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The United States society changed because of World War II
Impact of the cold war on U.S. policies
The Transformation of American Society after WWII
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The United States had a history of underprivileged and fearful Americans during this period of 1945 to 1961, it had evolved into r African Americans having civil rights, American society of modernization and dismantling communism. In Doc 1, 5, 7 contained African Americans political and social issues before the Civil Rights Movement, as well as Doc 4, 6 contained the fear of communism; therefore, Doc 2, 3 contained adaptable within American society. In 1947 Hoover’s Speech (a few years before United States won the World War II) reinstated to fight against the spread communism.The author purpose is to cleanse evilness of communism from American society. He justifies his reason by sentencing “identified” American communists. (Doc 4) Due to the Soviet Union belief of spread communism around the world, Americans took action within their own government by detaining American communists and spread the anti-communist ideals and to prevent it from spreading in other countries like Vietnam and Korea. This action would lead to a shift towards American cultural values; Americans were required to adapt anti-communism ideas of supporting the Cold War or considered and accused of being communist. …show more content…
In the map, it shows the conformity of neighboring house built in an idealistic model. The neighborhood map illustrates the suburbs style of newly formed society. (Doc 3) In the photograph, it proves how American are adapt to social change. The father figure reading the newspaper represent the olden age while the children watching the television represent the modern ages. The curtain represents the division between the two ages. (Doc 2) These adaptable to conformity was made easier by the technology industries, building machines to make more homes cheaper and
One of the biggest fears of the American people is that the concept of communism contrasts drastically from the concept of capitalism, which the United States was essentially founded upon. The United States, as the public believed, was not a land of perfect communal equality, but rather a land of equal opportunity. However, what made communism so dangerous can be succinctly described by Eisenhower who compared the spread of communism as the domino effect. As his secretary of state, Dulles, put it, the propagation of communism “would constitute a threat to the sovereignty and independence” of America (Doc B). In addition, the Cold War also planted the seeds of rational fear of a global nuclear war. As Russia caught up to the United States in terms of technological advancements, they successfully developed the atomic bomb as well as the hydrogen bomb, which caused Americans to believe that the USSR would use these weapons of mass destruction to forcefully extend their ideologies to the USA. In fact, Americans were so frantic about a potential nuclear disaster that it...
Valley Forge, was the toughest obstacle the Continental Army had to face during the Revolutionary War. For about nine months in the cold winter, these soldiers stayed in this area for them to"... be close enough to Philadelphia to keep an eye on the British"(Background). By the end of the war, the colonists were victorious in gaining their independence. Regardless, I would abandon my position as a soldier at Valley Forge. My reasoning are due to the multiple hardship they endure such as living in a harsh environment, sickness that lead to death and lacked numerous resources.
Communism has had an extremely negative impact on Americans—many people got fired for false accusations by the government. The case of Rosenberg has to do with this topic because Ethel Rosenberg did nothing wrong against the U.S., yet she was executed without evidence to support the government’s decision. Typical humans make harmful decisions when in fear, however, those decisions ensure safety for everyone
Starting in the 1830s, many immigrants came flooding into the United States of America due to hard times, famines, and economic opportunities. Everyday, thousands of underprivileged citizens would take on the task of being an American. To begin, many immigrants were Irish due to the Irish Famine in the late 1840s (Doc 2). According to Catherine Moran McNamara, “The Irish lived under awful stress. I’ve seen the family thrown out (Doc 2).” Meanwhile during the Irish Famine, many potato crops died, leaving families without a source of food or income(OI). However, the Irish were not the only culture going through tough times. In Greece, the pay was unbearable with only five dollars a day(Doc 3). Also, George Kokkas explains that Greece lacked education for the youth. He stated that “I was concerned for the education of my kids.
“Season of Hope” happened during 1870 to 1890. “Some blacks in the South pressured plantation owners into adopting individual family farming.” Also, black men’s voting rights were guaranteed and even some office accepted black. Benjamin Singleton, a slave who escaped from his owner tried to help other move to Kansas. Those who answered him were called “Exodusters”. Singleton helped black people start their own industries, even though he sooner realized he was not strong enough to do that. From 1890 the Southern states began to enforce white supremacy through disfranchisement and segregation. They tried to remove African-American from the vote list so that they could do whatever they want. Not only the race separation, black people were also
During the process of reading this compilation of works, Portrait of America, many different point of views were aired. The opinion or attitude on the subject was too tainted. The authors were very biased to their perception of the "story". This book could have been much more beneficial if the facts would have stayed to the straight and narrow. Only the detrimental facts needed to be applied to these chapters. For a history class, as broad as this, this book opened too many doors that could not be explained in as much detail as would be liked. Many of the authors enjoyed mentioning the most scandalous moments of the people's lives then dropped the fact without much support or follow through as to what happened to cause or end these events. Brief summaries only tease the mind, and with the course load of most students, there is hardly extra time to investigate the matter further in detail. For a class such as History 152, biographies and/or documentary style books are more worth the while of the student. For instance make a list of a selection of novels that could be read for the class, so that every student can then explore in depth what that student thinks is interesting. Although the book was teasing in nature the chapters did flow well and were easy to read. The procession of the chapters had wonderful transition as to not loose the student. While proceeding through this book there were several different reoccurring topics that appeared. This paper will discuss these two reoccurring topics: the civil rights movement and former presidents.
