The Crucial Decade in America

In his preface to the book, Goldman states that two questions pressed upon him as he considered the history of the United States between 1945 and 1960. One of the questions concerned internal affairs. Would the United States continue to extend welfare and social reforms which had marked the previous decades? The other question concerned foreign affairs. Would the United States move toward "containment" and peaceful co-existence with other nations, a sharp departure from the deep-seated traditions of former years? (p. vi)

Goldman calls his work interpretive history. He holds no special theories about man or about history and has no particular bandwagon that he wants the reader to jump upon. He escapes partisanship and carefully regards the facts (p. vii). Whenever it was feasible, he sent

. . .
candies. Some of the little lessons bore the message, "U.S.S.R. Population 211,000,000. Capital Moscow. Largest country in the world." The city manager thundered that that was a terrible thing to which to expose children. The vendetta ranged from the ridiculous to the sinister and came to include anyone who was intellectual or rather different in any way (pp. 213-214). The mood of the country became so high-strung that Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, pastor of the Marble Collegiate Church in New York said, "The American people are so keyed up it is impossible to put them to sleep, even with a sermon" (p. 218). In Cleveland, Louis B. Seltzer, editor of the Cleveland Press, wrote in an editorial, "What is wrong with us? . . . It is in the air we breathe. The things we do. The things we say. Our books. Our papers. Our theatre. Our movies. our radio and television. The way we behave. The interests we have. The values we fix. We have everything . . . We are, on the average, rich beyond the dreams of the kings of old . . . Yet . . . Are we our own worst enemies? Should we fear what is happening among us more than what is happening elsewhere? . . . No one seems to know what to do to meet it. But everybody worries . . . " For
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Love Lucy, Destiny Goldman's, Van Doren, Adlai Stevenson, Walter Lippmann's, Albert Einstein, Cleveland Press, Louis Bromfield, Socialism Communism, Diner's Club, van doren, limited warfare, american people, crucial decade--and america, radio television, affairs united, mood country, 1945 1960, joseph mccarthy, frank costello, credit cards, decade--and america 1945-1960,
Approximate Word count = 2701
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

More Essays on The Crucial Decade in America