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 C ONGRESS ENACT THE S ELECTIVE S ERVICE A CT ( FIRST PEACETIME DRAFT ) –O RIGINALLY PASSED IN WWI –C REATES A DRAFT –16 MILLION A MERICANS WILL SERVE IN WWII D EC. 7, 1941: A TTACK ON P EARL H ARBOR D EC. 8 TH : FDR ASKED C ONGRESS TO DECLARE WAR ON J APAN –G ERMANY AND I TALY DECLARE WAR ON US

ECONOMIC TRANSITIONS: INDUSTRY AND PRODUCTION J ANUARY 1942: W AR P RODUCTION B OARD –I NCREASED MILITARY PRODUCTION –C ONVERTED EXISTING FACTORIES TO WARTIME PRODUCTION –B UILT NEW FACTORIES –R ECYCLED RAW MATERIALS INTO NEW PRODUCTS W OMEN ARE RECRUITED FOR NEW JOBS –5 MILLIONS A MERICAN WOMEN ENTER WORKFORCE DURING WAR –“R OSIE THE R IVETER ” BECOME THE ICONIC SYMBOL OF WOMEN ’ S EFFORT –W ORKED PRODUCTION LINES, STEEL MILLS, DOCKS –E NCOUNTERED SOME RESISTANCE

“ROSIE” BY NORMAN ROCKWELL

REAL “ROSIE”S

PAYING FOR THE WAR T O 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 G OVT. ALSO SOLD WAR BONDS –B OND : “ PIECE ” OF THE US, PAID BACK ( W / INTEREST ) AT A SPECIFIED DATE –B ONDS RANGED FROM $25 TO $10,000

INFLATION A S THE WAR CONTINUED, EMPLOYMENT INCREASED –W ORKERS ’ EARNINGS ROSE W ORKERS SPENT MORE AND BOUGHT MORE GOODS (D EMAND WENT UP AND SUPPLY STAYED THE SAME ) T HE SHIFT TO WAR GOODS FROM CONSUMER GOODS MADE CONSUMER GOODS MORE SCARCE. P RICES WENT UP = INFLATION

OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION C REATED IN 1942 TO COMBAT INFLATION S ET PRICE CEILINGS ON CONSUMER PRODUCTS B EGAN TO RATION GOODS THAT WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY –S UGAR, MEAT, BUTTER, COFFEE, GASOLINE, SHOES, ECT. –R EQUIRED GOVT. ISSUED RATIONING COUPONS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE D ESPITE ALL ATTEMPTS : COST OF LIVING ROSE 29% DURING THE WAR

ISSUES WITH RACISM: AFRICAN AMERICANS S HIFTED FROM AGRICULTURE TO MANUFACTURING M ANY MOVED FROM THE SOUTH TO CITIES IN THE NORTH AND MID - WEST (M IGRATION ) F EDERAL RESPONSE TO DISCRIMINATION WAS UNEVEN FDR ESTABLISHED THE F AIR E MPLOYMENT P RACTICES C OMMISSION –P ROMOTE MINORITY HIRING IN GOVT. OFFICES AND IN COMPANIES W / WAR CONTRACTS –C OMMISSION DID NOT REJECT SEGREGATION M ANY SERVED IN S EGREGATED MILITARY –C OOKS, FIGHTER PILOTS –M ANY SERVED IN ALL - BLACK UNITS E XAMPLE : T USKEGEE A IRMEN

ISSUE W/ RACISM: JAPANESE-AMERICANS M OST SIGNIFICANT DISCRIMINATION DURING WWII 90% OF ALL J AP -A M LIVED IN C ALI., P ACIFIC NW AND H AWAII –2/3 HAD BEEN BORN IN US AND WERE CITIZENS BY BIRTH A FTER P EARL : GOVT OFFICIALS WERE SUSPICIOUS OF THEIR LOYALTY –FEARED INVASION 1942: 110,000 J APANESE A MERICANS WERE MOVED FROM THEIR HOMES TO “ DETENTION CENTERS ” –B ARBED WIRE, PATROLLED BY SOLDIERS –D URATION OF WAR E STABLISHED THEIR OWN SCHOOLS, NEWSPAPERS, GOVT. –S UPREME COURT UPHELD GOVT DECISION AS “ NECESSARY FOR NATIONAL SECURITY ”

DISCRIMINATION DURING THE WAR