America in World War II

ABC-1 (America, British, and Canada)  Following Pearl Harbor the Citizens want Japanese's Blood, but the Allied leaders don’t see it that way.  “Get Germany first”  Germany knocked out= more allies for Pacific  Send enough troops to Pacific to keep Japan in check, Hitler= real enemy.

Shock of War and Internment  Immigrants assimilated into American society faster during ww2 for their common hatred for their home countries and support for the American War effort.  Not all Immigrants were treated fairly The Japanese were placed into internment camps.  Executive order place the Japanese into camps even though 2/3rds were American born citizens who were loyal to the US. (violates 14 th amendment)  Korematsu vs US (1944)- Order is Constitutional.

Building the War Machine:  the allies ordered 100 billion in War equipment putting the US back to work.  WAR PRODUCTION BOARD: in charge of efficiency and supply. 40 billion bullets, 300,000 aircrafts, 76,000 ships, 86,000 tanks, 2.6 million machine guns. (created National Speed limit and gas rationing)  Non essential material is stopped being produced  Farmers begin to produce at massive rates leading to surplus (again).  Office of Price Administration- created to stop inflation.  National Labor Board- Placed ceilings on wages.

Labor unions during the war  Labor unions grew during the war from 10 mil to 13 mil, but strikes were seen as against the war effort.  To end strike the Government passes the  Smith-Connally Anti—Strike Act – government seizure of striking industries.

MAN POWER … and woman power too  15 million men and 216,00 woman served.  Woman join WAAC, WAVES, SPARS  Draft lead to shortage of workers that black and woman could not fill, so they look south.  Thousands of Mexican agricultural workers called braceros(migration pattern)  Inspired by Rosie the Riveter” 6 million woman took factory jobs, half leaving for the first time.  War foreshadows a revolution for woman’s roles in American Society  After war, 2/3s returned home. But the impact was felt.

Wartime Migrations  Opportunity in the factories made many leave their homes and head to cities  FDR called the south the nations number one economic priority, and FDR gives south tons of money for war time development of factories  Creates the rise of the “Sunbelt” (post war)  2 nd great migration 1.6 million blacks- leads to tensions I the Nation not just the south.

The Second Great Migration  With more tensions and more equal opportunity, A Phillip Randolph wants to do a march on Washington to demand equal opportunity in war jobs and armed forces.  FDR passes the Employment Practices Commission- discourages discrimination in the workplace but blacks still used the war as a rallying cry for equality.  NAACP gains 500,000 members and a new civil rights group called Congress of racial Equality (CORE)  WHY BLACKs Leave= Mechanical cotton picker.