| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

B2 1940s Convery

Page history last edited by Sylvia Domanico 13 years, 9 months ago

Cansu Ege

Sylvia Domanico

Alaina Bur

Stefanie Klisch

Tabitha Kalabat

  

 

 

Fliqz has shut down their service. To access this video, email support with this video id: d0586e0f02fa4e1baef05779dfe9c659

 

MYP Unit Question: How did culture, events and leadership shape and reflect post-WWII America? 

                       

 

 

     The 1940s was truly a time of increase growth for American business and economy. During the 1940s the economy reached new heights, and industries/businesses continued to prosper. This is mostly due to World War II and its beneficial effects on the American business and economy. Government spending during the war for example was the main reason the American business and economy was able to become so strong and profitable. The production of consumer goods and military supplies became one of the fastest growing parts of the U.S. economy (“1940s: Commerce” 517). The nation's economy started to become much more stable and prosperous.

     The new industries and increased wages and earnings also greatly benefited America’s business and economy during World War II. For example, “in 1943 alone earnings jumped $2.1 million over the prewar level” (“The 1940s: Business”). Labor unions also grew tremendously during the war. Many men, women, African Americans, and even teenagers worked in the workforce during the war. The 1940s was actually the start to the largest components of female labor force (“Women in Workplace” 1121). This thus led to a decrease in the number of unemployed individuals. Lastly, the increase in military supplies, new industries, and labor unions helped America become one of the largest arms manufacturers in world history. “Americans built nearly 300,000 airplanes, nearly 400,000 pieces of artillery, 47 million tons of artillery ammunition, 44 billion rounds of small arms ammo, nearly 87,000 warships, 86,000 tanks, and 6,500 ships” (“1940s: Business”); not only helping benefit the U.S. business and economy, but also helping the U.S. win the war through their increase military arms.

      After World War II, many Americans enjoyed great prosperity. The increase in industries, jobs, and disposable income allowed many Americans to earn extra money that could be used for many consumer products offered after the war; such as washing machines, televisions, fancy/flashy sports cars, etc. The industries after the war were also thriving, and vastly bolstered the U.S. economy. Radio, insurance, publishing, merchandising, television, film, and music industries were only a few elements that helped make up this immense industry after the war (“Entertainment Industry”). Regardless of this increase in prosperity after the war, President Harry S. Truman came into office and started the Truman Administration in order to try and help maintain the wartime prosperity without a war (“Postwar Boom” 810). He tried to convert the U.S. into a nonmilitary base;  the most difficult problem Truman had to face was demobilizing all the U.S. troops, because many thought that if he had done this then the U.S. could possibly plunge themselves into another depression. Despite Truman’s problem, the rest of the nation seemed to be living somewhat of a “good” life during this time (“1940s: Commerce” 517).

     The 1940s truly was one of the important decades because it was the first time the economy and much of U.S. businesses actually began to thrive once again, since the time of the great depression in the early 1930s. 

 

 

 

     The 1940s provided one of the most significant changes for American education. Education in the 1940s transformed from being poorly funded and organized, to a better funded, more organized education program that provided higher education (American Decades). Education also became more standardized across the country during the 1940s. Much of this profound transformation in the U.S. education system was due to the effects of World War II. The war exposed the nation to the many problems of the American education. “In total, the army rejected five million recruits, some because of poor health, but many because they could not read and write” (“UXL” 46). Since much of the skilled workers were going into the war as soldiers, there was an insufficient amount of skilled workers at home. As a result, many children went without schooling, and those that were teaching were unskilled and poorly paid. Improvements in education were quite mandatory. The federal government began to fund specialized war-related research, which helped boost university revenues.   

     After the war, many veterans needed to be “reintegrated into civilian life”; as a result, Congress passed the Serviceman's Readjustment Act (GI Bill of Rights) in order to help give servicemen training and education for these veterans following the war. Questions about allowing religious education in schools, and separate facilities for black and white education also arose after the war. In order to solves these problems, and answer these questions the McCollum v. Board of Education ruled that religious education in schools was unconstitutional, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) continued to achieve small victories in pursuing a mixed-race schooling—their fight eventually helped lead to mixed-race education in the 1950s (American Decades). Lastly, the increase government funding and support in helping improve the education system lead the U.S. to become a great cultural influence in their education programs around the world.

 

 

 

     slide errorPlugin error: That plugin is not available.

