The Great Depression and WWII

Quiz Format: 20 Multiple Choice 1 Short Answer (choice between 4 options) To Do: FINISH NOTECARDS! DO MAKE UP WORK

The Great Depression made economic inequalities for women even worse World War II improved women’s economic options Underlying, structural inequalities between men and women were never made equal in the 1930s-1940s Actually, economic equality still does not exist today Overall,…

The most profound economic, social, and political crisis in U. S The most profound economic, social, and political crisis in U.S. History In 1929, capital markets collapse Around 25% unemployment, for years People fall into poverty Wages fall for those employed Individuals lose their savings and their homes Middle class people became poor and poor people stayed poor or starved Life became survival as families fell apart and people died The solution: Roosevelt’s New Deal which was various government programs meant to stimulate the economy and create jobs and help the poor The Great Depression

The New Deal Hurt Women and Minorities New Deal policies mostly apply to white males because it applied to those who worked for wages Therefore women, children and minorities were often ignored by these policies because federal policies did not apply to women who did not work for wages The implications : Existing gender and racial inequalities continued The concept that federal action to address economic conditions, but not racial or gender inequalities Separation of those “social” issues from economic issues so race and economic status were not connected according to the government The New Deal Hurt Women and Minorities

Women in the Workforce During WWII WWII ends the Great Depression as mobilization helped boost the economy There were more women in the workforce as women were expected to help the war effort from the home front Changes include the kind of jobs women did and how they thought about work More women in manufacturing: More women in government 72% of employed women were married, not single Women in the Workforce During WWII

Women working in industrial jobs and other higher-paying work was seen as temporary Women were expected to leave their jobs as soon as the men returned from war and return to pink collar jobs such as teachers, secretaries, and nurses Women in WWII Women in the 1950s The Catch

Women in the Great Depression Which letter was most compelling to you? Why? (Give 3 reasons). Give examples of the struggles women described they and their families faced during the Great Depression. Women in the Great Depression