Chapter 20, Section 2 The Home Front

New Economic Opportunities Women began working outside of the home again during WWII. However, there were two main differences from when they worked during WWI. They were involved in heavy industrial jobs– manufacturing of munitions and other war items This is where the iconic ‘Rosie the Riveter’ image came from. Women no longer quit their job once they were married– started a trend of women working longer.

New Economic Opportunities African Americans were also given new opportunities and began a “Double V” campaign– victory to end the war, victory to end discrimination. Urged by A. Philip Randolph, Roosevelt passed Executive Order 8802, which instituted fair hiring practices in government-funded jobs. Also, the NAACP grew in its membership to almost 500,000 members.

Workers on the Move Many minority workers moved to large cities to fulfill abandoned manufacturing jobs. In Los Angeles, Mexican-Americans were targeted. In other instances, African Americans and whites clashed over a lack of housing. A ‘zoot suit’ refers to a form of rebellious clothing worn in the 1940s– baggy pants and long coats. These clashes between minorities and whites became known as ‘zoot suit’ riots. Both instances demonstrate how increased industrialization led to population booms and conflict.

A Challenge to Civil Liberties After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many Americans began to distrust Japanese-Americans. This led to internment– temporary imprisonment– of these individuals. In the most famous internment case (Korematsu v. United States (1944)), Fred Korematsu refused to leave his business to go to the camp. He argued he was denied protection granted by the 14th amendment. This amendment guaranteed all citizens ‘equal protection’ under the law. The Supreme Court disagreed, allowing it for ‘security reasons.’

Supporting the War Effort Americans did their part to finance the war. It cost $330 billion, so Congress implemented a 5% income tax on all Americans. Americans also purchased war bonds, as they had in WWI. The debt increased to almost $300 billion during WWII.

Supporting the War Effort In order to stop inflation, Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration to control wages and set maximum prices. The government also encouraged rationing– the issuing of coupon books that limited the amount an individual could buy of certain goods that were needed for the war. The media’s main job was to keep American morale high. The Office of War Information continually presented the war as a fight for democracy.

Chapter 20, Section 5 Effects of the War

Allies Set Postwar Goals- Yalta In February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met at Yalta to discuss the fate of the conquered German territories. They discussed the following: Divide Germany into ‘zones’ of occupation for Britain, France, the US and USSR. Bring Nazi war criminals to trial Free elections in Poland Help establish democratic govs in Europe Set up a commission to look into reparations Roosevelt was willing to give concessions to Stalin in exchange for his help in the Pacific.

Allies Set Postwar Goals- Potsdam In July, 1945, Stalin, Truman and Clement Atlee met at Potsdam. They decided on: Dividing Germany Dismantling the Nazi gov and laws; eliminate militarist doctrines Bring Nazi war criminals to trial Recognize and hold free elections in Poland Allow S.U. to collect reparations from the Soviet zone of occupation There had been open disagreement over these ‘compromises’, though.

A New World Takes Shape After WWII, there was a push to end imperialistic control. Many African nations gained independence, as well as many nations in the Pacific. The Soviet Union and the U.S. emerged as superpowers– countries that dominated the world.

International Cooperation Unlike after WWI, following WWII Americans looked to establish themselves in postwar diplomacy. They worked to promote global economic stability by reducing tariffs. They also pushed for the establishment of the United Nations, an organization made up of countries from around the world that would discuss problems before going to war. The U.S. also helped establish a Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

A New American Identity While the U.S. was a part of a changing world, many changes were also going on internally within the U.S. The U.S. assumed a greater world leadership role. There was an increased push for civil rights following WWII, stemming from the impact African Americans made. With the Great Depression over, a new domestic economy where wealth was distributed more evenly. This was largely accomplished through government regulation.