     Due to World War II, the fashion of the 1940s was heavily downscaled, especially compared to the extravagant tastes of the pre-depression era. Most of the wool, cotton, linen, silk, and nylon resources normally used in manufacturing clothing instead served to fabricate war supplies and uniforms, forcing most Americans to wear tighter, shorter, and simpler clothes (“Fashion” 1). Furthermore, rationing for the war obliged people not to purchase any more attire than necessary, eliminating layers, jewelry, and other embellishments (“Bowling” 523). This led to a surge in accessories, as many used various hats, bags, high heels, and bright makeup such as the ever-popular red lipstick to compensate the lack of opulence in the clothes themselves. Without access to silk, women replaced stockings with bobby socks or simply bare legs. Men, having to wear simple, neutral-colored suits without any of the former additions such as lavish buttons, large cuffs, or double breasts, used hats to revitalize an outfit.

     After the war, all of the newly-gained income and supplies in the nation burst into luxurious fashions and intense consumerism, countering the rationing early in the decade (“Fashion” 1). Striking styles such as the “New Look” for women and the sleek zoot suit for men emerged, defining American fashion instead of duplicating French styles as before. New mass production methods adopted from the war made fashion not only more accessible, but widely conventional as well, with inventions such as printed t-shirts sweeping the industry (Crane 334). Now, the lower classes could afford replicas of high fashions, while the higher classes had a whole new level of luxury. Overall, the 1940s indeed revolutionized fashion in the United States.

 

 

 

 

YouTube plugin error   

 

 

     Hello, my name is Humphrey Bogart, but you can call me Bogie. Most of you probably don’t know me because I was an actor probably before your parents were born. It was back in the 1940s that I got my first really good film, Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman was the one who really made the movie good, but I was in a lot of excellent movies after that. I worked quite a bit with John Huston, one of the best directors of the 40s. We worked on movies like The Maltese Falcon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

      There were a lot of really great movies coming out in the 40s. When we went into that decade, there were a couple of big movie companies like MGM, Warner Brothers, Columbia, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and a couple of others that would put “out at least one film a week” (Pendergast 1). I myself had a contract with the WB, and I’ll tell you they had me tied to such a tight leash! I could hardly do any of the work I wanted to! Before the war they wanted all of their movies to have a good guy that won and God forbid you ever debated a social issue in a film. But after people started getting interested in the war, then the studios decided that they would start making movies that considered the possibility of America going to war. And “By 1941, Hollywood had decided to support the war, making training films for the army and releasing Sergeant York, the first of many films supporting U.S. engagement in the war” (Pendergast 1).   

     As the 40s kept on racing by me I kept meeting more and more famous stars. There was James Cagney and Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn. Oh and there was Carey Grant too! Man did the ladies love him. Some real good movies were coming out too. There was The Grapes of Wrath, The Philadelphia Story, and Citizen Kane, which a lot of people say is the best movie ever made. A new sort of genre called “film noir” developed too. It was pretty popular. Those films “gave new life to the popular detective stories so popular with readers during the 1920s and 1930s” (Pendergast 3). I starred in a few of those films myself, like in The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon which I mentioned earlier. The films in the 1940s were pretty good, probably one of the most prolific eras for film too. 

     I was in theatre before I started acting. I wasn’t very good at it and the plays I was in were a total bust, but those were the 1930s! It didn’t matter that I didn’t do well, because the rest of Broadway was getting off amazingly in the 30s. The 40s though… well they weren’t so good. Broadway downsized a lot and there weren’t too many strong plays around. Don’t get me wrong though! The 40s discovered two of “the greatest American play writes” Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller (Pendergast 5). They wrote some good stuff in the 40s too. Well I guess that’s all I’ve got to say for now, but there’s a trailer right beneath me of one of the movies I starred in. I hope it gives you a feel for the amazing films of the 30s! 

 

 

slide errorPlugin error: That plugin is not available.  

     Like any other resource in the United States, food was in limited supply to the public during World War II, rationed strictly and ungenerously to Americans (Levenstein 1). People, all social classes alike, were urged to save supplies, limit ingredients, and reduce their daily intake of food. The higher classes could not enjoy their delicacies even if they possessed the necessary funds, while the lower classes took advantage of the rationing. In this way, the war democratized food consumption in the country, with all classes eating at a similar level (Levenstein 1). This notion became a legacy that would remain even after the war ended, as new methods and ideals were brought into American life.

     After the war, American families experienced an enormous increase in their disposable income, leading them to eat out more often and purchase more processed foods rather than trying to save money with all of the effort of home cooking (“Bowling” 545). Mass production of food enabled Americans to save both time and money, soon coming to represent the American standard (Levenstein 1). Quick meals rapidly replaced home meals, with fast food restaurants and pizzerias becoming vastly popular. Easy breakfasts offered by new and increasingly popular places such as Dunkin’ Donuts became American favorites. Even wartime snacks rationed to soldiers during World War II, such as the conventionally packaged, candy-covered chocolates now known as M&M’s, spread to the public due to their ease of both production and use (“Bowling” 545). By and large, the 1940s made food an easy, conventional aspect of life in the United States.

 

 

  

slide errorPlugin error: That plugin is not available.  

