The American Home Front December 7,

Battle of the Atlantic First and Second Happy Time: Axis submarines attack US merchant shipping Germany:“The American Shooting Season” American defense: weak/disorganized Germany inflicted massive damage with little risk Allied Losses:36,200 sailors, 36,00 seamen, 3,500 merchant vessels, 175 warships

Enlistment and Patriotism Pre-attack: America not prepared for an all out war 300,000 men. Pearl Harbor Government is overwhelmed by the number that enlist.

ALL AMERICANS FOUGHT Broke down cultural barriers Despite discrimination at home, minority populations contributed to the war effort: 1,000,000 African Americans 300,000 Mexican- Americans 33,000 Japanese Americans 25,000 Native Americans 13,000 Chinese Americans These “Golden 13” Great Lakes officers scored the highest marks ever on the Officers exam in 1944

Women in the War Effort Took over many jobs for servicemen, most notably in heavy industry Some joined the military Altered family life, brought several drawbacks Service Opportunity: “Women’s Army Corps” “Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service” “Women’s Airforce Service Pilots” A poster urging women to take manufacturing jobs to help the war effort

Office of War Information (1942) Coordinated release of war news Promoted patriotism Tried to recruit women into factory work Propaganda program abroad The Voice of America Patch worn by Office or War Information personnel

Government propagandists sometimes used fear and racial slurs in order to convey their message Wartime Propaganda Posters

Financing the War U.S. spent more than $321 billion (more than $3 trillion today) National debt skyrocketed More Americans required to pay income taxes War-bond sales raised needed revenue $185 billion + sold businesses, banks, and civilians High interest rates

Posters such as these sought to convince Americans that they should help the war effort and stop the enemy by buying war bonds War Bonds: Posters

Office of Price Administration Purpose: limit wartime inflation ceiling prices for goods Rationed scarce goods and consumer staples Rationing stopped at end of war Dissolved in 1947

Contributions Rationing sugar, coffee, shoes, meats, and cereals war bonds: borrowed money from its own people to help with the war Help Allies while the U.S. prepared Farms were producing as much food as possible. food went to British and Russian soldiers and citizens.

Victory Gardens A government poster promoting Victory Gardens Government urged citizens to grow fruits and vegetables Eased food shortages caused by rationing Nearly 20 million started gardens More than nine million tons of produces

Each family received ration books (left) and stamps (above) for determining its monthly allotment. Rationing: Books and Stamps

COLLECTION DRIVES

Shift in Production Peace time production to war time production GM, Ford, and Chrysler went from creating cars to tanks. Boeing from regular airplanes to bombers and fighter jets. Gun makers like Colt, from hunting rifles to machine guns, flamethrowers, war rifles.

War Production U.S. producing weapons faster than anticipated In 1 month: up to 4,000 tanks 4,500 planes. Ship production also increased protected our coasts

War Production Board Purpose: Ensure military had resources Directed industrial output Prohibited nonessential business activities Allocated raw materiel Scrap drives Collection of waste and scrap goods for war use Materiel included iron, aluminum, paper Waste cooking fats for making glycerin A “War Educational Bulletin” produced by the War Production Board

The government used posters and publicity pictures of celebrities such as Rita Hayworth (right) to encourage citizens to recycle scrap items. Scrap Drives: Posters

Labor in the US: An Unintended Benefit By million workers were laboring in war industries (3x the # in 1941) More than 6 million were women Only 3 million worked prior Pre-War: Mainly housewives During War: 1/3 in defense industry Lost jobs after the war ended Nearly 2 million were minorities

The War’s Economic Impact Nominal GDP more than doubled Wages and salaries nearly tripled Federal civilian employment more than tripled Female employment up by a third Labor union membership grew by over 50 percent National debt ballooned by over 600 percent

Geographic Shifts in the Economy South saw great prosperity Millions of jobs in textiles, chemicals, and aluminum Southern shipyards and aircraft plants grew West became economic powerhouse California especially benefited from federal expenditures An Army sentry guards new B-17 F (Flying Fortress) bombers at the airfield of Boeing's Seattle plant