An American History

948 ★ CHAPTER 24 An Affluent Society

tanks that had rolled off assembly lines in World War II, the region around the

Great Lakes lagged in defense contracts. In the long term, the continued funnel-

ing of federal dollars from the North and Midwest to the Sunbelt would prove

devastating to the old industrial heartland. But during the 1950s, the boom-

ing automobile industry, with its demand for steel, rubber, and other products,

assured the region’s continued prosperity.

The automobile, the pivot on which suburban life turned, transformed the

nation’s daily life, just as the interstate highway system (discussed later) trans-

formed Americans’ travel habits, making possible long-distance vacationing

by car and commuting to work from ever-increasing distances. The result was

an altered American landscape, leading to the construction of motels, drive-in

movie theaters, and roadside eating establishments. The first McDonald’s fast

food restaurant opened in Illinois in 1954. Within ten years, having been fran-

chised by California businessman Ray Kroc, approximately 700 McDonald’s

stands had been built, which had sold over 400 million hamburgers. The car

symbolized the identification of freedom with individual mobility and private

THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

5

5

82 90

90

90

94

29

29

94

15

15

15

15

25

25

40

40 44 40

40

44

10

10

10

10

10

75

24 75

75

16

(^495)
95
95
95
20 20
30
35
35
37
45 49 55
55
59
27
17
8
19
84
84
86
(^8080)
80
90
70 76
70
95
35
35
80
43
75
69
69
(^9694)
88
74 57
70
65
(^6585)
81
81
81
20
64 64
77
7177
79
80
90
76
88
87
78
91
8993
84
(^7526)
KS
Portland
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
San Diego
Tucson
El Paso
Albuquerque
Salt Lake City
Butte Billings
Cheyenne
SiouxFalls
Omaha
Kansas City
Oklahoma City
San AntonioHouston
Fort WorthDallas
Little Rock
New Orleans
Mobile
Montgomery
Birmingham
Jacksonville
Tampa
Miami
Savannah
Atlanta
Charleston
Nashville Charlotte
St. Louis
Minneapolis
Chicago Detroit
Indianapolis
LouisvilleCincinnati
ColumbusWashington, DC
New York
Boston
OR
CA
ID
WY
MT
NV
UT
AZ
NM OK
CO
AR
MO
IA
MN
WI
IL
OH
MS AL GA
SC
NC
FL
LA
MI
IN
PA
ME
VTNH
MA
CT RI
DE
MD
WA
TX
KS
NE
SD
ND
WV VA
TN
KY
NJ
NY
H1 H2
HonoluluH3
HI
AKno
interstatehighways
0
0
250
250
500 miles
500 kilometers
0
0
150 miles
150 kilometers
0
0
500 miles
500 kilometers
Begun in 1956 and completed in 1993, the interstate highway system dramatically altered the
American landscape and Americans’ daily lives. It made possible more rapid travel by car and
stimulated the growth of suburbs along its many routes.