     Due to the general feeling of freedom in the second half of the 1940s, comic books gained a new purpose. At first, newspapers mostly printed stories of the war. Once that ended comic strips took over the magazines. Comic books replaced the popular “pulp” magazines and became their own books. The 1940s and 1950s can easily be seen as the golden age of comic books. They integrated themselves into American culture until one could not be seen without the other. New heroes appeared on the scene adding to the war heroes Captain America, Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. Many heroes also received sidekicks such as Batman’s Robin. This might have been an effect of the glorification of families in the time of the baby boom. To move even farther away from the war comics, new variations such as Crime comics, westerns and romance had their beginnings. The appearances of scantily clad women would turn into a controversy in the 1950s.

     To include the younger citizens of the generation, “golden books” were written. These contained colorful pictures to be enjoyed without the skill of reading. To make this even more appealing, “Pat the Bunny” was one of the first touch and feel books. For those a little older, Seventeen magazine and Highlights magazine provided fun and entertainment along with a little education. Highlights was written for anyone age three to thirteen. It included science facts, Jokes and Poetry as well as art from children for children. Like anything else at this time, it also sprouted little comic strips. Seventeen magazine, on the other hand, was written exclusively for teen age women. It borrowed the title of Tarkington’s novel and used it to especially attract readers of that age. The magazine rejected ads for spike heels, bright nail polish and other things that would make a young lady less acceptable to society. To make these writings affordable for anyone more was written in paperback.

 

 

 

slide errorPlugin error: That plugin is not available.

     The 1940s was a breakthrough decade in the sports world. World War II had disrupted all professional sports events, as many of the finest athletes were called to join the army. Most leagues were cancelled, and sports clubs, now with dwindling funds and a lack of players, were desperate for new action to keep themselves profitable and viewers content (“Bowling” 587). This created indispensable opportunities for athletic minorities. Women joined baseball, golf, and tennis leagues, establishing a brief but successful base for future gender integration in sports (“Bowling” 587). Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player, broke the athletic color barrier, leading a path that many others soon followed (“Sports” 1). Also, since the sports world had taken a break, Americans turned to more leisure activities to pass time. Bowling, inexpensive and fair to both genders, became a favorite social event (Berg 588-589).  Furthermore, games such as the Slinky, Tonka trucks, and Scrabble were popular distractions from war to both children and adults alike ("Bowling" 587).

            After the war, the sports world changed drastically. Not only was there more minority integration, there were also new players’ organizations, regulations, and standards of equipment and play (“Sports” 1). New leagues such as the famous National Basketball Association (NBA) were founded (Edelman 590). With all of the new changes, there was also remarkably more attention from the public. Companies began to broadcast sports, attracting an overwhelming amount of viewers. Soon, the media commenced to use games and sports heroes to advertise goods. The sports world was taken to a whole new level. Thus, the 1940s were revolutionary for sports in the United States.

 

 

The music of the 1940s came from the prolific decade of music before it. Throughout the 1940s, the new genres of music were simply the evolution of genres like the blues, which would branch off into R&B, Boogie-Woogie, and Jump Blues “laying the foundations for the emergence of rock and roll in the coming decades” (Pendergast 1).

            Another new type of music, which was a subgenre of jazz, was “bebop” music. This genre began in small jazz clubs in the city. Like jazz, this type of music had the special characterization of having improvisation. It was this type of music that gave talented people “such as trumpet players Dizzy Gillespie (1917–1993) and young Miles Davis (1926–1991) and piano player Thelonious Monk (1917–1982) a chance to shine” (Pendergast 1).

            At the beginning of the decade, the style of music would have been a large swing-jazz orchestra that played in many dance halls and dominated the radios. The swing music of the era was the most prominent music of this era. These bands would normally be accompanying strong vocals such as Billie Holliday, Bing Crosby, or Frank Sinatra, who was very popular at the time. This type of music was also prominent in musical scores, which were becoming much more interesting and were developing the ability to fit the movies better. By the end of this decade, the strong sounds of these big bands had become quieter with string instruments to accommodate a softer pop music.

            Music was listened to on many radio stations, such as the Grand Ole Opry radio program, which was one of the most listened-to programs in the country. Another way to listen to music was on 78 albums. These albums would make 78 rpms, and could therefore not play for very long, and were also breakable. In 1948 though, a man named Peter Goldmark, who worked for Columbia records, invented the 33-1/2 record. This allowed for many more songs to fit onto one album since this record would make 33.5 rpms, less than half than the old 78s. This advancement in albums would continue to let the music industry shape the culture of 40s.

