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World War II

THE UNITED STATES AND THE WAR

MOBILIZING FOR WAR

1. Production Boom

2. Government Expansion

3. Directing The Economy

4. Raising An Army

1. PRODUCTION

BOOM

* INCREASE IN PRODUCTION CREATED AN ECONOMIC BOOM

THAT ENDED THE GREAT DEPRESSION

2. GOVERNMENT EXPANSION

*MOBILIZING REQUIRED A GREATLY EXPANDED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

*1942 WAR PRODUCTION BOARD (WPB) - INCREASE MILITARY PRODUCTION

- CONVERT FACTORIES TO WARTIME PRODUCTION- ASSIGN RAW MATERIALS TO INDUSTRY

*1943 OFFICE OF WAR MOBILIZATION (OWM)- COORDINATED GOV. AGENCIES INVOLVED IN WAR EFFORT

-COORDINATED PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION OF CONSUMER GOODS

3. DIRECTING THE ECONOMY

*GOV. HAD TO EXPAND IT’S CONTROL OVER THE ECONOMY TO PAY FOR THE WAR

*INCREASED THE INCOME TAX

*SOLD WAR BONDS

*OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION (OPA)- SET MAXIMUM PRICES & RATIONED ITEMS

*GAS*TIRES

*COFFEE*SUGAR*MEAT

*BUTTER

4. RAISING AN ARMY

*SUMMER 1940 U.S. CALLED THE NATIONAL GAURD TO ACTIVE DUTY & PASSED THE

SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT (DRAFT)-FIRST PEACETIME DRAFT IN U. S. HISTORY

Conscientious Objector - Someone that would be exempt from the draft because of their religious beliefs.

The Home Front

1. Promoting The War

2. Life On The Home Front

3. Minorities During The War

4. Discrimination During The War

PROMOTING THE WAR

THE GOV. TRIED TO KEEP MORALE HIGH.ENCOURAGED THE MEDIA TO DO THEIR PART

*MOVIE STARS ADVERTISE WAR BONDS & WENT OVERSEAS TO ENTERTAIN TROOPS.

*100S OF WAR MOVIES

*RADIO BROUGHT THE WAR INTO AMERICANS’ HOMES

LIFE DURING WARTIME

DAILY LIFE DID NOT CHANGE RADICALLY, HOWEVER SACRIFICES WERE MADE.

*VICTORY GARDENS- 20 MILLION

*RATIONING

*NIGHTTIME BLACKOUTS

MUSIC

* SONGS CAPTURED THE HARSH REALITY OF WAR

* “GOD BLESS AMERICA”, BY IRVING BERLIN BECAME A SORT OF UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL

ANTHEM.

* BIG-BAND SWING REMAINED POPULAR

BOOKS

* NONFICTION BECAME MORE POPULAR

* 1939 - PAPERBACK BOOKS

MINORITIESWOMEN - LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT CHANGED

DRAMATICALLY

* GOV. NOW URGED WOMEN TO ENTER THE JOB MARKET

* ROSIE THE RIVETER - SYMBOL OF PATRIOTIC FEMALE DEFENSE

WORKERS

* PAID LESS * SEEN ASTEMPORARY

MINORITIES

NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

* 1942 MARINE SIGNAL CORPS ORGANIZED A UNIT OF NAVAJO TO USE THEIR LANGUAGE TO

CREATE A CODE

* OVER 400 SERVED* CUT TIME IN 1/2

* THEIR CODES WERE NEVER BROKEN

MINORITIES

THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

ALL-BLACK UNIT OF

FIGHTER PILOTS

TRAINED IN TUSKEGEEALABAMA

* BY THE END OF THE WAR THEY WERE THE ONLY U. S. ESCORT GROUP THAT HAD NOT

LOST A SINGLE BOMBER TO ENEMY PLANES!!

DISCRIMINATION DURING THE WAR

MANY BLACK WORKERS MOVED INTO BETTER PAYING JOBS & PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE

MILITARY EFFORT.

* SERVED IN SEGREGATED UNITS* KEPT OUT OF COMBAT

* ASSIGNED LOW-LEVEL WORK* MANY WAR PLANTS WOULD NOT HIRE AF-AM

* JUNE 1941 - FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES COMMITTEE (FEPC) TO ENFORCE FDR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER FORBIDDING

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN DEFENSE PLANTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

THE ZOOT-SUIT RIOTS

*1942 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MEXICO ALLOWED 1,000S OF MEXICAN FARM & RAILROAD WORKERS INTO THE U.S. TO WORK DURING WWII

*FASHION FAD OF YOUNG MEXICAN-

AMERICANS

*BITTER PREJUDICE& RESENTMENT

*TENSION ERUPTED IN JUNE 1943 IN L.A. U.S. SOLDIERS BEGAN ATTACKING

MEXICAN-AMERICAN YOUTH.

JAPANESE INTERNMENT - FORCED RELOCATION & IMPRISONMENT OF JAPANESE AMERICANS

LIVING ON THE WEST COAST

*120,000 JAPANESE AMERICANS WERE ROUNDED UP AND FORCED INTO CAMPS