After World War II, America had to take a step back and take a look at its own country. The American dream had been restored thanks to the atrocities of war. In the 1930s, the American Dream was mostly about hard work, men supporting their families, and trying to get out of the Depression. In the 1940s, after World War II, things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role along with many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American Dream and what aspects influenced it, such as World War II, modernism, new technologies, and entertainment. The 1940s were an interesting and critical time for the United States of America. World War II began in the late 1930s and continued into the 1940s. The United States Army enlisted in 1941, and “when the United States entered World War II, every aspect of life in America was affected by the conflict” (The 1940s). New opportunities emerged for women because of all the men at war, so women had a chance to showcase their skills and abilities. They operated machines in factories and worked with heavy artillery. If a person did not fight the war for his country, he created weapons for brave soldiers. This caused a drastic increase in economic growth in the United States. After World War II America was well out of the Depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ended segregation in the military, which gave many different races great new advantages. At the end of the war the United States became a world power. The policy that they would not be involved in other countries' affairs is over. America became a different country after the war, in a good way. America's population increased after the war (History Ch...... middle of paper ......orld War II." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Web.Bellis, Mary. "Science of the Years '40." About.com Inventors. About.com, April 16, 2014. Web."The American Dream." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. May 14, 2014."Modernism " Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. May 5, 2014."The 1940s." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 May 2014. “The United States imposes the draft.” James Press, 2000. Student Resources in Context Web. Aerosol spray. “World of Invention Gale, 2006. Student Resources in Context. Web.