 

This is a video of one of the most popular songs of the decade: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews Sisters

YouTube plugin error  

 

 

  

YouTube plugin error  

     Up to 1945, 40% of United States families lived in poverty. Due to another war, restrictions were placed on various everyday items. Anything that the soldiers needed as well as the civilians was given to the military. Every family had the rights to a so called “ration book”, these ration books contained coupons to be used instead of money. Everything from food to shoes including such items as sugar, butter and canned goods was worth a different amount of coupons or points. Depending on the rarity of the item, prices differed. Ground beef cost seven points while steak cost twelve points. To help families survive in these conditions, cookbooks containing recepies that applied to the rationed items could be bought. The cookbooks also gave advice on how to substitute a less costly item for one worth more. While this may seem strict and hard to deal with, for most people, it was no different then  what they had endured during the great depression. While food might seem easy to ration, car tires needed rationing as well. Speed limits everywhere were set to 35mph, so that the tires would last longer and more could be shipped overseas. As one might expect in such a time, a black market for rare items soon develoed. Men and women bough items they could not afford with coupons or for more money than they were worth. Yet families also had the means of sustaining a well balanced diet without illegal means, they grew their own fruits and vegetables in their backyards called “victory gardens”. With the beginnings of the cold war, people also build bomb shelters in the back yard as well.

     Young couples hurried to get married before the war, when the men arrived back in the United States, they had nothing better to do than find a nice home, move into the suburbs, and start a family. This family time became better known as the “baby boom”. Anyone born between 1945 and 1964 would be known as a baby boomer. All these new families ffaected the economy. Often hospitals were overcrowded due to all the women delivering their babies. The most popular baby names in the 1940s were James, Robert and John for boys and Mary, Linda and Barbara for girls. The term teenager also became known in the 1940s.

     More people, more families, more things bought, the economy came back from the depression and prospered. Families started to go on vacations again. Las Vegas became the gambling capital we now know it as. Many homes switched from the radio to television, causing the television’s golden age to begin in 1949.  In their free time, the people stayed outside. Especially ball games became popular. The olympics experienced a similar rush of popularity and were broadcasted on TV for the first time in 1948.

 

 

     During the 1940's, the United States government was heavily influenced by the end of the Great Depression and their involvement in World War II. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ended the isolationism policy and increased expectation of governmental interference by the people. At the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt was a well trusted leader who had implemented the New Deal (War at Home 1-4).

     In 1944 Roosevelt was challenged for re-election. As a candidate, he promised the public a plan to bring home the war veterans as soon as the war ceased. Additionally, his reputation from the success of Operation Overlord aided his campaign. In the election, Roosevelt was saved by urban vote. The war had caused population to rise in cities such as those in California, making those places important for campaigning. However, the Democrats did gain seats in the House and the Senate (Election 1944 4-5).

     By April 1945, President Henry S. Truman had replaced the dead Roosevelt. The Republicans, with the public's growing irritation with the Democrats, were gaining political power. President Truman's popularity started to slip. He lifted wartime price controls which angered many people and proved his unsteady leadership on the economy after the war. It was difficult for the public to respect President Truman as he was not as trustworthy as President Roosevelt before him (Election 1946 1-2).

     In 1948, President Truman ran for President with difficulties due to his slipping reputation among the American people. One of his opponents, Wallace from the Progressive Party, seemed a likely candidate until the public began to distrust his party's affiliation with communists. Especially with the coming of the Cold war, Wallace's reputation and support declined. The majority of the people believed that Dewey, the Republican candidate, would win the presidency. In order to gain popularity with African Americans, President Truman desegregated the armed forces and finally, to the surprise of all but President Truman, he won. In fact, it was such a surprise that a newspaper published Dewey's win rather than Truman's win due to their faithful trust in pre-election polls (Election 1948 1-4).

 

     The 1940's also marked the beginning of many new government agencies. Until World War II, American agencies for gather intelligence and spying were very unorganized, scattered, and uncoordinated. After American intelligence utterly failed in warning the government of the imminent Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, FDR created the OSS. The Office of Strategic services was designed to gather strategic information and analyze it. It provided the US military with information on enemy strength, whereabouts, and weaponry capabilities. It was used for the rest of WWII ("Postwar Era" 2-3). Once the war ended, much debate existed over whether or not the OSS should continue functioning during a time of peace and lack of war. In 1945, President Truman decided to split the OSS's power between the department of war and the department of state. In 1946, the CIG was created but lived for a short period of time, eventually becoming the CIA passed by the National Securities Act of 1947. The CIA is now an independent government agency that secretly gathers and interprets information usually concerning threats to the United States (1, 4, 5). In 1945 Truman also created the Department of Defense and appointed the first Secretary of Defense, Navy James Forrestal ("Postwar Era").

     In terms of foreign policy, the United States government was well known for the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan during the 1940s. The Truman Doctrine was a program for American-funded aid and assistance in countries such as Greece and Turkey to prevent these countries from falling to communism. It was passed to prevent the spread of communism and thus was one of the instigators of the Cold War. Similarly, the Marshall Plan was set in place in order to help Europe recover from the war in hopes of suppressing any temptations to turn to communism ("Postwar Era").

