The Marshall Plan and the Expansion of Power

Process Paper Bennett Pruitt Individual Website Senior Division

For the theme of Turning Points in History, I thought about events in recent history that have contributed to the United States becoming a superpower. I immediately thought of World War II, and talking to my father, an economist, led me to choose the Marshall Plan. It interested me because of its economic aspect, an area widely at risk in the present day.

To begin my research, I visited the library at University of Missouri-St. Louis, and found several books, both economic and historical, that helped me learn more about the Marshall Plan, as well as its relation to U.S. world power. However, I found only secondary sources at UMSL. I easily found primary sources through the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Research Administration, and the Granger Collection, including photos, cartoons, and government documents. I also found audio-visual content in the form of speeches by both George Marshall and a recent president. I chose to use a website for my project because my topic included visual elements that would not have worked in a paper, my first choice for anything related to research. However, as a novice, website creation was more difficult than I expected, requiring outside knowledge in order to create something truly spectacular. However, I feel the website is more engaging than any other category. The Marshall Plan clearly relates to the theme Turning Points in History. After World War II and the Marshall Plan, the United States emerged as the greatest power in the world and the richest nation as well. This led to the baby boom in the 1950s. Because of the Marshall Plan, Europe became more unified and the United States more technologically advanced. Before this, the United States was growing, but was not yet at the forefront of the world stage. After, American influence increased among nations affected by the Marshall Plan.