1. North American Prosperity

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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