Impact of WWII & Cold War

8-7.1—Compare the social & economic impact of World War II & the Cold War on S.C. with its impact on the rest of the U.S. including the increases in high birth rate; the emergence of the consumer culture; the expanding suburbanization, highway

construction, tourism, & economic development; the continuing growth of the military bases & nuclear power facilities; & the increases in educational

opportunities.

Returning Home

• GI Bill: veterans get an education, start new businesses, boost SC economy in the process

• Improved economy• Baby boom• Demand & growing families

led to the development of the consumer culture

• Growth of suburbs US Post War Boom (13:12)

Improvements in Education• Growing families, need to attract

industry, & Cold War competition with the USSR caused states & local governments to improve education

• In SC- school year extended to 9 months & through 12th grade

• A system of technical college was created to attract economic investments in SC

• It supplied training for the work force to meet industry needs

Post War SC Tourism

• Early 20th century, wealthy Northerners were attacked to places like Aiken & Camden for temperate outdoor pastimes:– Horse racing– Bought up former plantations

for hunting reserves & relaxing vacations

• Some large plantation parcels remained undeveloped so that they could later become parks & preserves for research, recreation, & tourism• EX: Brookgreen Gardens &

Huntington State Park

On-The-Go Tourism• Automobiles & highway expansions

accelerated the development of SC tourism • Motels & fast-food restaurants followed hwys• Resorts gave people a place to go• Air conditioning resulted in greater tourism in

the summer months• Charleston & Myrtle Beach became popular

tourist spots

Greatest Generation & Baby Boom Generation

• looking for places to retire & enjoy their golden years

• SC’s mild climate & moderate housing costs• Their love of playing golf• Resorts such as Hilton Head Island answer

this demand• Development of these sea islands, however,

can threaten existing historic communities – SC continues the tradition of actively preserving

the cultural heritage of the regions

Cold War & After Impact• Military spending spawned industries that

provided jobs• Savannah River Nuclear Plant built to provide

weapon grade plutonium & still provides jobs today

• Result of Cold War spending & war on terrorism, SC military bases continue to play an important role in the economy

• Fighting in the Middle East resulted in a n increase of dependence on training facilities & staging areas in SC (Fort Jackson, Parris Island, Shaw Air force Base, Port of Charleston)