https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/
What happened in 1971? The Nixon Shock, which is when the dollar stopped being convertible to gold after it became evident that the US did not have the gold it claimed to have.
It means that the Bretton Woods economic system was very favorable for Americans while it lasted. And the middle class could afford a house, a car, have multiple kids, send those kids to college, and have the living standard referred to as "the American dream".
You could even get a job without a college degree, marry in your 20s and sustain a household on one job.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system#Wartime_d...