Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 25

Celebrate the Suburbs: Millions of Americans moved to the suburbs after World War II, and by the end of the 1950s, one-third of the nation’s population lived in suburban areas. What do these documents suggest about why suburban life was so desirable? What were the benefits of suburban life, and in what ways was that lifestyle an improvement over city life and rural life?

Criticize the Suburbs: Suburbs were represented in the 1950s as the fulfillment of the American dream, but the realities of life for suburban residents and for those without access to the suburbs were less than ideal. What do these documents suggest about the negative side of suburbanization? How was suburban life less than ideal for residents, and how did the urban exodus transform life for people who remained there?

Assess Causation: Post–World War II suburbanization was a complex process that was shaped by numerous economic, social, political, and cultural factors. What do these documents suggest about which factors were most important for the massive growth of suburbs in this period? To what extent were middle-class Americans drawn to the suburbs by the forces and entities that created them? To what extent were the creators and promoters of suburbs responding to the demands and desires of middle-class Americans in the late 1940s and 1950s?

Notice Points of View: The creators of these five documents represent very different interests and perspectives. Who created each of these sources, and what were his or her motivations and goals? How did each creator’s position, motivation, and audience shape the content of his or her product?