     Here is a picture of the emblem they placed on recovery packages that were sent due to the European Recovery Program more known as the Marshall Plan:

 

 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)

 

 

 

                Scholars agree: Franklin Delano Roosevelt ranks among the top six greatest American presidents. He was loved by many, especially ordinary citizens. His smile, his optimism, and his strength against the face of disaster comforted the American people during the Great Depression and WWII. He was also hated and criticized by many, especially business people and the wealthy (“Franklin” 1-2). He remains known for his work with the New Deal, his incessant attention towards WWII, and the formation of the USO (United Services Organization). The USO met the recreational needs of members of the American armed forces. He became the chairman and every president after him followed suit (11, 18). FDR served as president for thirteen years. In 1940 he became the first president to run for a third term. In 1944, he outran Dewey, his opponent, for a fourth term. However, during his campaign he seemed unhealthy and was losing his touch. By April 12, 1945, he suffered from a lethal stroke and Truman became the 33rd president (19-21). His death shocked many Americans. To many, the death of Roosevelt meant the loss of security, of the rock they held on to through the Great Depression and the war, of a great leader and a great president (22). Dead or living, America will always remember his words:

 

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed effort to convert retreat into advance."

 

YouTube plugin error

 

"To the Congress of the United States:

 

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

 

[…]

 

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

 

With confidence in our armed forces—with the unbounding determination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph—so help us God.

 

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire."

 

("Franklin D. Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech.")

 

     The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor lead to the rise of many people in political office that would later become presidents. Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson all took roles either with World War II or on political office during the 40s. Eisenhower, specifically, was in charge of the War Plans Division. He had great success with the Normandy Invasion during the war and became a war hero and, eventually, president. Kennedy, on the other hand, took a physical part in the war. He ran a boat that sunk and swam himself and another to shore. His reputation as a hero supported his positive image when he ran for political office ("Postwar Era" 25-30).   

 

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

 

     President Truman had a difficult time stepping into the great President Roosevelt's shoes. In July 1944, he was nominated the Vice President candidate to run alongside Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Once he had one, he spent a short 83 days in office before becoming president himself. In his first year alone, he witnessed the dropping of the first atomic bomb and the end of WWII ("Harry S. Truman 11). For Truman, his most difficult task that lead to his unpopularity was the fixing of the economy after the war. Though he did pass his "fair deal," which promoted the American people's general welfare, and "Point four," which offered technical aid to countries around the world of underdevelopment, he was not the most popular president (12, 15). Nonetheless, he did prove that a common man could, in fact, become president of the United States of America (1). His most notable role in WWII, however, was the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. 

 

YouTube plugin error

 

A Warning to Japan Urging Surrender: Excerpts from President Truman's radio address to the American people, August 9, 1945

 

"The British, Chinese, and United States Governments have given the Japanese people adequate warning of what is in store for them. We have laid down the general terms on which they can surrender. Our warning went unheeded; our terms were rejected. Since then the Japanese have seen what our atomic bomb can do. They can foresee what it will do in the future.

 

The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians. But that attack is only a warning of things to come. If Japan does not surrender, bombs will have to be dropped on her war industries and, unfortunately, thousands of civilian lives will be lost. I urge Japanese civilians to leave industrial cities immediately, and save themselves from destruction.

 

I realize the tragic significance of the atomic bomb.

 

Its production and its use were not lightly undertaken by this Government. But we knew that our enemies were on the search for it. We know now how close they were to finding it. And we knew the disaster, which would come to this Nation, and to all peace-loving nations, to all civilization, if they had found it first.

 

That is why we felt compelled to undertake the long and uncertain and costly labor of discovery and production.

We won the race of discovery against the Germans. Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.

 

We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japan's power to make war. Only a Japanese surrender will stop us." (PBS 1) 

 

 

 

     

     With World War II ending in 1941 and the Great Depression following suit, the people began thinking about their own country and how to bring it back to economic greatness. Many of the court cases in the 1940s concerned two very particular ideals: the education of children and segregation not only in schools but around the country. Two cases, Minersville School District v. Gobitis and West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette represented a battle between the patriotic United States and the Jehovahs’s witnesses. While the government, through the Minersville case, gained the ability to “force students to take part in rituals to instill patriotism” (Civil Liberties and Patriotism), Jehovah’s witnesses explained, that their children could not worship a flag, since it would be against the law of god, which they saw above the laws of the country. With the second case, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, the court set limits to the extent of the Minersville decision. At the same time, children who did not salute the flag could be expelled, the child labeled a delinquent by court and the parents sent to jail for a month along with having to pay a fine. The Barnette decision also set up the pledge of allegiance to be performed in the mornings by both students and teachers.

