Unit 8: The Post-War World

In 1945, the United States emerged from World War II with the world's largest and strongest economy. Despite fears of a return to an economic depression, Americans were happy to get back to civilian life. Suburbanization, prosperity, and conformity during the 1950’s soon gave way to a growing civil rights movement and an unpopular war in Vietnam, foreshadowing a period of turbulence, protest, and disillusionment. What no one could predict was how the fall of colonial empires, the spread of Communism, technological changes, a growing conservative impulse, and an emerging global economy would impact American lives in the future.

Period 8 Key Concepts:

Key Concept 8.1: The United States responded to an uncertain and unstable postwar world by asserting and working to maintain a position of global leadership, with far-reaching domestic and international consequences.

Key Concept 8.2: New movements for civil rights and liberal efforts to expand the role of government generated a range of political and cultural responses.

Key Concept 8:3: Postwar economic and demographic changes had far-reaching consequences for American society, politics, and culture.

Period 8 Topics:

8.1 Contextualization

8.2 The Cold War from 1945-1980

8.3 The Red Scare

8.4 Economy After 1945

8.5 Culture After 1945

8.6 Early Steps in the Civil Rights Movement (1940's and 1950's)

8.7 America as a World Power

8.8 The Vietnam War

8.9 The Great Society

8.10 The African American Civil Rights Movement (1960's)

8.11 The Civil Rights Movement Expands

8.12 Youth Culture of the 1960's

8.13 The Environment and Natural Resource form 1968 to 1980

8.14 Society in Transition