Page 17 - REALLY What A time Book IX

REALLY SO WHAT
What A Time

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

The Great Depression in the 1930’s and World War II caused
Washington, District of Columbia to change. Since the
beginning, 1776, it had been a sleepy, swamp filled town. For
the next 86 years it has had an astonishing explosion of
growth.

In the 1930’s the Federal Government took a strong
leadership position across our country. The Great Depression
caused it to focus on our national problems, our economy, to
grow an infrastructure, to find and make jobs for the
thousands who were unemployed, and to modify the laws so it
could manage the new country. Our nation for the first time
was tied together through communication, social and legal
responsibilities, and infrastructure.
In the late 30’s the rise of our international awareness of our
enemies, Germany and Italy across the Atlantic, and Japan in
the Pacific, brought another spurt of growth. World War II
caused an increase in development and the number of workers
in Washington grew even more.

It began with the war and continued throughout the decade of
the 1940’s. Our Federal Government dragged us, the whole
country kicking and screaming into the International Arena.
Washington grew like topsy-turvy, creating the Industrial-
Defense complex. My family and I were a part of that growth.
Washington grew under the Industrial-Defense relationship
until the late ‘60’s when as citizens we began to lose control.

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