Final answer:
Post-war America witnessed an increase in leisure activities due to more labor-saving devices. Americans engaged in sports, reading, and amusement park visits. Venues like Coney Island offered both thrills and educational experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rise of labor-saving devices in the post-war era allowed Americans to enjoy more leisure activities than before. This period saw an increase in both active and passive forms of leisure, including sports such as bowling, hunting, fishing, boating, and golf. Professional sports, especially team sports like baseball, basketball, and football, also saw a surge in popularity, with many Americans following the games on television. Moreover, the era experienced a boom in reading, driven by an expanding paperback market, with mysteries, romance novels, and works by authors like John Steinbeck, J.D. Salinger, and Ernest Hemingway being particularly popular. The circulation of magazines and comic books also reached new heights during this time.
In addition to these activities, amusement parks emerged as prominent venues for recreation, especially for those working in monotonous jobs. Parks like Coney Island's Dreamland not only offered thrilling rides like roller coasters and Ferris wheels but also attempted to provide educational experiences with reproductions of Swiss landscapes and Venetian canals. They featured various shows, including those with biblical themes. These amusement parks served as a form of escape for the working class from the struggles of their daily lives, offering a welcome respite from city squalor.