Baby Boomers
The Greatest Generation's Kids
The Baby Boomer Generation's parents came home from the war and began families resulting in the largest generation in the nation.
Causes
- Men coming back after World War II
- The idea to settle down and start families was greatly advertised
Some historians have argued that it was a part of a desire for normalcy after 16 years of depression and war. Others have argued that it was a part of a Cold War campaign to fight communism by outnumbering communists.
Characteristics
- The boom occurred within the 5-10 years after WWII ended
- 7.33 million babies were estimated to be born
- Many moved to the suburbs to raise their families, thus creating the suburban lifestyle.
- The families were very traditional and conservative, but the children grew up to be the most rambunctious generation; fighting for social, economic and political equality and justice for many disadvantaged groups
- While those jumped into the political life, others dropped out and grew out their hair, these were labeled as "hippies"
- This generation can be characterized by being very work centric and define themselves by their personal accomplishments, independent, and very competitive.
- Schools had to figure out how to deal with so many students entering their schools in the future.
Significance
- Today, the oldest baby boomers are already in their 60s. By 2030, about one in five Americans will be older than 65, and some experts believe that the aging of the population will place a strain on social welfare systems.
- America had to adjust as this generation grew up to a population that large.
Conclusion
- The baby boomer generation is one of America’s most impactful generations, both in size and accomplishments. They changed America as a whole.