 

            At the same time, the country’s African American citizens were still plagued by Jim Crow laws. Even though the legal system may have tried, it was not able to halt the lynching attacks occurring in the 1940s. The decision of Mitchell v. United States represented the second try to make train cars equal for both black and white. Finally, in June 1946, Morgan v. Virginia outlawed the segregation of train cars. This had no result for the African American people, nobody listened to it. Earlier two cases, United Stated v. Classic and Smith v. Allwright, ended the white primary. With all these steps taken to end segregation, one would believe, that something actually worked. Yet, in the case Smith v. Texas, white was still given right over black. The African American defendants were not listened to, with the excuse that they could not, by law, serve on juries. As early as 1940, Chambers v. Florida ruled that police could not force confessions, which most likely did as much as the Morgan v. Virginia decision. Later, in 1948, Shelley v. Kraemer asserted, that houses could be sold to people of the black and Mongolian race. This was a new version of interpreting the fourteenth amendment.

 

 

 

            After the Great Depression in the 1930s, church attendance was lacking the numbers it once had. Before the war, church attendance was at about 43 percent in America.  However, the uplift in the American economy also meant an augmentation in the number of people who went to weekly church services. At the end of the war, this number had increased to 55 percent and by the time the 1950s came this number would swell to an incredible 69 percent.

            This percentage was not just supported by the success of one denomination, but rather, it was supported by all of the most prominent American denominations. Protestantism, the largest faith in America, was the face of about 250 separate denominations, the largest ones being the Methodists, with 8 million members, the Southern Baptists, with 6 million members, and Presbyterians, with 2 million members. Small Protestant denominations such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses would find a dramatic increase in attendees as well. The Catholic and Jewish faith was mainly represented by the large numbers of immigrants moving to America in the 40s. The Catholic faith was the largest in America during the 40s with 25 million members. After the war, the Catholics were baptizing 1 million babies a year. All three of these faiths were a major contributor to American education system. The Methodists were responsible for 77 colleges and 70 seminaries, while the Catholics had 225 colleges and 338 seminaries. The Catholics provided about 10,000 elementary and secondary schools, while many Jewish synagogues ran schools as well and "by 1944 there were 238 Jewish schools in New York City alone" (Baughman 3).

            While the numbers do show a dramatic change in the way America was attending church on a regular basis, there were also other changes going on within the faiths. Before the war, there was much aggression between the Catholics and Protestants. Due to the immigrant status of the Catholics, most of them resided in urban areas, while the Protestants were predominantly farmers and lived in the rural areas. This geographical border created a lot of tension, but the requirements of the war meant quite a bit of movement from rural to urban areas and vise versa.  In the process of this movement, the former geographical lines became a bit more blurred and began to allow more religious tolerance. As the end of the 40s came and going to church became more of the norm, and a neighbor’s denomination could be disregarded, the tensions brought on by two people’s opposing faiths became nearly nonexistent. This blurring of lines also allowed the American public to leave more ethnic stereotypes related to religion behind.  This thrust of a more liberal thought process on the American faith would create a permanent change in religion for the years to come.  

            During the war, many church leaders and rabbis worked as chaplains for the soldiers fighting in other countries, while many American ministries would send bibles and devotions to the armed forces. Many church leaders sought to find some morality within the war to guide the American public.

     Post-War religion became a somewhat essential component to the American life. People suffering from losses flocked to churches where priests, pastors, and rabbis were becoming more equipped to handle the needs of the nation. The tragedies within families created a new concept for the American church: pastoral psychology, a fusing of psychology and religious backgrounds used for counseling. Pastoral psychology is a field that has developed today into an important sub-field of psychology.

     The impressive religious strides made during the 40s were highly regarded by many leaders. Some religious leaders "argued that the spectacular growth of churches was irrelevant if faith became as shallow as it was broad. Their criticisms would only escalate in subsequent decades" (Baughman 7). Going to church had become more of a social outing and another way for an American to engage them self in something productive. The Church had become a more prominent, but maybe less meaningful part of the American culture by the end of the 40s.

 

This is a picture one of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in a caves outside of Jerusalem between 1947 and 1956. They are one of the most important manuscripts from modern day. They include: 19 copies of Isaiah, 25 of Deuteronomy, and 30 of Psalms, while there are fragments from every book in the Old Testament but Esther.

  

Positive Political Cartoon

 

 

     This cartoon was drawn in March of 1942 when production for the war effort was really picking up speed in America. This cartoon shows America with Asia on the right and Europe on the left. The large factory that represents the American continent is a display of America’s current industrial momentum, which was necessary for the economy’s regaining of strength in the 1940s. On the continent of Asia is General Hidiki Tojo, the leader of Japan during World War II, and on the European continent is Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany. The phrase “No More Scorched Earth!” is referencing past American strategies of war used to defeat the enemy. The next phrase, “Let’s Blister Their Britches!” means America is attempting to defeat these axis powers by using the power of production within our own borders to manufacture the goods necessary for the war. Hitler and Tojo are clearly suffering from the large American production force, so this cartoon positively displays America’s attitude towards the war regarding the aspect of manufacturing.

