Introduction
The American life experienced vast changes when the country entered into World War II. Many Americans; men and women joined the military service and got the chance to see different parts of the world. The war industries were very active and as such required enormous amounts of labor. Most defense plants were in the Pacific, Atlantic and the Gulf coasts and so most people moved to these regions to provide the much-needed workforce. In 1945, the WWII ended leaving America economically better, and no country in the world could match its success. After the war, America had a strong economic base from which much development could continue for greater success (Jaworski, 2017). As such, the American society became prosperous in the postwar years.
Changes after the WWII
After the war, more than 400,000 Americans had lost their lives ( Eichengreen, 2011 ). Eichengreen (2011), acknowledges that for many, however, the end of the war brought many good tidings. The war ended the depression leading to economic prosperity. There was a significant expansion of employment opportunities even for minority groups who could not previously secure jobs. Women also benefitted as many opportunities opened up for them, laying the foundation for the post-war woman’s movement. Veterans returning from the war received much support from the government through such public policies like the GI Bill of Rights of 1944. This bill enabled them to rebuild their lives after the war by providing them with money to facilitate their development on such issues as education, buying homes, farms among other properties. It created a supportive environment for self-development of the veterans enabling them to start families and live in prosperity. The Bill also provided all Americans with access to higher education (2015).
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The growing economic prosperity and access to life opportunities helped the American society to be more affluent, making true the American dream (Bohanon, 2012). However, not all Americans shared equally in these significant developments. The postwar years marked the rising of demands for freedom and civil rights from groups such as the Hispano Americans, African Americans, Black Americans as well as American women. This quest resulted from the declaration of independence and the American constitution which promised the protection of all Americans.
After the war, there were also many challenges and issues which the American people had to face. Most Americans were confident and optimistic with the post-war economic situation immediately after the war in 1945 as they were ahead of Germany and Japan. However, later other problems started cropping up. Within two years after the war, this enthusiasm was short-lived by the emergence of the cold war which brought international tensions. The cold war between the country and its allies as well as the one between the Soviet Union and its allies dampened the spirits of the American dream. The cold war between America and the Soviet Union resulted in many threats both at home as well as abroad. Domestically, there was the fear of Communist subversion within the political sphere, and overseas, there was a myriad of threats. Twenty years after the war ended, the broad political consensus about the Cold War ended when debates on the American military intervention in Vietnam intensified (Jaworski, 2017).
According to Pierce (2009), mass migration by families from the inner cities to the suburbs in search of better quality of life marked one of the most significant transformations. In response, the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956, the most prominent public works program in America was established to facilitate the efficient evacuation of large cities in the events of an attack by the Soviet Union. The most substantial beneficiaries of this program were the automobile industry as well as the suburban home construction industries. There were significant developments in medicine such as penicillin and the polio vaccine which significantly increased the life expectancy of Americans. Unfortunately, these medical advancements meant that healthcare services became more expensive than before, and only a few people could afford it. As such, the government created Medicare in 1965 for the old people and Medicaid for the lower class and jobless population.
There was considerable industrialization during this period as manufacturing and automobile industries experienced significant expansion (Pierce, 2009). Further, Pierce (2009) points out that consumerism took charge, and people competed against each other to show off their material possessions. Consumer spending shifted from the satisfaction of a need to the indulgence of people's whims. Marketing was done to transform wants into needs to increase sales volumes. New products emerged and what was a luxury before the war became a necessity. People spent without caring about debt. Returning soldiers acquired VA benefits and wage rates increased for all jobs facilitating affordability which made consumption to be at an all-time high. The middle and lower class people could now afford such luxuries as the television and automobile leading to skyrocketing sales of the two items in the 1950s.
Racism was one problem that persisted before and even after the war. African Americans participated in the battle and hoped to share the American dream after the war. However, during the war racism prevailed in all spheres of the American life and it also permeated the military. For African Americans, they were fighting not only the external enemy but the enemy within as well, which was racism. After the war, racism still prevailed in America but meted with aggressive activism. The youth culture had started long before the WWII. However, the affluence that came with the end of the war hugely impacted it. Children and teenagers were able to pursue their interests and express their tastes and preferences in fashion, music, and other cultural aspects as never experienced before. They became more demanding to their parents who were ready to provide them with their desires fuelling their culture (Pierce, 2009).
The church played a significant role in the postwar America. According to Pierce, the movement to suburban areas led to the rebirth of American religion. Before the beginning of the war, less than fifty percent of the American population went to church. During mid-1950, the number had significantly increased. The baby boom (born between 1946 and 1965) begun and their parents migrated to the suburbs, filling the church. Church and family became the two foundations for security and respect. The 1950s marked the increase in religious membership, institutional building, church funding, traditional faith as well as practice (2009).
Conclusion
The end of the WWII marked many changes in the American society (Pierce, 2009). Many of these transformations improved American lives while others adversely affected the community. The period witnessed the emergence of many policies, programs, and agencies which were established to transform the government as well as the society. Consumerism, suburbanization, religion and baby boom significantly influenced how people lived their lives.
Reference s
Bohanon, C. (2012, September 10). Economic Recovery: Lessons from the Post-World War II Period. Mercatus Center . Retrieved from: h ttps://www.mercatus.org/publication/economic-recovery-l essons-post-world-war-ii-period
Eichengreen, B. (2011). Economic history and economic policy . Retrieved from https://eml.berkeley.edu/~eichengr/EHA_Pres_Add_9-9-11.pdf
Jaworski, T. (2017, June 17). WWII and the industrialization of the American South. Vox. Retrieved from https://voxeu.org/article/wwii-and-industrialisation-american-south
Pierce, D. (2009). America in the Post War Period. Inquiries Journal: Social Sciences, Art, and
Humanities, 1(10), 1. Retrieved from: http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/2/america-in-the-post-war-period
