The The American American

Home FrontHome Front

December 7, 1941 - 1945

Quick vocab. Quick vocab. updateupdate

• Ration: a fixed allowance of provisions or food • War Bonds: a debt issued by a government for the

purpose of financing military operations during times of war

• Internment: the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups,

• Morale: emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence

• Riveter: A person who installs rivets to fasten an object together.

““We have nothing to We have nothing to fear but fear itself”fear but fear itself”

• After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt read his famous speech to Congress and the U.S. declared war on Japan.

• This led Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S.

• World War II was now at America’s shores. (so much for neutrality).

“Four Freedoms”FDR believes Nazi Germany is

threatening American freedoms:1. Freedom of speech2. Freedom of worship3. Freedom from want4. Freedom from fear

Rationale for leaving isolation behind

FDR (January 1941):

Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” PostersNorman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” Posters

Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” PostersNorman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” Posters

During World War II the Army Corps of Engineers needed to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant to protect it from Japanese air attack. They covered it with camouflage netting to make it look like a rural subdivision from the air.

The fear of “enemy The fear of “enemy aliens”aliens”

• Public rallied behind WWII like never before

• Many feared that immigrant groups were not unified with allied cause and were actually enemy agentsoGermans and Italians: forced to

move away from military bases, dealt with curfews, often jailed as spies without proof

Japanese InternmentJapanese Internment• Executive Order 9066: Ordered all Japanese-

Americans on West Coast, regardless of age, birthplace of gender, into internment camps for duration of war.

• Deprived Japanese of essential rights, many lost all life savings when had to pack up to go to camps.

• 1944 Korematsu v. US: Upheld internment as necessary

• 1988: US officially apologized and paid $20,000 in reparations

Discrimination•Japanese sent to internment camps (temporary imprisonment)

•Small shacks, food shortages, & substandard medical care

Enlistment and Enlistment and PatriotismPatriotism

• The American military was not prepared for an all out war.

• It only had 300,000 men.

• The U.S. calls on American men to enlist after Pearl Harbor and the American people respond… big time!

• In fact the Government is overwhelmed by the number that decide to join.

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U.S. Military

ALL AMERICANS ALL AMERICANS FOUGHTFOUGHT

Despite discrimination at home, minority populations contributed to the war effort:

• 1,000,000 African Americans

• 300,000 Mexican-Americans

• 33,000 Japanese Americans

• 25,000 Native Americans• 13,000 Chinese

AmericansThese “Golden 13” Great Lakes officers

scored the highest marks ever on the Officers exam in 1944

ContributionsContributions• The Americans were asked by

the government to ration everything.

• The government also sold war bonds (borrowed money from its own people to help with the war).

• They needed money to help the Allies as well as themselves. The U.S. was also not a very rich country and desperately needed money.

• The goal was to help Allies while the U.S. prepared.

Managing the Economy•War cost = $330 billion•5% tax & selling war bonds

Office of Price Administration:•Controlled wages and set prices

Rationing:•Limited the amount of goods someone can buy to save for the war

War bonds War bonds helped helped

raise $187 raise $187 billion to billion to

support the support the war effortwar effort

Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond:Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond:It Will Lead to VICTORY!It Will Lead to VICTORY!

Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond:Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy a Bond:It Will Lead to VICTORY!It Will Lead to VICTORY!

Frank CapraFrank Capra

The Role of the Media•Office of War Information•Supported the war effort withfilms, documentaries

Rationed GoodsRationed Goods• Rationed Items:

sugar, coffee, shoes, meats, and cereals.

• Farms were producing as much food as possible.

• Much of the food went to British and Russian soldiers and citizens as a result of starvation.

Shift in Shift in

ProductionProduction• American Industry had to

go from peace time production to war time production (which takes a lot of time).

• GM, Ford, and Chrysler went from creating cars to tanks.

• Boeing from regular airplanes to bombers and fighter jets.

• Gun makers like Colt, from hunting rifles to machine guns, flamethrowers, war rifles.

Managing the Economy•War cost = $330 billion•5% tax & selling war bonds

Office of Price Administration:•Controlled wages and set prices

Rationing:•Limited the amount of goods someone can buy to save for the war

Mobilizing the Mobilizing the Economy for WarEconomy for War

• Wartime production officially ended the Depression

• War Production Board: Established to coordinate production of war materialso Halted production of nonessential

materialso Imposed national speed limit to

conserve rubber

War ProductionWar Production

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Ship and Submarine Production

Ships andSubs

• In full war mode, the U.S. was producing weapons faster than anybody around thought that it would or could.