 

Negative Political Cartoon

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

This political cartoon shows a man reading a newspaper saying, "Scientists Develop an Atomic Clock." Above the man's head is a bomb dangling an atom as if it were a clock ticking and waiting to be burst. The cartoon mocks the fact that scientists did not create a bomb but rather a clock or countdown until destruction. It stands as a reminder to the people during that time period that the countries failed to reach a consensus over atomic energy and weapons.

 

MYP Unit Question: How did culture, events and leadership shape and reflect post-WWII America?

   

     The culture at the beginning of the 1940s was largely shaped by WWII. Food, clothing, and tires were rationed and scarce. The finest athletes went to war and thus there were fewer leagues. This allowed minorities and other people the opportunity to play, spreading diversity in sports due to the World War. Newspapers were used predominately for information on the war. The new comics created in the 1930s were infested with the WWII theme. Most heroes were fighting Nazis or communists. Music during the 1940s helped support the troops, with big band music and upbeat, loud, and energetic rhythms to distract the American people from the hardships of the war. Film and theatre also incorporated social issues and the option of entering war, and movies supported the war effort in order to attract the most audience. After the war, American culture had changed drastically. Everything that was rationed during the war was now in large supply. Due to the increase in disposable income, more people could display their wealth, eat out, and buy the luxurious items they were bereft of during the war. In literature, new heroes appeared as well as new genres and children books and comics. The music became quieter and more soothing.

     There were also many shifts in government, justice, education, and economy due to World War II. During the war, industry and military arms increased to aid the war effort, integrating the minorities such as African Americans. The country became more and more patriotic, causing minorities to have difficulties with new regulations. The "separate but equal" decision was reinforced with an actual law that banned segregation on trains. However, not many followed the law. The increase in African American workers in industries helping the war effort led to the increased controversy with segregation. Because of the country's trust with FDR during the Great Depression, it allowed him to be reelected several times into office. The war caused the people to need a strong, reliable leader they could trust. FDR seemed the answer. This also caused much public scrutiny of his successor, Truman, especially because of his difficulties with fixing the economy after the war. Leadership in the 1940s became a source of comfort and reliability. Education before the war was also poorly organized and funded, and most skilled workers were at war. At the end of the war, however, the government started funding schooling to aid the organization and training of teachers. And the increase in disposable income caused an increase in spending thus helping businesses to improve. Higher demand for fancy, new, luxurious goods of want rather than need caused more industry. Thus, the war largely improved the economy, govern

     The 1940s was, in general, the era of change. It changed the country from the Great Depression into a prosperous nation. The culture shifted from poor to rich to parallel the end of the war. It was a part of the decades “between wars.” It epitomized and involved the temporary rebirth of the nation from the harsh economic slump of the depression and the devastation from the war. The economy and education improved, spending increased, culture showed more luxury, the government became more involved with discrimination affairs, all due to the war. 

 

Works Cited

 

"1940s: Commerce." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 517. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 June 2010.

 

"1940s: Film and Theater." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 529-530. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 June 2010.

 

"1940s: Music." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 553-554. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 June 2010.

 

"1940s: The Way We Lived." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 615-616. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 May 2010.

 

"America at War: The War at Home." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949.Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 June 2010.

 

"Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union.." The American Presidency Project. 2009. University of California. Web. 17 Jun. 2009 .

 

Berg, Timothy. "Baby Boom." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 616-618. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010.

 

Berg, Timothy. "Bowling." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 588-589. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 May 2010.

 

Berg, Timothy. "Long-Playing Record (LP)." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 558-560. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 June 2010.

 

Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Eds. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: U*X*L, 2002. Print.

 

“Business: Mobilization for World War II." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 June 2010.

 

"Civil Liberties and Patriotism." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 May 2010.

 

Cooke, Jacob E. "Washington, George." Presidents: A Reference History. Ed. Henry F. Graff. 3rd ed. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 1- 21. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Farmington Hills: Gale. Web. 30 Apr. 2008. 

 

Crane, Diana. "Fashions." Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America. Ed. Gary S. Cross. Vol. 1. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. 332-340. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 June 2010.)

 

Dead Sea Scrolls. (Online Image) Available <http://extraordinaryintelligence.com/131/the-unexplained/paranormal/extraordinary-news-of-the-week-march-16-22/>.

 

Edelman, Rob. "National Basketball Association." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 590-591. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 May 2010.)

 

"Entertainment Industry." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1999. 285-288. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 June 2010.  