President Eisenhower implemented policies in order to keep Communism and Communist threats of war out of the United States, but these policies caused much fear in the American people concerning Soviet bombings and Communist spies. One such fear-inducing policy was McCarthyism, which was began by U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, and involved blaming innocent people for Communist activity in America, and President Eisenhower did not stop this incrimination of guiltless U.S. citizens. Eisenhower states in Document A that investigators either implementing McCarthyism or working for groups such as HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) were spreading hysteria among Americans, as they feared spies and deceit, as well as being accused as such by people who implemented McCarthyism. Paranoia of being thought of as, or blamed for being a Communist caused much conformity among Americans in order to seem “normal”, as well as a return to religion and traditional family values. Desp...
American intelligence was aware of the Soviet position and justification of expansionism. Further, the Soviets had made it clear that socialism and capitalism could never be harmonious which lead to U.S. to garner public support for the Cold War. Document 4, House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) testimony by J Edgar Hoover features allegations of Soviet threats to the the U.S. and provides a clear illustration of how the United States government set about shaping public opinion of the dangers of Communist Party by 1947.Within Document 4, highly respected crime fighter, FBI director J.Edgar Hoover articulates reasons why and the details of how and why communism should be found and rooted out of government. Hoover's testimony and statement to the HUAC became the platform from which cooperation, investigation and prosecution of communism had it’s earliest formal roots. More importantly, however, Hoover's testimony lead to America's heightened awakening to the threat of communism as well pushing an institutionalization of an anti-communism network. Details of prosecutions in the 1949 Smith Act trial are found in Document 10 and these details illustrate the extent to which Hoover’s testimony and statement paved the way for such far reaching prosecutions. Government prosecutors made great strides in connecting illegal acts of communism to the subversion of United States laws and Violation of the Smith Act throughout this
The ideas promoted by McCarthyism and the anti-communistic sentiment of the times were meant to push people away from non-conventional ways of thinking. Anything that was the slightest bit left or radical or even new could be construed as communistic. After Russia’s rejection to the Marshall Plan, a strong wave of communist fear began to sweep the nation and was being promoted by the U.S. government and the media. The early development of the Russian nuclear weapon brought grounds for suspicions of leaked information and the discovery and conviction of espionage for the Rosenbergs only fanned the flames of fear. The 1940’s were plagued with endless magazine articles like “How Communists Get That Way” and “Communists Are After Your Child.” Even President Truman’s Attorney General stated “There are today many Communists in America. They are everywhere--in factories, offices, butcher shops, on street corners, in private businesses--and each carries in himself the germs of death for society.” The Cold War had created a fear that democracy was in danger and that the American people must take drastic measures to ensure the continuance of their way of life. The first step taken in searching out “Communists” in the U.S. was the development of the House on Un-American Activities Committee or the HUAC. The HUAC was formed in the 1930’s but didn’t really become active until the Cold War controversies began in the forties and fifties and would assist Senator Joseph McCarthy in rooting out the “Reds”. The HUAC distributed millions of pamphlets to the American public cautioning: “One...
“Despite American affluence, the spread of communism and the threat of global atomic war plagued Americans with a sense of constant threat both from within and without” (Prono). Many Americans were being taught that communists were the enemy from when they were young, so it created a generation that had so much hate and were so scared of the communist influence.
...War and the Civil Rights Movements in order to illustrate how the 1960s was a time of “tumult and change.” To Anderson, it is these events, which sparked the demand for recognition of social and economic fairness. He makes prominent the idea that the 1960s served as the origin of activism and the birth of the civil rights movement, forever changing ideals that embody America. The book overall is comprehensive and a definite attention grabber. It shows how the decade had the effect of drastically transforming life in America and challenging the unequal status quo that has characterized most of the nation's history. Despite the violence and conflict that was provoked by these changes, the activism and the liberation movements that took place have left a permanent imprint upon the country.
The attitude of the citizens of the United States was a tremendous influence on the development of McCarthyism. The people living in the post World War II United States felt fear and anger because communism was related with Germany, Italy, and Russia who had all at one point been enemies of the United States during the war. If the enemies were communists then, communists were enemies and any communists or even communist sympathizers were a threat to the American way of life. "From the Bolshevik Revolution on, radicals were seen as foreign agents or as those ...
In conclusion dating back from the years of 1863 through 1950 certain people like; American women, lawbreakers and, immigrants either went through or, undergo; Americanization, restrictions ,unlawful teachings by harsh critique's that sparked controversy through the widespread of fear alongside unfair judgments from their writings, and the media was all bad behavior and, it should not have been tolerated. The 1920s foretell a dramatic fracture between America’s past and, it’s future. Before World War I the country persisted culturally and psychologically fixed in the nineteenth
After World War II, many Americans believed that Communism was a threat to the United States. I believe Joseph McCarthy provides the best case on how the United States is threatened by Communism. After the war ended, the United States was the most powerful nation, but unfortunately threatened by Communism. McCarthy believes that the most powerful people like the government, and wealthy have intentionally created a system that permits the enemy to guide and shape our policies. The enemy (government) is continuously covering up traitorous actions, treason, and the betrayals of the nation. Presidents Truman at one time orders all government to refuse to turnover any information in regards to Communist activities of any government employee
American Civil Rights Movement By Eric Eckhart The American Civil Rights movement was a movement in which African Americans were once slaves and over many generations fought in nonviolent means such as protests, sit-ins, boycotts, and many other forms of civil disobedience in order to receive equal rights as whites in society. The American civil rights movement never really had either a starting or a stopping date in history. However, these African American citizens had remarkable courage to never stop, until these un-just laws were changed and they received what they had been fighting for all along, their inalienable rights as human beings and to be equal to all other human beings. Up until this very day there are still racial issues where some people feel supreme over other people due to race.