The United States experienced an economic boom and social transformation after World War II that changed the way most Americans lived and worked. Factors leading to changing patterns in United States society•Strong economy (healthy job market, increased productivity, increased demand for American products)•Greater investment in education so Americans would have the ability to compete globally (National Defense Education Act)•The “baby boom,” which led to changing demographics•Interstate highway system•Evolving role of women (expected to play a supporting role in the family while increasingly working outside the home)•Large number of women entering the labor force•Expansion of human rights •African Americans’ aspirations for equal opportunitiesPolicies and programs expanding educational and employment opportunities•The G.I. Bill of Rights gave educational, housing, and employment benefits to veterans.•Harry S. Truman desegregated the armed forces.•Civil Rights legislation led to increased educational, economic, and political opportunities for women and minorities.The Civil Rights Movement of the twentieth century was committed to equal rights and fair treatment of African Americans, but it resulted in social, legal, political, and cultural changes that prohibited discrimination and segregation for all Americans.Other activists were inspired by the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and took action to gain equality.Some effects of segregation•Separate educational facilities and resources •Separate public facilities (e.g., restrooms, drinking fountains, restaurants)•Social isolation Civil Rights Movement•Opposition to Plessy v. Ferguson: “Separate but equal”•Brown v. Board of Education: Desegregation of schools•Martin Luther King, Jr.: Passive resistance against segregated facilities; “I have a dream…” speech•Rosa Parks: Montgomery bus boycott•Organized protests, Freedom Riders, sit-ins, marches, boycotts•Expansion of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)•Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibited segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin•Voting Rights Act of 1965: Banned the use of literacy tests and provided for federal oversight of voter registrationAmericans with Disabilities Act•The disability rights movement fought to right inequalities faced by people with disabilities.•The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990) guarantees individuals with disabilities equal opportunities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.•The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), formerly Public Law 94.142, is a federal law that entitles children and young adults access to a free and appropriate public education.Changing role of women•Workplace disadvantages:oDiscrimination in hiring practicesoLower wages for women than for men doing the same job•Improved conditions:oNational Organization for Women (NOW)oFederal legislation to force colleges to give women equal athletic opportunities (Title IX)•The proposed Equal Rights Amendment, despite its failure, and a focus on equal-opportunity employment created a wider range of options and advancement for women in business and public service.
The United States experienced an economic boom and social transformation after World War II that changed the way most Americans lived and worked. Factors leading to changing patterns in United States society•Strong economy (healthy job market, increased productivity, increased demand for American products)•Greater investment in education so Americans would have the ability to compete globally (National Defense Education Act)•The “baby boom,” which led to changing demographics•Interstate highway system•Evolving role of women (expected to play a supporting role in the family while increasingly working outside the home)•Large number of women entering the labor force•Expansion of human rights •African Americans’ aspirations for equal opportunitiesPolicies and programs expanding educational and employment opportunities•The G.I. Bill of Rights gave educational, housing, and employment benefits to veterans.•Harry S. Truman desegregated the armed forces.•Civil Rights legislation led to increased educational, economic, and political opportunities for women and minorities.The Civil Rights Movement of the twentieth century was committed to equal rights and fair treatment of African Americans, but it resulted in social, legal, political, and cultural changes that prohibited discrimination and segregation for all Americans.Other activists were inspired by the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and took action to gain equality.Some effects of segregation•Separate educational facilities and resources •Separate public facilities (e.g., restrooms, drinking fountains, restaurants)•Social isolation Civil Rights Movement•Opposition to Plessy v. Ferguson: “Separate but equal”•Brown v. Board of Education: Desegregation of schools•Martin Luther King, Jr.: Passive resistance against segregated facilities; “I have a dream…” speech•Rosa Parks: Montgomery bus boycott•Organized protests, Freedom Riders, sit-ins, marches, boycotts•Expansion of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)•Civil Rights Act of 1964: Prohibited segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin•Voting Rights Act of 1965: Banned the use of literacy tests and provided for federal oversight of voter registrationAmericans with Disabilities Act•The disability rights movement fought to right inequalities faced by people with disabilities.•The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990) guarantees individuals with disabilities equal opportunities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.•The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), formerly Public Law 94.142, is a federal law that entitles children and young adults access to a free and appropriate public education.Changing role of women•Workplace disadvantages:oDiscrimination in hiring practicesoLower wages for women than for men doing the same job•Improved conditions:oNational Organization for Women (NOW)oFederal legislation to force colleges to give women equal athletic opportunities (Title IX)•The proposed Equal Rights Amendment, despite its failure, and a focus on equal-opportunity employment created a wider range of options and advancement for women in business and public service.