Unit 8 - World War II (1939-1945)
The first lesson in this unit consists of a handout called America Before World War II and covers the events that lead up to America being attacked on December 7, 1941. In addition, the Prelude to World War II handout shows the reactions taken by the United States against the build-up and actions of both Germany and Japan.
The first lesson in this unit consists of a handout called America Before World War II and covers the events that lead up to America being attacked on December 7, 1941. In addition, the Prelude to World War II handout shows the reactions taken by the United States against the build-up and actions of both Germany and Japan.
The policy of remaining neutral was changed on December 7th 1941. The Pearl Harbor address to the nation by FDR is a monumental speech in American history and the effects of the attack are seen by the presentation on the attack on Pearl Harbor with original photographs that were taken during and after the surprise attack.
The main lesson for this unit is the handout titled American During World War II and contains many charts and pictures that validate and explain the text within the document.
The following link to the presentation on the Home Front during World War II shows how the nation rallied to conserve vital resources needed for the war effort.
The main lesson for this unit is the handout titled American During World War II and contains many charts and pictures that validate and explain the text within the document.
The following link to the presentation on the Home Front during World War II shows how the nation rallied to conserve vital resources needed for the war effort.
Japanese Americans were the subject of Executive Order 9066 calling for the arrest and removal of all suspected Japanese spies. This supplemental and in-depth handout on Internment tells of the plight of these people and includes the Supreme Court case of Korematsu v. United States that followed.
The Manhattan Project - an extract from www.ushistory.org and the Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb lesson cover the events that led up to VJ Day and the Japanese surrender. A different perspective to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is seen with this primary source extract called Hiroshima stories.
World War II changed American society and those returning home from the war helped launch a New America. The following handouts, Cars of the 1950's, a special look at a unique American culture and the lessons on Suburbia including the famous town of Levittown on Long Island, show some of the social changes that take place during the decade. In order to handle this rapid increase in population, houses, and automobiles, President Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System of roads across America. This handout, the Interstate Highway System, gives a brief overview and two maps showing the highway systems that we still use today, including their route numbers. Anyone who has driven from New York to Florida or other southern states definitely knows I95!