America in the War SS10 Arnold

Converting the Economy  Started in 1940 (after Germany took France) 50,000 planes per year “Cost-plus” contracts = high profits Incentive for companies to convert RFC gave loans to convert  After Pearl Harbor most major industries and 200,000 companies had converted  What did they make before? What does it mean to “convert to wartime production”?

Cars to Tanks  Car factories made Trucks Jeeps Tanks Guns Helmets Cooking pots Airplanes  Coordinated by the WPB- War Production Board (allocate resources and supplies) OWM- Office of War Mobilization (resolve arguments between gov. agencies like WPB and Army)

Creating an Army  1940 First Peacetime Draft: “Selective Service and Training Act”  Had inadequate facilities and supplies (used sticks and rocks for guns and grenades)

Women’s Roles  Non-combat, clerical and support roles. Women’s Army Corp Navy, Marines and Coast Guard followed  Also served as nurses  New kinds of jobs 4 million clerical and support jobs 2.5 million industrial and manufacturing jobs  Traditionally male dominated

African American Roles  Segregated training facilities and units at the start of the war Integrated bases in 1943 African Americans were given combat roles at FDRs orders Double V: Victory against Hitler’s racism and racism at home.  Industries reluctant to hire African Americans  FDR 1941: Fair Employment Practices Commission (First gov. civil rights agency since reconstruction) Ensure no discrimination in defense industry or gov jobs  Race, creed, color or national origin Continued “Great Migration” Outbreaks of racial violence in the North

Mexican Americans  1942 Bacero Program: 200,000 Mexican immigrant farm workers needed for harvest. (continued until 1964)  Zoot Suit Riots Popular clothing style- baggy suit pants and a long jacket  “unpatriotic” waste of materials 2,500 sailors and soldiers attacked Mexican American neighborhood in LA.  Police did not intervene  LA banned “Zoot Suit”

Life at home  Major Shortages of goods  Price and Wage controls No Strike Pledges  Rationing Meat, sugar, coffee Gasoline Processed foods  Victory Gardens  Scrap Drives  Increased Taxes  War Bonds (borrow from the people)