This Unit will begin in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War.  Students will look at the division of Europe in the aftermath of the war and the influence the United States and the Soviet Union will exert on these countries. The rebuilding of Western Europe through the Marshall Plan will be examined as will the pledge to defend nations through the Truman Doctrine. We will take a look at some of the conflicts during this time period including the Berlin Blockade/Airlift, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War and the nuclear arms race. The fear of communism, communist spies, and McCarthyism will also be looked at and debated. Students will also get a look at the re-emergence of the Civil Rights Movement by looking at such historical events as the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, the Little Rock Nine, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the emergence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his nonviolent method of protest. The changing American society will also be examined. The Baby Boom, the emergence of suburbs, the growth of the middle class and White Flight will be explored as well as the popular culture of the US and the growing importance of the television.