New Mexicans Help Win World War II Take notes and be prepared for quiz

Key Ideas New Mexico helped fill the nation’s need for soldiers, supplies, training, and new weapons during World War II. New Mexico proved to be the perfect location for the top-secret Manhattan Project. Many Japanese Americans were held in special camps in New Mexico during the war. The war helped create jobs and boost New Mexico’s economy.

Key Terms Bracero - A temporary farm worker from Mexico. Civilian – A person who is not enlisted in the military.

World War II began September, 1939 Adolph Hitler – Believed Germans where a superior race and set out to conquer Europe and cleanse it of what he considered inferior races, especially those of the Jewish Religion. Hitler sent millions of Jewish people to concentration camps where more than six million were put to death in gas chambers.

World War II powers Allied Powers – Led by England, France, Soviet Union After Pearl harbor Attack USA joined the war. Allies declared war on Germany in 1939 when it invaded Poland. Axis Powers – Germany, Japan and Italy.

Pearl Harbor Attacked December 7, 1941 Pear Harbor Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese planes. The Japanese destroyed 188 planes 21 ships and killed more than 2400 U.S. Soldiers.

Pearl Harbor

Pear Harbor

Defending the Philippines The Japanese attacked the Philippines within hours of attacking Pear Harbor. U.S. and Filipino soldiers were forced to surrender. Bataan Death March - April 1942, Japanese captured at least 10,000 American troops and 60,000 Filipino troops. The captured troops (POWs) where forced to walk 65 miles without food or water many were beaten if they became sick or to weak to march they were executed by death squads who followed from behind.

Bataan death march

Bataan Death March

Images Of Bataan

The manhattan project Top secret plan to design and build an atomic bomb. Los Alamos was chosen for the site to build the bomb. It was a small Hispanic community with few roads on or off the Mesa. The government also acquired the campus of Los Alamos Ranch School. The project became known as Project Y.

J. Robert Oppenheimmer Chosen to direct project Y. He was an accomplished science and well like and respected by his peers. General Leslie Groves the leader of the entire Manhattan project also liked and put his faith in Oppenheimer. After more than two years the Bomb was developed and tested at the Trinity Site.

Trinity Site

Trinity Blast

Japanese internment and pow camps More than 110,000 Japanese families were forced to move away from the West Coast, for fear they would spy on the U.S. Those Japanese men who were considered the most dangerous were sent to internment camps in Santa Fe and Lordsburg. German and Italian POWs were sent to POW camps located in Lordsburg and Roswell. The Pows helped grow crops and raise livestock.

Japanese internment camps

Japanese Interment Camps Santa Fe Getting on Train

Examine the picture. what do you think this picture is depicting.

WWII ends May 1945 the war ends in Europe. The war with Japan in the Pacific however still raged and the new President Harry Truman decided to use the Atomic Bomb to end the war.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed the war ended 3 months after Europe had surrendered.

Hiroshima before and after The Great Hall Nothing Left

Enola gay