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American Dreams and Challenges: A Postwar Perspective

Explore the affluence and anxiety of the postwar period from 1945-1960, with rapid economic growth, consumer goods demand, cold war spending, baby boom, and civil rights struggles. Dive into the reactions to Sputnik, the Interstate Highway System, and desegregation efforts. Witness the beginnings of Black activism with Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., advocating for equality. Discover the complexities and transformative events shaping America's societal fabric during this dynamic era.

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American Dreams and Challenges: A Postwar Perspective

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  1. 29 Affluence and Anxiety

  2. The Postwar Boom • 1945–1960: Rapid economic growth • Demand for consumer goods • Heavy government spending during cold war • Baby boom and shift of middle class to suburbs – depend on automobiles • Employment expands

  3. The Reaction to Sputnik • 1957: Russians launched Sputnik • American response • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) • National Defense Education Act—upgrade the teaching of science • Sense of failure, declined by 1960

  4. The Interstate Highway System

  5. The Struggle Over Civil Rights • Cold War prompted quest for American moral superiority • Legal discrimination against African Americans challenged U.S. self-image • Criticize Soviet Union for human rights violations • Blacks expected more in postwar America • Truman integrated Arms Forces

  6. Desegregating the Schools • 1954: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka • Segregation in schools unconstitutional • Desegregate “with all deliberate speed” • Massive resistance in Deep South – integration very slow • 1957: Eisenhower’s actions • Federal troops sent to Little Rock, Arkansas

  7. The Beginningsof Black Activism • Rosa Parks (active member of NAACP) refused to give up her seat to white man • Parks inspired the Montgomery bus boycott • 1955: Martin Luther King, Jr. led Montgomery bus boycott • King leads non-violent protests again segregation • Sit-ins protest segregation

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