HIS-144-T5 - Topic 5 Assignment PDF

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Name: _ HIS-144: America after World War II Directions: Using resources from the Topic 5 Readings, including your textbook, materials provided by your instructor through class discussion, and materials from the GCU Library Guide for HIS-144 US History Themes, respond to the six prompts below. Each answer to the questions should be a minimum of 100-200 words The overall assignment must include three to five relevant scholarly sources in support of your content. While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. Wikipedia, Ask.com, ehow.com and other online information sites, encyclopedias, or dictionaries are not considered university academic sources and are NOT TO BE USED. 1. Explain the G.I. Bill. In what ways does it change America? The G.I. Bill was one of a number of influential social programs that was directed to ease soldiers’ reentry into life as a civilian after World War II. The G.I. Bill was called the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, but it was better known as the G.I. Bill of Rights or G.I. Bill. Unemployment benefits, opportunities for education, low-interest housing loans, and medical care were what was promised to millions of soldiers. As part of the opportunity for education, returning veterans were promised financial aid to attend college, which had been an exclusive domain of upper-middle class and wealthy people (Schultz, K., 2018). The G. I. Bill changed America by helping the armed services personnel be able to afford higher education to assist them in transitioning from military life to civilian life. It also has helped provide loans and mortgages for service personnel to purchase homes and land. The G.I. Bill epitomized the ways that actions of the government could change society in America and set the stage for more welfare-state legislation in later years (Schultz, K., 2018). According to Kathleen Frydl, who wrote The GI Bill (2009), 1

she focuses on the role of the G.I. Bill in evolving state’s power and how it became a model for doing what the New Deal had generally been unsuccessful in achieving, which was boosting “laggard social policy” (Schmidt, A.J., 2010).

2. Why did suburbanization occur after World War II? What changes does suburbia bring to American society? The baby boom and the suburban boom or suburbanization went hand in hand. It wasn’t long after World War II ended that developers like William Levitt began buying land on the outskirts of cities and used mass production approaches to build modest, inexpensive tract houses. Some of Levitt’s “Levittowns” were in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and would become some of the most famous symbols of suburban life in the 1950s. Returning soldiers were able to use the G. I. Bill to subsidize low-cost mortgages. It often cost less for a soldier to buy a house in the suburbs than to rent an apartment in the city (History.com Editors, 2010). The automobile transformed American life and in the 1950s cars became more accessible to many people in the middle and lower classes. The dramatic growth of the suburbs was combined with a new interest in cars and a quirk in the G.I Bill. Under the G. I. Bill, loans and financing were available for new homes, but not older homes that might need to be renovated. Because of this and other reasons, Americans were moving out of the cities and into the suburbs or green ring around the cities (Schultz, K., 2018). Rapid growth of the suburbs and the conformity that set in with it had at least 5 important results: the sudden end to the transformed gender roles that had been created by World War II, an increase in racial segregation, a postwar religious revival, more critics of conformity, and a lasting environmental footprint outside of America’s

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major metropolises. Because of women losing their jobs and working domestically at home after the war, a baby boom resulted (Schultz, K., 2018).

3. Why is the automobile so important to post war America? In the 1950s, the American economy grew stronger. Affluence and consumerism promoted a new lifestyle as people were moving to the suburbs, driving automobiles in massive numbers, and staying home to watch television. Cars were made more accessible to more people of the middle and lower classes. In 1956, the federal government passed the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act. This authorized $25 billion to build 41,000 miles of interstate highways over the next ten years. This was the largest public works project in American history at the time and greatly aided in suburbanization and automobile transportation. Eight in ten Americans owned at least one car by the end of the 1950s. Businesses like motels, drive-ins, and fast-food restaurants sprang up throughout the country and reflected the dominance of transportation via the automobile. Suburbs also expanded since most people could afford to drive to a job in the city. People’s love of cars came at a cost as plans to extend public transportation systems were put on hold. Instead of building train tracks or subway systems, roads were expanded by the federal and state governments (Schultz, K., 2018). With automobile dealers making cars, automobiles needing fuel and maintenance, roads needing to be built and maintained, and other amenities and processes that go along with automobiles jobs were created or more workers were needed to fill vacancies dealing with automobiles which was a benefit to the economy.

