1940 to 1951 Dynamic Years of Change in America

During the years 1940-1951, the United States changed greatly as it worked to recover from the Depression, to mobilize rapidly for WWII, and to become the superpower leader of the free world. We will discuss social, political, economic, and military developments, and cover a wide range of topics including books, magazines, music, and films that Americans experienced in their lives. We will cover isolationism, the New Deal, the Conservative Coalition, WWII, and how the country reset after 1945. Big changes included military conscription, the GI Bill, Civil Rights, the "Baby Boom," growth of suburbs, nuclear weapons, and the Red Scare. After WWII, the US led the creation of the United Nations, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and efforts to contain communism in Korea and around the world. We will discuss two Presidents and their policies, Congress, the growth of conservative and liberal groups, anti-communism initiatives, the HUAC hearings, and how Americans lived during these years.