Final answer:
Post-World War II, the United States underwent readjustments leading to greater strides in equality for women and minorities, influenced by their wartime contributions. Key developments like the desegregation of the military and the civil rights movement advanced the equality agenda. The Cold War further influenced domestic and international quests for equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
After World War II, the United States went through significant social, political, economic, and cultural readjustments. Women and diverse groups of Americans began to experience strides in equality due to their contributions to the war effort. However, despite the progress, the postwar era saw the persistence of traditional gender roles, with an expectation for women to return to domesticity and men to reassume their positions in the workforce. Some women challenged these notions, leading to the emergence of the early feminist movement.
The civil rights movement can be viewed as originating from World War II, as African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and other minorities utilized their service to claim equality. This culminated in a series of key events that pushed forward the quest for equality, such as the desegregation of the military in 1948, the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, and the passage of Civil Rights Act in 1964, which fundamentally challenged segregationist laws and practices.
The Cold War also impacted the quest for equality domestically and internationally. As tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union increased, the competition between the two superpowers placed emphasis on demonstrating the superiority of their social systems, including efforts to showcase greater racial and gender equality.