Total US federal assistance to the Trust Territory reached $138.7 million, about 60% of it for programs and capital projects.

What happened

US spending in the Trust Territory had been low in the 1950s, a period later nicknamed the “zoo theory” years. It grew after Kennedy-era decisions in 1962, when the budget jumped to $17.5 million. By 1979 total federal assistance had reached $138.7 million.