American Urbanization In The 1930's

There were many challenges for Americans in the 1930’s to the mid 1940’s. Most notably, a decade of depression and the confrontation of war; the deadliest war in history. When World War II ended in September of 1945, America emerged as the most powerful nation in the world. American society transformed; the population shifted to the suburbs, the G.I. Bill was created to benefit (most) WWII veterans, and consumerism played many effects on society.
By 1920, over fifty-four million American’s were living in cities. This changed, however, after the Second World War. Suburbanization took the place of urbanization and Americans were fleeting to the suburbs. By 1960, American suburbs held more of the population than cities, small towns, and the countryside
Bill in 1944. This bill included titles explaining the benefits, which included tuition for veterans, low interest loans for housing, businesses, and farms, access to medical care, and unemployment insurance (Schmidt, 2010). Unfortunately, these benefits were not available to all WWII veterans; African Americans did not receive the full benefits that white men received and women were also discriminated against. Schultz explained that the “G.I. Bill made loans available for new homes. More and more Americans moved out of the cities to the green ring around them” (Schultz, 2016, p. 472). This is partly why suburbanization was so popular after the Second World War. Attaining a college degree was also made possible because of the G.I. Bill. Many veterans took advantage of the G.I. Bill and went to college to get a better job (Hedden, 2014). Higher education was supported and many Americans went to college instead of heading directly in the
Citizens had more money and they wanted to spend it on things that were once considered luxuries, now necessities, for an easier lifestyle. Women who were in the workforce were sent back home to be homemakers once the soldiers returned from war. The gender sphere of women being “guardians of domestic life” were responsible for raising good, democracy-loving children (Schultz, 2016, p. 472). Some women did remain in the workforce and they were highly discriminated against. They held positions that did not offer career advancements and their jobs were typically in the service sector. The soldiers returning home and suburbanization had an impact on migration. Many white Americans left the cities for the suburbs, and African Americans came from the South and moved into the cities. Schultz explained that these migrations created racially defined ghettos (Schultz, 2016). Realtors made it almost impossible for African Americans to get home loans, so they were unable to move into the suburbs, even if they could afford