What was the link between the launch of Sputnik I and the National Defense Education Act?

The Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik I in 1957 alarmed the United States, which worried that it was falling behind in science and technology. In response, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act in 1958, providing support for education, especially in science, math, and foreign languages. So the act was created in response to Sputnik I.

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