The Freeway Story - Educator Notes
Compromise for the Common Good
Between 1890 and 1940, more than 10 million people immigrated to America. Cities grew very large. Some cities, like New York, built big subway systems to move people to their jobs, schools and shops. Cities like Detroit, however, relied on the car. In 1950 more families in Detroit owned a car than in any other city in America. Cities like Detroit grew and grew. Some people chose to move out of the city into newer housing communities. As Detroit grew, these communities grew also, and they became cities themselves. The original city of Detroit is only 26 square miles. The surrounding area, called the metropolitan area, is 148 square miles, and growing!
Cities like Detroit chose to get rid of their trolley and subway systems in favor of the private car. Without public transportation, people living in the suburbs had to have cars to drive into the city to work. Some states, like Pennsylvania, built a turnpike. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was quite a job. They had to blast tunnels right through some mountains.
By 1950 American cities were having a transportation crisis. Cars were relatively inexpensive and Americans loved the freedom a car gave them. But the streets and roads were full of cars and trucks! In a city it could take an hour to drive across town. Many manufacturers preferred to ship their goods by truck rather than rail. Trucking allowed manufacturers the advantages of speed and more flexibility because they could deliver right to the customer. But roads between cities were usually only two lanes and very slow with stop signs and lights
President Eisenhower wanted to build freeways all over America because the country was growing and better and faster transportation was important for everyone.
The construction of freeways caused a lot of problems. No matter how the new freeways were designed, houses and businesses had to be torn down to make way for the new roads. Everyone wanted freeways, but no one wanted a freeway going through their neighborhood.
In a democracy, the needs of all the people are sometimes more important than the wants of the individual. The freeway designers freeways tried to pick a path that would cause the least damage. But no matter what choices were made, some people were very unhappy about it.
In Detroit, several different freeways were built through old, ethnic neighborhoods. This lesson, called "Compromise for the Common Good", is similar to real events that happened in a small town near Detroit called Oak Park. You will see how a community and the road builders from the government try to solve many problems while building a new freeway. You will also see how citizens used their constitutional rights and Core Democratic Values to cause the government to alter the plans.
Good citizenship is necessary for a democracy to function effectively. To be a good citizen, you must be aware of the problems facing your community and the diverse people in your community and become active in voicing your opinion. Sometimes, you must work hard to make sure that your rights and the rights of others are preserved.
Compromise for the Common Good demonstrates the relationship between the citizen, the community and the government and the responsibilities each have to the other.
Between 1890 and 1940, more than 10 million people immigrated to America. Cities grew very large. Some cities, like New York, built big subway systems to move people to their jobs, schools and shops. Cities like Detroit, however, relied on the car. In 1950 more families in Detroit owned a car than in any other city in America. Cities like Detroit grew and grew. Some people chose to move out of the city into newer housing communities. As Detroit grew, these communities grew also, and they became cities themselves. The original city of Detroit is only 26 square miles. The surrounding area, called the metropolitan area, is 148 square miles, and growing!
Cities like Detroit chose to get rid of their trolley and subway systems in favor of the private car. Without public transportation, people living in the suburbs had to have cars to drive into the city to work. Some states, like Pennsylvania, built a turnpike. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was quite a job. They had to blast tunnels right through some mountains.
By 1950 American cities were having a transportation crisis. Cars were relatively inexpensive and Americans loved the freedom a car gave them. But the streets and roads were full of cars and trucks! In a city it could take an hour to drive across town. Many manufacturers preferred to ship their goods by truck rather than rail. Trucking allowed manufacturers the advantages of speed and more flexibility because they could deliver right to the customer. But roads between cities were usually only two lanes and very slow with stop signs and lights
President Eisenhower wanted to build freeways all over America because the country was growing and better and faster transportation was important for everyone.
The construction of freeways caused a lot of problems. No matter how the new freeways were designed, houses and businesses had to be torn down to make way for the new roads. Everyone wanted freeways, but no one wanted a freeway going through their neighborhood.
In a democracy, the needs of all the people are sometimes more important than the wants of the individual. The freeway designers freeways tried to pick a path that would cause the least damage. But no matter what choices were made, some people were very unhappy about it.
In Detroit, several different freeways were built through old, ethnic neighborhoods. This lesson, called "A Freeway Story", is similar to real events that happened in a small town near Detroit called Oak Park. You will see how a community and the road builders from the government try to solve many problems while building a new freeway.