Through its history, America has experienced a plethora of tragedies and victories, each making an impression on its identity. But as with all things, it did not evolve overnight into what it is. Politics are the brain of the country, but the people are the heartbeat. The direction of the former depends on the status of the latter and certain events affect the citizens of a country beyond repair. War shakes a nation to its core, transforming every facet of society. Sometimes it is for the better, but not every time. Throughout the last century the US has had the misfortune of going through three wars, each very different. The start of the century kicked off with World War I, giving the nation economic as well as societal changes, from the growth of Progressivism to the start of the journey for women's equality that would shape the political world of the 21st century. As for the next World War which came all too soon, it gave America the patriotism that was so long admired and the unity of thought on a national matter. Yet again, women in the war transformed their role in society, but this time even greater. However the economy did not fare so well, and suffered even more from Roosevelt's policies and massive tax implements affecting the the future decisions regarding the deficit and budget. To finish, Vietnam was an even greater disappointment to our nation. The riots and movements of the day regarding communism which was the enemy, and the open hate towards the soldiers from the media seriously hurt the war and the nations view of it. NOt to mention Nixon's feeding of the welfare beast and EPA. All in all, despite every other event of American history, very few have had as much of an affect on the nation politically as WWI, WWII ...
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...ca completely which would indeed change the nation both politically and socially. Finally, the Vietnam War was a rather disappointing one. Embarrassing the government, giving no support to the troops and transforming the education of our nation, it left an ugly mark that would never be fully erased. In conclusion, wars are perhaps the most influential factor in shaping a nation, and WWI, WWII, and Vietnam all had their share in making America what it is today.
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...conflict. The war had a profound effect on the United States domestic life. The government had massive spending. The more than $150 billion spent throughout this war led to a severe economic crisis (Lawrence, 171.) The war also caused Americans to not trust their governmental leaders for the first time in history. This was due to the Watergate scandal along with the war efforts (Lawrence, 172.) Due to the profound effects economically and socially the war had on Americans, the U.S. should have not proceeded to entering into a battle that was not their own.
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1.The dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima was necessary to end the war with the least number of total casualties and in the fastest possible way. The figures regarding the exact number of American lives that would’ve been lost has been highly debated, but considering the great resolve that the Japanese army had, they would almost surely have been more than those killed in Nagasaki, and that is just on the American side. I do not value American lives more than the lives of the innocent, many of whom were victims to the attack, but it is important to remember that regardless of whether we had dropped the bomb or not, we were fighting total war. In the many battles that would’ve occurred if the war had continued, women and children may have still been victims as we advanced our troops. These battles could’ve taken as long as another year, and who can say when the Japanese would’ve finally surrendered? They were filled with pride and resilience, and many soldiers would’ve prefered to die with honor, defending their homeland, than to surrender.
Henretta, James A., and David Brody. America: A Concise History. Vol. 1. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
Henretta, James A and David* Brody. America: A concise History . Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Document.
As we are all aware that America was not shaped over night, there were – in fact – certain instances in history that radically determined the shape of our great country. Many things will certainly come to mind, if you simply think about it long enough. The Revolutionary War, may pop into your minds first. Next may come the Civil War. Perhaps the Constitution, or the Founding Fathers? While all of these were detrimental to the formation of America, there is yet another part of history that influenced our country today. This would be the War of 1812. While many simply think of it as a great victory over the British in the climactic finale which is the Battle of New Orleans, the significance lies further beneath the red, white and blue patriotic stories. The War of 1812 redefined our nation’s status in the world, leading into the great blessed country of freedom. Logically; however, if we are to understand why the war changed America, we must first examine the war itself, the reasons behind it, the outcome, and the significance of all. If America had not won – or even declared – the war, we would be living in a completely different world today.
Participating in the Vietnam war caused a lot of blood and huge expense. U.S. governement had moved a lot of money away from domestic priorities to the military for fighting with Vietnam. Many U.S. citizens started to question the necessarily, the wisdom and the morality of the war; many anti-war organizations and even many liberals also doubted the role the U.S. government played in the international relation. However, there were still some Americans supported the war. The Vietnam war revealed how undemocratic America had become, and liberals started splitting into two extreme parts. Additionally, the economy had also become inflationary; the economy could not continue to support the social construction and economic aid, which potentially caused the fall of the liberal
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.
Rockoff, Hugh. "U.S. Economy in World War I." EHnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
There was nothing that affected America in 20th century like the vietnam war,It tore the nation apart .It was a costly war which took three million lives . The main reason it has so much impact on america was that some people were for the war but so many were against it .The younger nation ,especially the young men who were drafted ,did not...
The Vietnam War was the first major war American’s had suffered defeat. The Vietnam war was a war of confusion, competition and biasness. The outcome of the war was far greater than an upset American nation, but a severe breakdown of the Vietnamese culture, economy, environment and government. It also had a tremendous impact on American society even up to present day. It was unclear from the beginning of the war if the American’s should even be involved. It was a war between Northern and Southern Vietnam but the U.S saw it as an indirect way to challenge the USSR’s sphere of influence in Southern Asia and to prevent the domino effect and the further spread of communism. The Vietnam War completely changed the way the United States approached military action and helped establish the role of the United States within the new world order.