North American Prosperity

The Us: A global superpower The US felt threatened by the communist expansion even though we were the only country with the atomic bomb After WWII, the US offered economic aid to Europe so they could rebuild Fearing communism, an extremist Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that many Americans harbored communist sympathies Vietnam and Korean Wars, both fought because of democracy and communism conflicts After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States was the only superpower

Economy and government The US profited from a global economy, however, interdependence brought problems US did lose manufacturing jobs to the developing world Truman – greater social security for elderly and poor Eisenhower – built a vast interstate highway system Helped with auto, trucking, and other related industries Kennedy and Johnson – funded Medicare, providing health care for elderly

continued Ronald Reagan called for cutbacks in government spending on social programs Congress ended some welfare programs, reduced government regulation of the economy, and cut taxes. However, they also increased military spending The combination of government spending and tax cuts greatly increased nation budget deficit

Civil rights and society Civil Rights Movement? Segregation? Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas? Dr. Martin Luther King? I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal Opens the door for Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and women to fight for greater equality