After World War II, America had to step back and take a look at its country. The American dream was restored after the atrocities of war. In the 1930s, the American dream was primarily about working hard, allowing men to provide for their families, and trying to climb out of depression. In the 1940s, after World War II, things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role, alongside many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American dream and the aspects that influenced it, such as World War II, modernism, new technology, 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 joined in 1941 and "when the United States entered World War II , every aspect of life in America was affected by the conflict” (1940s). New opportunities presented themselves to women thanks to all the men at war, so women had the chance to show off their skills and abilities. They operated machines in factories and worked with heavy artillery. If a person was not fighting war for his country, he was making weapons for the brave soldiers. This caused a drastic increase in the growth of the United States economy. After World War II, America was well out of the depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ended segregation in the armed forces, which gave new advantages to many different races. At the end of the war, the United States became a world power. The policy of not getting involved in other countries' affairs ended. America became a different country after the war, in a good way. America's population increased after the war (History Ch...... middle of article...... World War II." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Web.Bellis, Mary. “Science of the 1940s” About.com Inventors. April 16, 2014. Web. “The American Dream.” Gale Student Resources: Detroit, 2011. Web. "Modernism." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. May 5, 2014. "The 1940s." Gale Student Resources in Context. Web. May 5, 2014. “The United States Imposes the Project.” 2014. The History Channel. Linda Ann. “The Drifters.” St. James Press. students in context. Web.Aerosol spray " World of Invention.. ».