America changed in several ways during the Reconstruction to the present. The economy of America drastically changed as a result to new technologies and innovations. What used to be used as farmland and agricultural purposes before the war was now being transformed into new land for businesses to set up. With the rapid growth of businesses, many job opportunities became available to Americans, as well as new entertainment ideas for the citizens of America. New technologies allowed for drastic new ideas, like sending a man to the moon. The equality of human rights to all citizens was a huge push after World War II and many leaders took on this movement to create a fair and equal place for Americans to live in. The culture of America also took a huge leap in society and Americans began to look upon the positive side of life and new opportunities available for them.
The most major change in America after the World War II, was how much the economy developed. People began to see new technologies arise during this time and new ways of entertainment methods. Many families also grew during this time due to military families being reunited. The “Baby Boomers” refers to this time period from 1946 through 1964, in which rapid growth of the American population took place. Increase in the knowledge of automobiles and the idea behind them lead to many Americans wanting the consumption of one. Many Americans loved the idea of using these automobiles to transport themselves from one place to another in less time than before. President Dwight Eisenhower helped transform the American roadways into a new interstate highway system. With this new highway, people were able to travel bigger distances without having to stop in between every little town they passed. Entertainment also took a bug turn after World War II simply because Americans wanted to enjoy life again. Mass media markets began to boom during this time creating radio, television and even movie theaters. Since television had a huge growth in America, many of citizen’s households would have a television within them. Several different shows were created for the public to watch on their television, which sparked a huge interest in the advertising industry. Companies started to create short ads that would be viewed by Americans on their television, with the hopes of appealing to the watchers and overall helping their selling of product. As Mrs. Susie would say, “you know, things sho’ are better’n they used to be.” Americans began to enjoy life, simply because the economy was doing so well and there was constant improvement in the lives of Americans.
The space race was a time period when the United States and the Soviet Union battled over the experimentation of rockets. Rockets from Germany, that were previously used from World War II were used, with the hopes of successfully sending a rocket into space. The Soviets were the first to send a satellite into space, as well as the first man into space. Stated from the article of President Eisenhower’s speech, “a single air group, whether afloat or land-based, can now deliver to any reachable target a destructive cargo exceeding in power all the bombs that fell on Britain in all of World War II.” Saying this, with the Soviet Union’s ability to launch these satellites into space, many Americans feared that they could also launch nuclear weapons towards the United States. President John F. Kennedy had a quick response to the Soviet’s success and launched the idea of putting an American on the moon. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration began to push forward with this idea and worked nonstop towards achieving this goal. In 1961, America successfully sent a man into space. Later, Apollo 11 was sent to the moon and Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. With this huge accomplishment for America, the United States has ultimately won the space race.
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Many Americans after World War II were still struggling for their freedom and equality in America. Segregation and discrimination were still being put against African Americans and something needed to be fixed. As John. F Kennedy would say, “freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect.” Education was segregated and there was a major difference in the quality of schooling. White schools were full of new books and there was easy access to materials that would benefit the education of whites. Black schools were the complete opposite with rundown buildings as a classroom and no space for the several children who needed an education. Linda Brown was a third grader who went to a black school that was one mile away from her home. There was a white school just a few blocks away from her house that her father believed she should be able to go to. When the principal of the white school refused for Linda to go this school, her father took the school to court. He believed that segregating schools based off the color of your skin was violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. This case became known as the Brown vs Board of Education and was taken to the Supreme Court. The result of this case was that schools were to be no longer segregated. Equal opportunity for education was now available to everyone and integration took place all over America. Martin Luther King Jr. also took a huge step in equality of all Americans. He was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which was a group of non-violent protestors against the segregated bus system. After about a year of protest, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in the public transportation system violated the United States Constitution.
Americans lives were constantly changing during the Reconstruction and after World War II. New ideas and inventions created a positive affect on the lives of Americans. The economy rapidly grew during this time and many new leaders stepped up to the plate and made America a great place to live. The space race had a massive affect on the United States and overall gave Americans new hopes of the future to come. With segregation laws being put to an end, people of all races were able to be granted their freedom they rightfully deserved. After World War II, America took a rapid approach to enhancing the lives of its citizens and continues to do so in the present.
