Leisure Time in America

In the early 1800s, Americans spent their whole day working. Sunday was the only day off, and the only vacation days were Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the Fourth of July. People worked around 66 hours a week, which meant about 11 hours a day were spent at work.

By the 1950s, times had changed. People worked only 40 hours a week. The number of work hours per day was less, and most people had Saturdays and Sundays off each week. Most workers were also given two weeks of vacation time each year. People had a lot more free time.

Americans did lots of things with their free time. Many people watched movies. In the 1950s, the movies were now in color. People would drive their cars to a field with a big movie screen to watch a “drive-in” movie.

Many families also had their own television. TV was an amazing little box with pictures. Families sat down together at night to watch a TV show together. Shopping, sports, and traveling were other ways that people entertained themselves in their free time.