After World War 2, the U.S. emerged as a world superpower and our economy was booming. Our nation was extremely rich, basically.
IF over land....
They used covered wagons and traveled in trains
IF over sea...
They traveled around the cape horn in the earlier times, and in the later times...
They traveled through the Panama Canal
Following WWI in North America and most of Europe there was a recession that led to economic decline. The recession in the United States did not last long and was followed by nearly a decade of major economic growth that made the United States the most powerful economy in the world.
When someone is described as a "martyr", all this means is that this person died for a cause they they believed in, and that their death inspired others to follow in the cause in question, often in the face of opposition.
