On rare occasions in American history, Congress enacts a measure so
astute, so far-reaching, so revolutionary, it enters the language
as a metaphor. The Marshall Plan comes to mind, as does the Civil
Rights Act. But perhaps none resonates in the American imagination
like the G.I. Bill.
In a brilliant addition to Oxford's acclaimed Pivotal Moments in
American History series, historians Glenn C. Altschuler and Stuart
M. Blumin offer a compelling and often surprising account of the
G.I. Bill and its sweeping and decisive impact on American life.
Formally known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944, it was
far from an obvious, straightforward piece of legislation, but
resulted from tense political maneuvering and complex negotiations.
As Altschuler and Blumin show, an unlikely coalition emerged to
shape and pass the bill, bringing together both New Deal Democrats
and conservatives who had vehemently opposed Roosevelt's
social-welfare agenda. For the first time in American history
returning soldiers were not only supported, but enabled to pursue
success--a revolution in America's policy towards its veterans.
Once enacted, the G.I. Bill had far-reaching consequences. By
providing job training, unemployment compensation, housing loans,
and tuition assistance, it allowed millions of Americans to fulfill
long-held dreams of social mobility, reshaping the national
landscape. The huge influx of veterans and federal money
transformed the modern university and the surge in single home
ownership vastly expanded America's suburbs. Perhaps most
important, as Peter Drucker noted, the G.I. Bill "signaled the
shift to the knowledge society." The authors highlight unusual or
unexpected features of the law--its color blindness, the frankly
sexist thinking behind it, and its consequent influence on race and
gender relations. Not least important, Altschuler and Blumin
illuminate its role in individual lives whose stories they weave
into this thoughtful account.
Written with insight and narrative verve by two leading historians,
The G.I. Bill makes a major contribution to the scholarship of
postwar America.
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