ABSTRACT
The 1930s and 1940s marked a significant change in the way Americans thought about a number of social issues. The experience of the Great Depression and World War II caused many to question prevailing ideas regarding social status, especially those based on race and social class. During the 1930s, millions lost their jobs, shattering illusions about the stability and security of middle-class life. For the first time since Reconstruction, the federal government adopted education policies to address long-standing patterns of inequality. This was a sign of the added significance assigned to schooling and the idea that it could help overcome poverty and discrimination. Federal measures to provide compensatory education enjoyed considerable public support, as they seemed to extend the benefits of schooling to new groups at relatively little cost. But they also encountered vocal opposition, depicting them as intrusive, overly liberal elements of social policy.