• In one month, the U.S. was able to produce up to 4,000 tanks and 4,500 planes.

• Ship production also increased dramatically to help protect our coasts.

LABOR’S LABOR’S CONTRIBUTIONCONTRIBUTION

• By 1944, nearly 18 million workers were laboring in war industries (3x the # in 1941)

• More than 6 million were women and nearly 2 million were minority.

Unintended BenefitUnintended Benefit

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Women

• Women joined the workforce. Before the war, only about 3 million worked in the U.S.

• Most were housewives and raised families.

• Desperate for workers to produce weapons, women replaced the men that went to war.

WOMEN MAKE WOMEN MAKE GAINSGAINS

• Women enjoyed economic gains during the war, although many lost their jobs after the war

• Over 6 million women entered the work force for the first time

• Over 1/3 were in the defense industry.

Women in WWIIWomen in WWII• Benefited from huge

demand for labor because of wartime production

• Many American women entered workforce for first timeo “Rosie the Riveter”—icon

of women workero Women told it was their

patriotic duty to worko Women who worked

before the war were able to get better paying jobs when war began

Did Women’s Roles Really Did Women’s Roles Really

Change?Change?• Men continued to dominate supervisory

positions• Women still paid less• WOMEN FORCED OUT OF THE WORKFORCE

AT THE END OF THE WAR!o 1950s: Women return role of housewives in suburbs

• Women veterans were not recognized for benefits until 1979.

Race in World War IIRace in World War II• Racism in military

o Soldiers of color enlisted, but in segregated units

o Many of these units were the most decorated of the war

• African-Americans: Tuskegee Airmen

• Mexican-Americans: Company E of the 141st Regiment

• Japanese Americans: 442nd Regimental Combat Team

• Native-Americans: Served in Marine Corps as Navajo Code Talkers

African-Americans African-Americans During WarDuring War

• Double Victory campaign: Victory against dictators abroad, and racism at home

• Some victories: more job opportunities, increased migration to North and West (esp. CA)

• Still, much racism: blacks paid less, discriminated in housing, in public facilities

African-American African-American ResistanceResistance

• Blacks begin organizing: o 1941: A. Philip Randolph

threatened to march on Washington to protest prejudice against African-American workers

o In response to threat, Roosevelt banned discrimination in government agencies.

o Established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to insure equal treatment for African-Americans and other minorities in war industries.

o Still, results limited. When GIs returned, blacks still first to lose jobs.

o All of this is an important precedent to Civil Rights movement.

Mexican-AmericansMexican-Americans • Mexican-Americans:oServed in quasi-segregated military units, often in the most hazardous branches

oMexican-American workers found jobs in SW agriculture & west coast industry

oFaced discrimination, especially during the Zoot Suit Riots

Racial Tensions in LA during Racial Tensions in LA during

WWIIWWII• Racism against Mexican Americans and the fear

of teen crime• Mexican American teenagers who wore “zoot

suits” were targeted.• June 1943: 2500 soldiers and sailors attacked

Mexican American neighborhoods in LA

POPULATION POPULATION

SHIFTSSHIFTS• The war triggered

the greatest mass migration in American history.

• More than a million newcomers poured into California between 1941-1944.

• African-Americans again shifted from south to north.

Success on the Success on the Home FrontHome Front

• The war provided a lift to the U.S. economy

• Jobs were abundant and despite rationing and shortages, people had money to spend.

• By the end of the war, America was the world’s dominant economic and military power.

ECONOMIC GAINSECONOMIC GAINS• Unemploymen

t fell to only 1.2% by 1944 and wages rose 35%

• Farmers benefited as production doubled and their income tripled

G.I. BILL HELPS G.I. BILL HELPS RETURNING VETSRETURNING VETS

• To help returning servicemen ease back into civilian life, Congress passed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (G.I. Bill of Rights)

• The act provided education for 7.8 million vets.

WWII a Benefit for USWWII a Benefit for US• Unlike rest of world economies, US’ actually

grows during and after WWII• Government worked more directly to

regulate the economy than ever before!• Official end to Depression• Postwar economy will continue to depend

on military spending. • Despite higher taxes, national debt rose to

new levels.o War cost $10 million an hour