What was America like in 1949?

Answer 1

too many people are selling their shares from companies so a lot of companies are going broke and more people are selling houses than people who are buying houses... it is difficult to get a job

Answer 2

• There were fewer people.
• There were no interstate highways and few bypass belt lines around cities.
• There were separate schools for whites and blacks .
• Many hotels and restaurants would not admit blacks.
• Blacks were known as Negroes or colored people- nobody called them blacks
• Black players were scarce in pro Baseball.
• Pro Basketball was not a big draw and there were no black players.
• TV stations broadcast only in the evening.
• Many places did not have dial telephones and even if they did, one had to go through an operator to place long distance calls.
• Long distance calls were expensive, say $1.50 within the state for 3 minutes
• Money was worth about 5 times what is worth today.
• Movies offered double features, although one was usually a so-called B picture in black and white. A show also included a cartoon, news reels, and a serial that continues from week to week. Admission was something like 50 cents for adults and 20 cents for kids.
• Stores and churches were not air-conditioned. They often had ceiling fans and wall fans. Grocery stores had screen doors.
• Meat was usually sold in butcher shops or locker plants.
• Locker plants offered cold storage lockers where one could keep a side of beef, etc.
• Milk was delivered to your door. There were also cleaners who picked up and delivered.
• Postage was 3 cents for letters, 1 cent for post cards, 2 cents for unsealed cards, air mail was 6 cents and special delivery was an extra 15 cents. In towns mail was delivered twice a day
• You go almost anywhere by train- every town of any size had a passenger depot.
• Doctors would make house calls .
• Cars did not have air-conditioning, Most had cowl ventilators and vent windows in front. Almost all cars were rear-wheel drive, so they was a hump in the middle of the floor for the drive shaft. Turn signals and back-up lights were not standard equipment. Nobody had seat belts.
• Self-service and central check-out was unusual. Most stores had counters, each served by a clerk who had his own cash register. You had to ask the clerk for what you wanted. Some stores had a central register, but each clerk would take your purchase up to be checked.
• In Illinois, sales tax was 2% and there was no state income tax.