Section II: The New Roads and the
Post-war World
PREVIEWING ACTIVITIES:
This section presents information about:
-The Pennsylvania turnpike as the prototype
of the Interstates
-Other models for highway construction,
e.g., Germany's Autobahn
-The impact of the postwar boom on
transportation and lifestyles
-The Eisenhower Administration making
interstate highway construction a top priority
Discussion Questions:
-What were the major advances of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike over existing roads?
-Why did trolleys disappear after WW II?
-Why did the country choose highways over
railroads?
-What was the national defense argument for
the Interstates?
Suggested Activities:
Prior to viewing, assign homework in
history text that covers the 1 950s. Assigned pages should focus on
post-war society and the early cold war era. Stress the economic boom
that changed where and how people lived and how cold war politics
shaped our national priorities. Review the timeline for events in this
period and discuss with students.
Have students identify the main arguments
for building the Interstates. Students should note the key supporters,
e.g., President Eisenhower, General Lucius Clay, the Highway lobby.
What was the prototype for the Interstates?
Assign students additional reading on early
divided highways in western Europe. Who built them and for what
purposes?
Brainstorm on how turnpikes and interstates
differ from earlier roads in terms of speed and service. Alert students
to consider why the Pennsylvania Turnpike, opening in 1940, was a novel
development in the history of roadways.
POSTVIEWING ACTIVITIES:
Begin discussion of why the Interstates
were built. Using a map of national railroad lines, consider why
trolleys and railroads were no longer adequate.
The post-war period saw a shift to the
suburbs. To discover if their community was part of this national
trend, have students research population statistics home construction,
and road building after 1950. Suggest that they contact the Chamber of
Commerce and other local resources. Assign additional reading on the
post-war boom and move to suburbia.
Ron Edsforth says that the only major force
"opposed to this massive federal program are the railroads."
To illustrate this point , divide class into pro-RR and pro-Highway
advocates. Using information from the film and readings on the post-war
era, prepare arguments for a debate on the merits of funding rail lines
as opposed to roadways. A suggested debate topic: The Federal
government shall allocate 25 billion dollars for revitalization and
expansion of national railroads. Conclude by asking if it is practical
to reintroduce and/or expand railroad and interurban transportation
today. How would such expansion be funded?
Expand on Stephen Ambrose's comment that
defense '~made an awfully good selling" point for the Interstates.
Discus how are the Interstates are part of the cold war era. A clip
from a 50's civil defense film or ATOMIC CAFE could illustrate the
point. Students might ask if their community had civil defense drills
and evacuation routes.
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES:
Have students research past and present
modes of transportation in their community. Conduct oral intervieWs
with teachers, the principal, store owners and home owners who lived in
the community in the 1950s. Ask them what they remember about public
transportation in their town, where people lived, if they or their
parents had a car. Students might gather photos of cars from the 1950s
to show the interviewees and the class when they present their findings.
Assign students to research the move to the
cities in the 1880s and 1890s and compare with the move to the suburbs
in the 1920s. What modes of transportation made the move to the suburbs
possible in the 1920s? Using graphs, compare with the move to the
suburbs after WW II.
Organize students into groups of four to
five to prepare a pictorial essay on Americans who lived in suburban,
rural, and urban areas after WW II. The project can include photos,
diagrams, charts, and appropriate graphics accompanied by written text.
Students should include visuals on planned communities that sprang up
in the 1950's, e.g., Levittown, PA, etc..
Students research the history of railroad
and interurban transportation focusing on the reasons for their growth
and later decline. Present findings to class and discuss why
transportation took the direction of highway development as opposed to
railroads and interurbans. Did over regulation of railroads and
inadequate fares for interurbans lead to their demise?
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