American history from 1945 to present Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American history from 1945 to present - Essay Example tion.† This statement tells us that every action taken for a larger freedom and a more equal and spacious society is one more step toward the realization of what Herbert Croly once called ‘the promise of American life’† [Kennedy]. Throughout three eras, from 1945 to present, the progress of the Cold War, the Vietnam war, and the Civil Rights movement are showing that America is making progress toward realizing â€Å"the promise of American life†, by showing the lack of freedoms of conscience and equality in the early years, and by taking action for a larger freedom and a more equal society. In the era from 1945 to 1965, America certainly made a few mistakes and moved far away from â€Å"the promise of American life†. After World War II, the world formed two super powers, one was the United States, and the other the Soviet Union. The two started a 45 year long cold war due to their different historical experiences and different ideologies [Morris, 10]. America was once again trapped in a shadow of war soon after the World War II because of the looming Cold War between the and the Soviet Union. â€Å"The cold war had widened and intensified†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Americans were again at war in the Far East and were forced o live with the threat of nuclear annihilation† [Oakes, 808]. War is the one thing we want to avoid no matter if it is a cold war or a real war. History has taught us that war will only destroy a nation’s economy, and the people who suffer from it are the civilians of the countries that are involved in the war itself. This is represented not only in the Cold War, However, as the United States managed to start another war with Vietnam in 1950’s, lasting all the way through to 1975. Aside from the wars, African Americans had little to no rights during this time period, which goes against the statement of â€Å"the promise of American life†. By the end of World War II, â€Å"The transformation of the southern economy was undermining the system that segregated