Changing Families after World War II

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Starting New Households

Many of the people who fought in World War II enlisted in their late teens or early twenties. For this age cohort, living arrangements often changed dramatically between the 1940 and 1950 censuses. Simply put, they had become adults during this pivotal decade. By 1950, they were no longer living with parents (as in 1940) but more likely married with their own children. They had started their own households.

Crowd of military Service members holding up newspapers with "PEACE" headline in large letters

This raises some questions about the previous lesson. How useful is family structure if most WWII Veterans had changed households between 1940 and 1950? For those who were in their late teens or early twenties when they enlisted, using family structure will help connect 1940, 1930, and (if the Veterans were old enough) 1920 censuses. For Veterans who were slightly older, family structure may still be a useful tool to bridge 1940 and 1950 censuses.

When researching, it never hurts to have more tools at your disposal! If you are searching for a Veteran in 1950, you may also want to look for their parents (for whom family structure could still help) in 1950. If you can find the parents, you should be able to confirm whether the Veteran was or wasn’t still living with them.

The Research Value of Change

Change in personal circumstances in this decade might make it more difficult to know that the person in the 1940 census is indeed the same person in the 1950 record. But if that is the downside of such change, there is something inherently interesting about it too.

Personal Circumstances

What if something changed? As you compare what the 1940 and 1950 censuses reveal about a Veteran, you might ask: How had their lives changed? Were they living in the same town or state? Was their job very different from what their parent(s) had done? If they had married, was their spouse from a similar or different background?

Young men outside an Army recruiting office in Dallas, Texas. A poster emphasizes that “3 Years in the U.S. Regular Army will earn you 4 Years in the college you choose,” January 1, 1946. (National Archives)

Two young men stand outside a recruiting office. Between them is a poster discussing the benefits of enlisting in the Army.
Title page of GI Bill pamphlet

Explaining Change

Was military experience a factor in change? The census will reveal change but not always explain it. For your future research you might ask questions such as: Did the Veteran obtain a skill in the military that transferred to civilian life? Did they benefit from the GI Bill? Did they meet their future spouse in the course of their service?

Title page of pamphlet The GI Bill of Rights and How It Works, Washington, DC: 1945. (Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC10047.03.299)