Transpositional ideologies
Description
The American Dream has its origins in the tenets of this country: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal: among these [equalities] are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."1 The notion that happiness must be pursued, is integral to American cultural thought and ultimately the collective American Dream. Realization of this dream and its physical manifestation, however, are the direct result of an expanding industrial economy beginning in the 1940s. A myriad factors influenced the possibility of expansion into new suburbs within commuting distance of growing cities. The creation of the interstate and the boom of the auto industry made easy transportation into and out of the city a reality. Heightened manufacturing spurred by World War II, the growth of the stock market, and wage growth made fleeing the dense urban center an economic possibility, and for many a desirable pursuit. Cities grew at alarming rates and became overcrowded as a result of the industrial job market Yet, industrial waste made city life untenable; pollution permeated the air and disease filled the overcrowded streets. The desire to leave grew quickly, but it was not yet possible for many working class families until the 1944 G.I. bill.2 The bill increased the possibility of suburban home ownership through subsidized housing mortgages and loans, affording returning veterans the opportunity to participate in attaining the dream.3 To keep up with demand, construction techniques drew on the mass production methods of the auto industry and built "model" homes that were easily constructible with speed and an economy of means.4 Easy access to a autonomous home and yard outside of the city shifted demographics, the American landscape, and cemented the suburban model as the predominant mode of the American home for an idealized nuclear family.