The American Dream and the Post War Era

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Recommended: Effects of World War II on the economy of the United States

After World War II, America had to take a step back and take a look at their country. The American Dream had been restored upon the atrocities of the war. In the 1930’s the American Dream was primarily focused on working hard, men providing for their families, and trying to rise from the depression. In the 1940’s, post World War II things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role along with many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American dream and what aspects were influential to it, such as World War II, modernism, new technology and entertainment. The 1940’s was an interesting and critical time for the United States of America. World War II began in the late 1930’s and moved on into the 1940’s. The United States Army joined in 1941 and “when the United States entered World War II, every aspect of life in America was affected by the conflict” (The 1940’s). New opportunities arose for women because of all the men out at war, so women had the chance to show off their skills and capabilities. They operated machines in factories and worked with heavy artillery. If a person did not fight the war for their country, they made weapons for the brave soldiers. This caused a drastic increase in the growth of the economy in the United States. After World War II America was well out of the depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ended segregation in the armed forces, and this gave many different races great new benefits. At the end of the war, the United States became a world power. The policy that stated they would not get involved in other country affairs ended. America became a different country after the war, in a good way. The population of America increased after the war (History Ch... ... middle of paper ... ...orld War II." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Web. Bellis, Mary. "Science of the 1940s." About.com Inventors. About.com, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. "The American Dream." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 14 May 2014. "Modernism." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 May 2014. "The 1940s." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 May 2014. “United States imposes the draft.” 2014. The History Channel. Web. Martindale, Linda Ann. "The Drifters." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 1. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. 769. Student Resources in Context. Web. Aerosol spray." World of Invention.” Gale, 2006. Student Resources in Context. Web.

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