American Pageant 17e - Chapter 34

AP® Success Essential Knowledge

  • Postwar Economic Growth

    • America's desire changed from "a chicken in every pot" to "two cars in every garage" soon after WWII.

    • Economic growth surged due to:

      • A burgeoning private sector.

      • Increased federal spending.

      • The Baby Boom generation.

      • Major technological advancements.

MUST KNOW Events and People

  • Postwar Peace Settlements

  • Cold War

    • Military engagements in Korea.

    • Rise of the suburbs influenced by wonder of consumerism.

    • Containment: Strategies to prevent the spread of communism, which defined U.S. foreign policy.

    • The Sunbelt: Region that emerged as influential politically and economically.

MUST DEVELOP: AP® Historical Thinking Skills

  • Sourcing and Situation

    • Understand the context to explain change over time.

    • Relative historical significance of a source's audience and viewpoint has to be analyzed.

      • Recognize points of view as potentially biased interpretations.

      • Engage with historical significance of documents considering their intended audience.

MUST UNDERSTAND: Essential Knowledge from Periods 7 and 8

  • U.S. Role After WWII

    • Economic prominence due to wartime victories and postwar settlements.

    • Political dynamics pushed the U.S. into a leading global role.

  • Postwar International Relations

    • Tensions with the Soviet Union led to the development of strategies for containment and free-market economies.

    • Analysis of significant events leading to policies of collective security.

Historical Context of Key Events

  • The Cold War's Roots

    • As WWII concluded, the U.S. had firm relations with allies but struggled with Soviet Union tensions.

    • Emergence of the U.S. as a world superpower post-Hitler.

Key Questions Presented

  • Why did Americans analyze different methods to contain communism within the U.S.?

  • Significance of U.S. policymakers engaging in the Cold War to limit Soviet power?

  • How did a growing economy with technological advancements reshape the U.S. population movement and influence social dynamics?

Essential Knowledge: Migration Patterns

  • The Sunbelt Non-Migratory Roots

    • People migrated toward the Sunbelt for improved lifestyles and job opportunities, shaping America’s demographic landscape.

    • The migration altered economic and political representation favorably towards the South and West by the twentieth century.

Historical Causation and Context

  • Causes of the Cold War

    • Post-WWII disagreements and conflicting ideologies between capitalism and communism contributed to a looming Cold War.

    • Analyze specific events that triggered this geopolitical conflict, e.g., Truman Doctrine, establishment of NATO, and Korean War engagements.

Noteworthy Figures and Events

  • Truman's Foreign Policy

    • Initiated strategies under the idea of containing communism and securing democracy within liberated nations.

  • The Vietnam War's Impact

    • Seen as a consequence of earlier Cold War containment policies, reflecting the broader U.S. tension with communist ideologies.

  • Cultural Shifts Post-WWII

    • The Baby Boom generation led to significant changes in American culture, shaping social policies over the next decades.

  • McCarthyism

    • Triggered domestic fears about communism, creating paranoia that affected public policy and individual lives.

    • The investigations conducted by McCarthy revealed conflicts and challenged civil liberties domestically.