Political and Economic Impact of World War II on Texas


Texas History The Great Depression and World War II Political and Economic Impact of World War II on Texas
Students learn about the political and economic impact of World War II on Texas. Then, they analyze a chart showing the urban shift in the Texas population. Finally, they examine how Mexican American veterans fought for civil rights when they returned from the war, focusing on the Longoria Affair.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for Political and Economic Impact of World War II on Texas:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Engage


Overview

In this experience, students learn about the political and economic impact of World War II on Texas. Then, they analyze a chart showing the urban shift in the Texas population. Finally, they examine how Mexican American veterans fought for civil rights when they returned from the war, focusing on the Longoria Affair.

Objectives:

  • Understand the political and economic impact of World War II on Texas.
  • Identify how Mexican American veterans fought for civil rights after the war.


World War II ended in 1945 with an Allied victory. In this lesson you will learn about the political and economic impact of the war on Texas.

Many Mexican Americans and African Americans had fought bravely for their country in the war. Macario Garcia of Sugarland received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the war. In September 1945, one month after receiving the Medal of Honor from President Truman, Garcia went to a restaurant near Houston. The restaurant refused to serve him because he was Mexican American. Garcia was so angry that a fight broke out between him and the owner of the restaurant, and Garcia was arrested.


a man giving a medal to a man in uniform

President Truman Presenting the Medal of Honor to Macario Garcia


Even though discrimination against Mexican Americans and African Americans was still common in Texas in the early 1900s, this incident soon made national headlines.


Why do you think the treatment of Macario Garcia at the restaurant became a major national story?

Post your answer

The discrimination against veterans seems particularly unfair since these people had just risked their lives to fight for their country, but they were treated as second-class citizens when they returned home.


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Great Depression and World War II Unit.
Would you like to preview the rest of this learning experience, and get access to the entire functioning Texas History MS course for your classroom? Sign up using your school email address below.
Back to top