WWII : WAR ON THE HOME FRONT

DAY 8

TODAY’S OBJECTIVES

• DESCRIBE THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHANGES THAT RESHAPED AMERICAN LIFE DURING WWII.

• SUMMARIZE BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND THE DISCRIMINATION AFRICAN AMERICANS AND OTHER MINORITIES EXPERIENCED DURING THE WAR.

EVEN BEFORE PEARL HARBOR

• FDR AND CONGRESS ENACT THE SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT (FIRST PEACETIME DRAFT)– ORIGINALLY PASSED IN WWI– CREATES A DRAFT– 16 MILLION AMERICANS WILL

SERVE IN WWII• DEC. 7, 1941: ATTACK ON PEARL

HARBOR• DEC. 8TH: FDR ASKED CONGRESS TO

DECLARE WAR ON JAPAN– GERMANY AND ITALY DECLARE

WAR ON US

ECONOMIC TRANSITIONS:INDUSTRY AND PRODUCTION

• JANUARY 1942: WAR PRODUCTION BOARD– INCREASED MILITARY PRODUCTION– CONVERTED EXISTING FACTORIES TO WARTIME

PRODUCTION– BUILT NEW FACTORIES– RECYCLED RAW MATERIALS INTO NEW PRODUCTS

• WOMEN ARE RECRUITED FOR NEW JOBS– 5 MILLIONS AMERICAN WOMEN ENTER

WORKFORCE DURING WAR– “ROSIE THE RIVETER” BECOME THE ICONIC

SYMBOL OF WOMEN’S EFFORT– WORKED PRODUCTION LINES, STEEL MILLS, DOCKS– ENCOUNTERED SOME RESISTANCE

• “ROSIE” BY NORMAN ROCKWELL

REAL “ROSIE”S

PAYING FOR THE WAR

• TO RAISE MONEY, THE GOVT. INCREASED TAXES THAT WERE HELD IN WORKER’S PAYCHECKS– 1942: GOVT. EXTENDED

INCOME TAX TO INCLUDE MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME PEOPLE

• GOVT. ALSO SOLD WAR BONDS– BOND: “PIECE” OF THE US,

PAID BACK (W/ INTEREST) AT A SPECIFIED DATE

– BONDS RANGED FROM $25 TO $10,000

INFLATION• AS THE WAR CONTINUED,

EMPLOYMENT INCREASED– WORKERS’ EARNINGS ROSE

• WORKERS SPENT MORE AND BOUGHT MORE GOODS (DEMAND WENT UP AND SUPPLY STAYED THE SAME)

• THE SHIFT TO WAR GOODS FROM CONSUMER GOODS MADE CONSUMER GOODS MORE SCARCE.

• PRICES WENT UP = INFLATION

OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION• CREATED IN 1942 TO COMBAT

INFLATION• SET PRICE CEILINGS ON

CONSUMER PRODUCTS• BEGAN TO RATION GOODS THAT

WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY– SUGAR, MEAT, BUTTER,

COFFEE, GASOLINE, SHOES, ECT.

– REQUIRED GOVT. ISSUED RATIONING COUPONS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE

• DESPITE ALL ATTEMPTS: COST OF LIVING ROSE 29% DURING THE WAR

ISSUES WITH RACISM: AFRICAN AMERICANS• SHIFTED FROM AGRICULTURE TO

MANUFACTURING• MANY MOVED FROM THE SOUTH TO CITIES

IN THE NORTH AND MID-WEST (MIGRATION)• FEDERAL RESPONSE TO DISCRIMINATION

WAS UNEVEN• FDR ESTABLISHED THE FAIR

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES COMMISSION– PROMOTE MINORITY HIRING IN GOVT.

OFFICES AND IN COMPANIES W/ WAR CONTRACTS

– COMMISSION DID NOT REJECT SEGREGATION

• MANY SERVED IN SEGREGATED MILITARY– COOKS, FIGHTER PILOTS– MANY SERVED IN ALL-BLACK UNITS

• EXAMPLE: TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

ISSUE W/ RACISM: JAPANESE-AMERICANS• MOST SIGNIFICANT DISCRIMINATION

DURING WWII• 90% OF ALL JAP-AM LIVED IN CALI., PACIFIC

NW AND HAWAII– 2/3 HAD BEEN BORN IN US AND WERE

CITIZENS BY BIRTH• AFTER PEARL: GOVT OFFICIALS WERE

SUSPICIOUS OF THEIR LOYALTY– FEARED INVASION

• 1942: 110,000 JAPANESE AMERICANS WERE MOVED FROM THEIR HOMES TO “DETENTION CENTERS”– BARBED WIRE, PATROLLED BY SOLDIERS– DURATION OF WAR

• ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN SCHOOLS, NEWSPAPERS, GOVT.– SUPREME COURT UPHELD GOVT

DECISION AS “NECESSARY FOR NATIONAL SECURITY”

DISCRIMINATION DURING THE WAR