World War II on the Home Front SOL VUS.11

Success in the war required the total commitment of the nation’s resources. On the home front, public education and the mass media promoted nationalism.

U. S. government and industry forged a close working relationship to allocate resources effectively.

Rationing was used to maintain supply of essential products to the war effort. Actual Rationing Ads

War bonds and income tax were used for financing the war. Actual ads for war bonds

Business retooled from peacetime to wartime production. For example, car manufacturing converted production to tank manufacturing.

More women and minorities entered the labor force as men entered the armed forces.

Citizens volunteered in support of the war effort.

The draft or selective service was used to provide personnel for the military. The draft was essential because large numbers of men were needed quickly to fill the demand for troops.

Contributions in a war effort come from all segments of a society. Women entered into previously male job roles in order to replace men serving in the military.

Rosie the Riveter became a symbol for the women who worked to help the war effort succeed.

Women typically participated in non-combat military roles.

African Americans and others struggled to obtain desegregation of the armed forces and end discriminatory hiring practices.

African Americans migrated to cities in search of jobs in war plants. This migration was known as the Second Great Migration.

Let’s review why the African Americans migrated:  To work in defense plants  To relocate to large cities  To search for equality and escape segregation

African Americans campaigned for victory in war and equality at home.

Prejudice, coupled with wartime fears, affected civil liberties of minorities. Strong anti-Japanese prejudice grew on the West Coast.

There was a false belief that Japanese Americans were aiding the enemy. This led to the creation of internment camps for Japanese Americans.

Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camps. This affected Japanese American populations along the West Coast. Location of Japanese internment camps in California!

The Supreme Court upheld the government’s right to act against Japanese Americans living on the West Coast of the United States.

There were Japanese Americans who joined the draft to fight in World War II. They tried to show their loyalty to the United States by earning many combat decorations.

A public apology was eventually issued by the U. S. government. Financial payment was made to survivors and their families/heirs.

During the World War II, the media and entertainment industries saw their role as supporting the war effort by promoting nationalism.

The U. S. government maintained strict censorship of reporting of the war.

Public morale and ad campaigns kept Americans focused on the war effort.

The entertainment industry produced movies, plays, and shows that boosted morale and patriotic support for the war effort as well as portrayed the enemy in stereotypical ways.

1. Why was rationing important during World War II? It ensured that essential products were available for the war.

2. What was the Second Great Migration? African Americans were moving to the cities in large numbers. Why? To work in defense plants and to escape segregation

3. What was the draft called? Selective Service Why was it needed? Large numbers of troops were needed quickly

4. What role did women fill during the war effort? They took jobs that men previously had filled. What type of military roles did women fill? Typically non-combat roles

5. How did industries help with the war effort? They retooled to produce necessary war materials.

6. What was the feeling of many Americans about Japanese Americans? They mistrusted them. What did this cause? Japanese Americans on the West Coast were sent to internment camps.

7. How did Japanese American men in the military try to show their loyalty to the U. S.? By performing well and being highly decorated

8. What role did the media play in the war effort? They kept Americans focused on the war effort.

9. How did the United finance the war? War bonds and income tax

10. Who became a symbol of the effort of women in World War II? Rosie the Riveter