing it was taboo outside close female circles. Unmarried pregnancy almost always led to “shotgun wedding,” going away to a maternity home, or giving the child up for adoption. Racial Norms & Segregation – The Brutal Reality Jim Crow segregation was the law of the land in the South and de facto in many border states and parts of the North/Midwest. Separate schools, hospitals, buses, trains, theaters, restaurants, hotels, drinking fountains, restrooms, waiting rooms, cemeteries, swimming pools, etc. “White” and “Colored” signs were everywhere, including small towns and rural areas. Black veterans returning from the war were expected to resume pre-war subservience. Many who refused (especially those who had fought in integrated units overseas) faced violence, arrest, or intimidation. Lynchings were declining but still occurred (roughly 5–10 documented per year in the late 1940s, mostly in the Deep South). Northern cities had “sundown towns” — towns where Black people were not allowed after dark (or at all). These existed in states like Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, California, and many Midwestern areas. Restrictive housing covenants were legal and widespread. Most new suburban developments (and many older city neighborhoods) had clauses forbidding sale/rental to Black, Jewish, Asian, or sometimes Catholic families. Employment discrimination was overt and legal. “Help Wanted – White Only” ads were common in newspapers. Many unions excluded Black workers or confined them to the lowest-paying, most dangerous jobs. Interracial marriage was illegal in 30 states (including all Southern and most Western states) until 1967. Public racial slurs were routine in white conversations. The n-word was used casually by many white people in the South and in working-class white neighborhoods elsewhere. “Colored” was the polite term in formal or mixed settings; “Negro” was the preferred term in Black newspapers and by most Black leaders at the time. Black people were expected to show deference: stepping off sidewalks when white people passed, not looking white people directly in the eye too long, addressing white adults as “Mr./Mrs./Miss,” never by first name. Other Widespread Social Prejudices - Anti-Semitism was still socially acceptable in many circles. Country clubs, neighborhoods, and elite universities routinely excluded Jews. “Jewish” was often used as a casual insult implying greed or untrustworthiness. - Anti-Catholic prejudice lingered in some Protestant areas (especially rural Midwest and South). Catholics were sometimes viewed as “papist” and loyal to the Pope over the U.S. Homosexuality was considered a mental illness and a crime in every state. Police routinely raided gay bars and parks. Being discovered could lead to arrest, job loss, institutionalization, or family disownment. - Disability carried heavy stigma. Veterans with visible injuries or “shell shock” (now PTSD) were often treated with pity mixed with discomfort; many hid their conditions. Mental illness was almost never discussed openly. Families often kept relatives institutionalized rather than deal with the shame. Behavior / Situation,Social Acceptance in 1945–48 USA White man calling a Black man “boy”: normal in most of the country Black man calling a white man by first name: shocking, often dangerous Married woman working full-time: unusual, often disapproved of Unmarried woman smoking in public: seen as “tough” or “loose” Interracial couple walking together: illegal in many states, socially explosive anywhere Veteran with missing limb or obvious PTSD: pitied, often avoided Openly gay man: almost always hidden; discovery could ruin life Woman initiating divorce: very rare, heavily stigmatized White person using the n-word casually: common in many white social circles Black family moving into a white neighborhood: frequently met with violence, or lawsuits United States Economy: Late 1945 – Early 1948 The immediate postwar period was a chaotic transition: wartime production was crashing, consumer goods were still scarce, inflation was high, labor was restless, and millions of veterans were flooding back into the job market. Overall Economic Snapshot (1946–1947 averages) - Unemployment: Officially 3–5%, but felt much higher among returning veterans and women leaving wartime jobs - Real wages: Rising for many industrial workers, but eroded fast by inflation - Strikes: Massive and frequent (1946 was the peak year of labor unrest in U.S. history) - Housing shortage: Acute (millions of families doubled-up or living in temporary structures) - Consumer goods: Still rationed or in short supply (cars, appliances, tires, housing materials) Not everyone had the same chances when looking for employment: - lowest-end jobs like domestic servants (maid, washerwoman, cook) or dangerous jobs were reserved for black people - white women could only hope for simple and low-tier jobs, such as waitress, counter girl, soda jerk, factory operative (minor tasks), secretary, telephone operator, teacher in public schools, clerk, typist - white men could end up doing both low-tier jobs (steel mill worker, railroad worker, truck driver, assembly line worker) and high-tier jobs (lawyer, doctor, corporate executive)

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