America After World War II

World War II brought several changes to the world and specifically America. It not only changed the world map but also set impact on the behaviours. WWII played a major role in building turning points during different periods. Before WWII, African Americans were not offered equal rights in the community. It was considered an impossible thing that African could ever do a white collar or even a blue collar job. However, soon after the WWII, there came a turning point in the lives of African American with the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

After World War II, the American psyche became permanently stained with new ideas. During this time period, the American government actively sought to change the way the American people thought. The support of the American public was crucial to the success of the war effort. Many ideas introduced during this point of time consisted of new roles of certain people groups in American society. Women and minority groups would prove themselves in the workplace, millions of citizens would be discriminated against, and social barriers would be broken and assembled. Even though World War II took place in Europe and the Pacific, it made lasting social changes that can still be seen in America.

In his book The Best War Ever: America and World War II, Michael Adams tries to dissolve the many misconceptions of World War II. As the title of the book implies, The United States left the war with a great optimistic view of the these “glorious” five years. The United States as a population had been tricked into believing in the, at times, fabricated conditions of its history that had been presented to people as some beautiful stories and myths where nations are viewed as being first-rate in union and morality. These so-called myths were created out of several factors. Because of Hollywood, the vast amounts of government propaganda, and far-reaching economic prosperity, Americans were, for the most part, hidden from the real truth of The Second World War. In this period of time, even, the generation of the Second World War is seen as being top-notch in morality and unity. There was a popular misconception held that there were no problems in terms of ethnicity or gender; it seemed that families were living contented lives and children excelled in school and read all kinds of books (115).

As a young woman that has experienced both World Wars, I can now say that World War II has altered the manner of the U.S. World War II was the most widespread and deadliest war in history and there were two sides of the war, the Allies (United States, Great Britain, France, USSR, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and Yugoslavia) against the Axis Powers (Germany, Japan, Italy Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria). Our involvement began in 1941 with Japan’s aggressive attack on Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Hawaii and ended in 1945 with a win by the Allies, bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During and after the war, I strongly believe that the United States changed for the better with strong heros like Richard Winters and Ira Hayes, an economic boom, and women entering the workforce.

World War II began on September 1, 1939. At this point, it was up to US to either join the war or stay out it. President Roosevelt knew that the only way US was going to remain the greatest country in the world was by joining the war and winning it. So in order to prove that US is the greatest country, President Roosevelt defeats couple nations, helps couple nations and mobilizes United States.

In the USA after World War 1 ended in 1918 there was a new hope and optimism which was an inevitable reaction to war as people look for a better life. The first world war created a surge of energy and ambition in the nation more so than in any other nation in the world. This new found energy was created by the industrial power increased from government encouragement as well as the introduction of mass production which gave cheaper consumer goods and so helped lead into the American dream. The American dream was also helped by the increase of wages which meant that they had more money to spend on creating the dream American home and lifestyle, this extra money meant that they could also have more freedom leading to the era being known as the Era of Jazz, which also challenged the traditional patterns that had been brought through from small towns. In 1921 after the Wall Street Crash the few things that the government did well are that they set up the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932 to loan money to private corporation and then a wider range of community loans were offered in the Glass-Seagall Act while finally there were also cheaper home mortgages offered in the Federal Home Loan Bank Act. The final Act that was created in 1932 was the Emergency relief and Construction Act that gave relief money to states for federal and local public works when their budgets couldn 't fit the needed changes in. In 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated into power and

How did world war one impact American society? What led to the shift in the American position regarding entrance into WW1? Compared to today’s U.S. foreign policy in terms of isolation to involvement in world affairs? We as americans would like to know this information to see if this war would have never happened, Would our society be different? Would this change our position in this world? Would our American policies that we know of as people today never exist?

