Politics and Economy

 WW II marked the end of the Great Depression as we transitioned into a wartime economy.

 Home front (volunteerism, victory gardens and war bonds)  Mobilization – Prepare for war, to organize, to put into motion plans for war  WW II brought economic prosperity and affluence to U.S., but greatly increased the national debt.

 Domestic (industry’s rapid mobilization) –  due to the Lend Lease program, American industry began converting America's industrial base to produce armaments and other war material, rather than civilian goods. Mobilization increased after 1941 when the U.S. declared war on the Axis powers.

 International (relationship with allies) –  Roosevelt’s relationship with Winston Churchill led to the Lend Lease Act, which allowed the U.S. to support Britain’s war effort before the U.S. entered the war.

 Created Propaganda that:  Created to coordinate all information for use domestically and abroad  Promoted patriotism (love of country)  Warned of spies  Recruited women for war-related work  Released the news about the war Watch “Office of War Information”

Office of War Information This organization was commissioned by the government to take photographs of WWII and post-war America. The intent was to show how poorly Americans were doing so that more assistance would be require of the government for citizens. Photographs were taken with color transparency paper which at the time was very expensive. What they found was that Americans were not so bad off. They continued living, loving, having children, building homes and their American pride was going strong. As a bonus we get to enjoy these rare photographs that may never have been taken in color.

1. Patriotism  High levels of military enlistment – numbers rose dramatically after the United States entered the war (1940: 348,683; 1941: 1,094,781; 1942: 3,030,40 – source: National Archives)

 Volunteerism – volunteerism was an essential part of life on the home front. Americans made bandages, knitted socks, collected books, and enrolled in the Red Cross, Victory Corps, and Civilian Defense organizations to support the troops abroad.

2. Financial Support  The purchase of war bonds – the government sold war bonds and stamps to provide funds for the war. Watch “Financing the War” And “Bond Drives”

 Victory Gardens – as part of the war effort, the government rationed foods like sugar, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, coffee, meat, and canned goods. Labor and transportation shortages made it hard to harvest and move fruits and vegetables to market. So, the government turned to its citizens and encouraged them to plant "Victory Gardens." They wanted individuals to provide their own fruits and vegetables.  People in all types of communities and from all levels of wealth contributed to the Victory Garden Effort.

Watch “Victory Gardens”

 Rationing – The government enacted the rationing of food that was needed for soldiers overseas. Many items were controlled by the government for use in the war effort: gas, tires, scrap metal, nylon, food stuff, etc.; They enforced this with Ration Cards and halted production of non-essential items, such as cars. Watch “Rationing “

3. Patriots and War Heroes  Vernon Baker –he fought in Italy, earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1996, more than fifty years after the assault on Castle Aghinolfi, he received a telephone call from a man working on a federal grant to reevaluate the heroism of African Americans in World War II. It was during this phone call he learned he was to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He is the only living African American World War II veteran to earn the Medal of Honor.

If time permits