© Chapter 2: The New World Main Developments in American History

© The Second World War to the Present (pp )  AThe Rise of a Superpower  BThe Price of Containment  CReform and Limitations  DThe New World Order and the New Democrats  FThe American War on Terror  EPresent and Future America

© A.1 The Rise of a Superpower – World War II  Many Americans want to stay out of the war  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor forces them into the war  America fully mobilizes all its resources and crushes its enemies  Economically and militarily it emerges from the war a Superpower

© A.2 The Rise of a Superpower – The Cold War  The USA becomes permanently involved in world affairs  The Cold War with the Soviet Union begins  America adopts the policy of ”containment” of communism  Alliances around the world are made, including NATO

© A.3 The Rise of a Superpower – Soft Power  The consumer economy makes America wealthy  Americans move to the suburbs and create a new mass culture  The American way of life makes a terrific impact on the world  Globalization begins with the US as a model of the future

© B.1 The Price of Containment – At Home  Alarm about communism fuels suspicion of traitors at home  Innocent Americans are accused of ”un- American” activities  McCarthyism spreads hysterical fear through the country  America’s ideals of political freedom are brought into doubt

© B.2 The Price of Containment – Abroad  America supports undemocratic regimes that oppose communism  It becomes involved in the internal affairs of other countries  The Korean War ( ) brings the USA into a military conflict with China  The war ends in a truce still in force today

© B.3 The Price of Containment – Vietnam  America helps create South Vietnam to contain communism  The US sends troops in 1965 to defend South Vietnam from North Vietnam  The US suffers a stunning defeat, withdrawing in 1973  American prestige is badly damaged at home and abroad

© C.1 Reform and Limitations - The Counter-Culture  The Civil Rights movement challenges America’s lack of equality  Writers and artists reject American materialism and smugness  The ”counter-culture” of the 1960s protests against the consumer lifestyle  Opposition to the Vietnam War unites a broad coalition of disaffected

© C.2 Reform and Limitations – The ‘60s  President Lyndon B. Johnson’s programs reduce poverty  New civil rights and immigration legislation is passed in 1965  Impatience leads to race riots and violent anti-war protests  Worried Americans turn away from reform

© C.3 Reform and Limitations – Disillusionment  Foreign competition overtakes American industry in the ’70s and ’80s  Watergate forces President Richard Nixon to resign in disgrace  Americans vote against large active government programs  The gap between rich and poor grows

© D.1 The New World Order and the New Democrats – Sole Superpower  The Cold War ends with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early ’90s  The US works for a peaceful ”New World Order” through the UN  America engages in peace-making and peace-keeping missions abroad  It is criticized for using it power both too much and too little

© D.2 The New World Order and the New Democrats – Resurgent America  ”New Democrats” regain a majority of presidential voters in the 1990s  A long economic boom ensues  American industry becomes more competitive  Payment of the public debt begins

© E.1 The American War on Terror – The Attack  George W. Bush elected with a minority of national votes 2000  Conservative values gain in popularity  The United States is attacked on 9/  President Bush declares a War on Terror

© E.2 The American War on Terror – Middle East Invasions  NATO supports the American invasion of Afghanistan, 2002  UN and world opinion opposes America’s invasion of Iraq, 2003  Violence undermines stable democratic government in Iraq  America loses popularity and support internationally

© E.3 The American War on Terror – Domestic Reaction  Congress passes measures curtailing civil liberties  A special military prison set up in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba  Critics silenced by a wave of patriotism  George W. Bush re-elected along with a Republican Congress, 2004

© F.1 Present and Future America – At Home  Public opinion gradually turns against the war in Iraq  Democrats gain control of Congress, 2006  President Bush’s popularity falls  America appears to be changing course again

© F.2 Present and Future America – Abroad  The United States has a strong economy and political stability  American culture and values remain popular  Its military power is unmatched and its population is growing  The United States will remain central to world affairs