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4. Describe gendered spheres in American society before WWII and how they changed after the war. Domestic hardships and responsibilities were heightened and pressures for Americans to conform to social and cultural norms during wartime. Rosie the Riveter was one of the most popular icons of the war. She was a strong, self-assured woman who confidently exclaimed, “We Can Do It!” as women entered the workforce during the war (National WWII Museum, n.d.) During the war, millions of women entered industrial and white-collar jobs while the men who had previously done these jobs were fighting in the war. As soldiers returned most female workers were fired in order for the jobs to be returned to the men. This transitioned the women back into a role of domestic life, staying home to raise the children. After the war, there were people who had fought for the Four Freedoms who wanted to begin families. This resulted in a baby boom; 76 million children were born in less than 20 years after World War II. In the 1950s, childcare experts, magazines, television, and politicians believed in the notion that women should return to the home and care for their children (Schultz, K., 2018). Bettye Frieden, a writer, feminist, and women’s rights activist published a book, The Feminine Mystique in 1963. This book explores the idea of women finding fulfillment beyond traditional roles. Friedan returned to work after her first child was born in 1948 only to lose her job when becoming pregnant with her second child. At this time, she stayed home to care for her family but was restless. She wondered if she was the only woman feeling this way—willing and able to be more than a stay-at-home mom. In her book, she created a social revolution and dispelled the myth that all women were happy being homemakers (Friedan, B., 2014). 4

5. What was the role of religion in post-World War II American society? Religion remained a vibrant and vital part of American society postwar in the 1960s and early 1970s contrary to what was predicted. Even though new issues and interests have emerged, religion remains. Diversity characterizes late twentieth-century religious life from the rest of America’s history. The 1960s were a turning point for religious life as well as other aspects. The “Protestant establishment” that includes the mainline denominations of Baptist, Congregationalists, Disciples, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians dominated the religious scene with occasional Catholic or Jewish voices dimly in the background. The first half of the century faced some religious challenges, especially during the 1920s, but after World War II, people seemed to be ambitious about replenishing their spiritual wells. There were challenges from the Civil Rights movement, Women’s Liberation, “alternative religions” like yoga, transcendental meditation, Buddhism, and Hinduism, that challenged the traditional church. In the late 1960s to early 1970s, religion itself wasn’t as rejected as much as institutionalized Christianity (Beckman, J., 2000). 6. Explain the development of youth culture in post war America. America’s youth of the 1950s and 1960s were able to spend money on more items that they wanted rather than items that they needed. Their clothing was better and living conditions were better. The teens and youth were able to have fun and enjoy leisure activities like pop culture and the rock and roll music. Even though there was more freedom and independence for this generation of youth known as the “Baby Boomers”, they were the first youth to grow up with threats of nuclear war. The thought of nuclear attacks led to practice drills and exercises at school such as “duck and cover”, fire drills and evacuations, and other drills for safety. Even those the drills and 5

practices were essential in all American schools, the youth still believed that America could beat anything bad that might happen, and the drills did not phase them. The youth did not envision the thought of the Vietnam War and its after-effects. Youth postwar were able to pursue and express their interests in music, fashion, and other pop culture (Wagner, C., 2002).

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References Beckman, J. (2000). Religion in Post-World War II America. Retrieved from https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/trelww2.htm

Reference(s) Beckman, J. (2000). Religion in Post-World War II America. Retrieved from Reference(s) Beckman, J. (2000). Religion in Post-World War II America. Retrieved from Reference(s) Beckman, J. (2000). Religion in Post-World 7

War II America. Retrieved from Biography.com Editors. (2014). Betty Friedan Biography. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/activist/betty-friedan History.com Editors. (2010). The 1950s. HISTORY. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/1950s National WWII Museum New Orleans. (n.d.). Gender on the Home Front. The War. Retrieved from https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/gender-home-front Schmidt, A. J. (2010). The GI Bill. Journal of Social History, 2, 637. Retrieved from https://edsa-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=8765bbef-7461-47debf5f-0869c630233b%40sessionmgr4008 Schultz, K. (2018). HIST 5. Cengage. ISBN-13: 9781337294140. Retrieved from https://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2018/hist5_5e.php

Wagner, C. (July 17, 2002). World War II and the Post War PeriodYouth Culture. Historical Boy’s Clothing. Retrieved From: https://www.histclo.com/c ountry/us/yc/yc20pw.html Wagner, C. (July 17, 2002). World War II and the Post War Period-Youth Culture. Historical Boy’s Clothing. Retrieved from https://www.histclo.com/country/us/yc/yc20pw.html 8

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