Post-War Prosperity (3.4)

What was one similarity between the Red Scare following World War I and the Cold War following World War II?

• Fear of communism led to the suppression of the civil liberties of some Americans.

• Large numbers of Russian revolutionaries settled in the United States.

• Congressional investigations proved that the Federal Government was heavily infiltrated by Communist spies.

• Renewed fighting between wartime enemies was a constant threat.

What does this photograph indicate about the United States in the 1950s?

• Extraordinary steps were taken to hide atomic weapons.

• The nation had become the only nuclear superpower.

• Much fear was created by the Cold War.

• Only government officials would be safe in a nuclear attack

Which development following World War II caused the urban-suburban pattern shown in the diagram?

• increase in the number of farms

• movement of most factories to rural areas

• expansion of highways and automobile ownership

• decline in the number of middle-income families

What was a major result of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)?

• Millions of veterans received a college education.

• Women kept their factory jobs after World War II.

• Jobs were created by the Manhattan Project.

• Veterans were exempted from gasoline rationing.

Which factor is most closely associated with McCarthyism?

• buildup of Soviet missiles in Cuba

• fear of communist influence in the United States

• rise of the Communist Party in China

• creation of the Warsaw Pact by the Soviet Union

How did the post–World War II baby boom affect American society between 1945 and 1960?

• It decreased the demand for housing.

• It bankrupted the Social Security System.

• It increased the need for educational resources.

• It encouraged people to migrate to the Sun Belt.

“I have here in my hand a list of 205 . . . a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department. . . . which is resulting in a moral uprising and will end only when the whole sorry mess of twisted, warped thinkers are swept from the national scene so that we may have a new birth of honesty and decency in government.”

Joseph McCarthy, February 1950

What was one way in which the government responded to both the Red Scare of the 1920s and McCarthyism of the 1950s?

• used the House Committee on Un-American Activities

• reduced the fear of Communists influence in the United States

• proved the Federal Government was heavily infiltrated by Communist spies

• ignored the constitutional rights of people suspected of un-American activity

The information below describes some key provisions of the 1944 GI Bill of Rights.

• Provided funds for education and training for veterans

• Provided home, farm, and business loans for veterans

• Provided unemployment compensation for veterans

Which sentence describes how post–World War II society was affected by the GI Bill of Rights?

• Political participation became possible for a broader portion of society.

• Economic success became available for a broader portion of society.

• Farmers neglected to utilize agricultural technologies.

• Businesses failed to develop innovative products.

Which development resulted from the construction of the interstate highway system?

• increased suburbanization

• reduced air pollution

• decreased fuel consumption

• growth of long-distance passenger train service

What was the purpose of the House Un-American Committee?

• To investigate people who were accused of being Communist

• To investigate only members of the government for Communism

• To decide whether America would become a Communist country

• To decide whether we should go to war with the Soviet Union for fight Communism