These new population centers came to redefine American life and presented new challenges for America's commitment to equality and opportunity. In fact "eighteen of the nation's top twenty-five cities suffered a net loss of population between 19," with suburban population "doubling from 37 to 74 million people" during the same time period (Jackson 283).
This phenomenon manifested itself again at the conclusion of the Second World War, when an increased number of Americans moved from the cities and rural areas to the suburbs, exacerbating a process that had its antecedents in the pre-war world but found its greatest expression in the post-war climate of demobilization and economic growth that followed V-E and V-J Days. The Great Migration of African Americans from the south to northern and western urban centers, the movement of Dust Bowl victims to California, and the movement off of farms into cities during the early 20th century all serve as examples of populations moving in the United States. The American experience is replete with examples of people moving from one location to another to alter their economic, political, or social circumstances. Population movement has been a defining characteristic of the human experience since the emergence of modern humanity. In exploring the extent to which certain historical trends were inevitable, students will learn that historical interpretations are tentative and often competitive. They will determine whether this cultural trend created more opportunity for living the "American Dream," or whether suburbanization led to the homogenization of American culture and political life. In this lesson, students will critically evaluate primary and secondary sources of the period, in order to discern the causes for suburban development after the Second World War. Race and class dynamics began to shift the longer distance between home and work generated a highway and housing construction boom and older community institutions began to disappear as the family turned inward. As families began moving from farms and cities into new suburbs, American culture underwent a major transformation. The growth of suburbs resulted from several historical forces, including the social legacy of the Depression, mass demobilization after the War (and the consequent "baby boom"), greater government involvement in housing and development, the mass marketing of the automobile, and a dramatic change in demographics. The years after World War Two saw a massive movement of people into new suburbs. Author:Bruce Lesh, Franklin High School, Baltimore County Public Schools
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