The 1920s seemed to promise a future of a new and wonderful way of life for America and its citizens . Modern science, evolving cultural norms, industrialization, and even jazz music heralded exciting opportunities and a future that only pointed up toward a better life. However, cracks in the facade started to show, and beginning with the stock market crash of 1929 the wealth of the country, and with it the hopes and expectations of its people, began to slip away. The Great Depression left a quarter of the population unemployed and much of the rest destitute and uncertain of what the future held. Wealth vanished, people took their money out of banks, and plans were put on hold. The most significant way in which the Great Depression affected Americans’ everyday lives was through poverty because it tore relationships apart and damaged the spirit of society while unexpectedly bringing families together in unity.

Many outstanding life lessons have been learned as a result of the two World Wars that were fought on this Earth. World War 1 began essentially after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo June 28th 1914. There is debate as to whether or not this one was the main catalyst but there certainly were other factors that could have played a part. There were political changes happening in major European nations at the time also the industrial revolution was in full swing by then. World War II on the other hand was largely a result of Nazi Germany coming to power behind Adolf Hitler. The Nazi’s wanted to expand not only German influence but also expand German territory. Japan was not happy with the United States at the time the United States had been selling Japanese oil and rubber. Japan was in a war with China and the United States did not approve. Therefore, the United States placed an embargo on Japan. This resulted in Japan waging a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor that then drew the United States into World War ll.

The image of post World War II America is, generally speaking, identified as an era of wholesomeness revolving around the nuclear family, the emergence of the suburban middle class and most importantly social conformity. This period was also marked as one of oppression towards those that did match the image of a good American citizen such as African Americans, working women, and homosexuals. All of these groups, more or less, were subjected to legislation that blatantly limited their freedoms as American citizens as well as demonization through the media and propagandist images and news stories. For these oppressed groups, the mid 20th century almost appeared to be a completely different world in comparison to the early 1900s when these restrictions weren’t in place.

Following the increase in immigration rates to the United States during the postwar period, how well immigrants do in the US Labour market in terms of earnings and opportunities has been of great interest to Labour economists. Prior to the early 1960’s systems of immigration quotas such as the National Origins formula were in place aimed to reduce the number of individuals seeking to enter and reside in the country, however following the Hart-Cellar Act (1965) there was an upsurge in immigrants relocating to the US. This increase has provided for a lot of data that allows us to analyze many trends related to immigration leading to the development of policies that result in economic well-being.

Living in a society post World War II where social revolution is said to be unnecessary, there was solidity on Americans in the 1950s to conform to certain expectations and values. During the peak of the Cold War, any one who did not share the same values would be accused of being a communist. These common values that Americans believed in the 1950s were a "liberal consensus" that described America as an unflawed society that worked and did not suffer from any major struggles. The liberal consensus was based on the assumption that nationally America was full of hope. It was a period of economic success lasting from 1945 to1965. The certainty infused in America from this concept to fuel economic growth, defend individual rights and establish political equality seems well established yet by 1968 the liberal consensus had fallen apart. With the emergence of the New Left, hatred and disruptive opinions arose towards the government and our pointless participation in Vietnam, exposed major problems of the American public toward the liberal consensus, failing it to the point where it shattered.

How does the set contribute to a representation of America after World War II? What would be necessary to stage All My Sons?

Americans, after learning of the destruction and cost of World War I, did not want the United States to become entangled in another European conflict that could lead to another devastating war. Americans viewed Europe’s nations as conflict prone and probable to become caught up in internal and external disputes.

Often, the 1930s are classified as the age of economic depression. Although true, the decade has proved to be a time of reform and hope. In the midwest a series of windstorms occurred accompanied by a harsh drought causing the Dust Bowl, while in the more industrialized north, citizens struggled to find jobs. From song lyrics to baseball cards, artifacts from the decade rejuvenated the once crushed spirits of the American people. However, not all Americans regained a sense of hope, and instead some resorted to toxic ways to ease their minds. Moreover, as the Great Depression trudged on through the 1930s, American citizens searched for a way to escape their hardships, yet remained