 

"Europe Divided on Familiar Lines To Two Speeches." Prescott Evening Courier 54(1948): 6. Print.

 

FDR. (Online Image) Available <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/FDR_in_1933_Edit_FCb981.jpg>.  6 June 2010.

 

"Franklin Delano Roosevelt." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines, Book II. Edited by Deborah Gillan Straub. Gale Research, 1992. Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC>.

 

"Franklin D. Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 213-215. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 June 2010.

 

Fetch (Online Image). Available <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=lom_inac&tabID=T003&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=1&contentSet=GALE%7CCX3048400018&&docId=GALE|CX3048400018&docType=GALE&role=>. 9 June 2010.

 

Gianoulis, Tina. "Highlights." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 579-581. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010.

 

“Let’s Blister Their Britches!” (Online Image) Available <http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/Frame.htm>.

 

Levenstein, Harvey. "Food and Cuisines." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 398-403. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 June 2010.

 

Moran, Edward. "Golden Books." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 577-578. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010. 

 

Moran, Edward. "Seventeen." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 3: 1940s-1950s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 582-583. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010.

 

"National Politics: Election 1944." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 June 2010.


"National Politics: Election 1946." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 June 2010.


"National Politics: Election 1948." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 June 2010.


Panchyk, Richard. "Rationing." Americans at War. Ed. John P. Resch. Vol. 3: 1901-1945. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 157-159. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010.

 

PBS. 2000. PBS Online. 6 June 2010 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/truman/psources/ps_warning.html>.

 

"Postwar Boom." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 810-812. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 June 2010.  

 

 "Television." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 8. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 318-321. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010.

 

"The 1940s: Business and the Economy: Overview." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 June 2010.

 

"The 1940s: Fashion: Overview." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 June 2010

 

"The 1940s: Religion: Overview." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 June 2010.

 

"The 1940s: Sports: Overview." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 June 2010

 

 "The Golden Age of Comic Books." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 June 2010.

 

"The Postwar Era (1945–1970)." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: Government and Politics. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 June 2010.Tick-tock, tick-tock. (Online Image) Available <http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/ticktock.html>. 8 June 2010.

 

"Women in the Workplace (Issue)." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 1121-1123. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 June 2010.   

   

 

 

Pictures in slide show:

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.boneville.com/wp-content/uploads/ClassicShazamCover.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.boneville.com/2006/12/08/shazam-production-journal-monster-societies-and-secret-codes/&usg=__KVmoKjs7OVkpw3_YMNbm43ZqK0A=&h=552&w=396&sz=134&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=tZC0BXKCPcNP1M:&tbnh=133&tbnw=95&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1940s%2Bcomic%2Bbooks%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.crimeboss.com/covers/TrueCrimeComics002.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.davesblogcentral.com/2009_06_07_archive.html&usg=__yc27brtMCJm5eFqud6ilkYQohdM=&h=600&w=410&sz=146&hl=en&start=9&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=HacKFbBBgkUktM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1940s%2Bcomic%2Bbooks%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://supermanfan.net/main/images/sm_012.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.supermanfan.net/main/%3Fm%3D200805&usg=__8FCqulCblxQB73ii38e6MszKg_o=&h=544&w=400&sz=306&hl=en&start=5&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=bXim5Fpozydf0M:&tbnh=133&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1940s%2Bcomic%2Bbooks%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.talkgraphics.com/picture.php%3Falbumid%3D100%26pictureid%3D624&imgrefurl=http://www.talkgraphics.com/album.php%3Falbumid%3D100%26pictureid%3D624&usg=__M-wJzJvwUhrApyddP3BurXwnE6I=&h=436&w=559&sz=69&hl=en&start=16&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=58oXY0jG9R5McM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1940s%2Bcomic%2Bbooks%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.animationarchive.org/pics/gergley01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.animationarchive.org/2005/11/media-more-tibor-gergely-golden-book.html&usg=__jk90mCcVx1jp0GymG2XilKNCchQ=&h=476&w=400&sz=58&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=exlPzMEPNC_A9M:&tbnh=129&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1940s%2Bgolden%2Bbooks%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.usedbooks.co.nz/images/Book/0307120007.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.usedbooks.co.nz/childrens-books-c-6.html%3Fpage%3D11&usg=__3Ln1nwtXJvLGE6SAY7b-vLvgAWk=&h=500&w=447&sz=35&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=me9rJctijjq2kM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpat%2Bthe%2Bbunny%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/2509095848_2425b453bb.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/elegantmusings/2509095848/&usg=__AbeqLCO7JO3xeDkA0lOrPM_PkqM=&h=500&w=432&sz=101&hl=en&start=20&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=aFr6AYFW5rb0qM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1940s%2Bseventeen%2Bmagazine%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ADFA_enUS367US367%26tbs%3Disch:1

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.