Life After The Cold War Essay

Life after the war was very different than any others during the 1950s. Acquisition of consumer goods was influential like never before and people had access to large amounts of luxury items. Leisure time became more available and families did more things together like participating in community events, taking vacations or simply gathering around the television. Even with these positive changes many Americans had still had leftover feelings of anxiety and dissatisfaction. Church attendance was on the rise and most attendance was from people living in the new suburban communities. People's religious connections became an identifying feature dividing the nation into Protestant, Catholic or Jewish. Some criticized the suburban churches while others

Eisenhower had a great unwillingness to do so but the realization of how contradictory the Cold War was to the status of African Americans in the United States was becoming an issue to Americans and lead to the civil rights movement. African Americans were still experiencing segregation at extreme levels and affected every part of their life. They were working the same jobs as whites but paid less, lived in separate neighborhoods, public schools were not integrated, had to sit in separate waiting areas and use their own telephone booths and drinking fountains. President Truman established a panel concentrating on civil rights in hopes of modifying the pattern of racial discrimination. Suggestions were to restore the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC), initiate a permanent civil rights committee and denial of Federal Aid to states that supported segregation in the school system and public facilities. Congress continued to oppose the legislations and blocked action on the FEPC and antilynching. Despite Truman's efforts being shot down he was able to secure the issue of civil rights to the liberal agenda. Truman continued to aid African Americans by helping groups in their challenges against school segregation and housing restrictions through the court system. Truman as well fortified the civil rights division of the Justice Department and released an order desegregating