Full essay question:
What effect did World War II have on the home front of the United States of America? In particular, what impact did the war have on the American economy, on American society, American politics and American culture during the era. (Provide at least one example, or more, from each of the subject groups – economics, society, politics, culture.)
From chapter 25
Your essay must have 4 to 5 specific examples that explain the subject matter.
Your essay should be detailed; it must include proper names and dates.
Your essay should be organized with an introduction, body and conclusion.
Note from class:
Mobilization of the American Home Front
Economic
End of the Great Depression in 1943; regulated economy; regulated prosperity postwar savings/tax
production and consumption America’s factories began to open up again and go back to producing products for the war. Spent billions of dollars more in in promoting war production in the early 1940s
Unemployment had reached as high as a quarter of the population or 25% in 1932 and it began to kind of come down a little bit. As the 30s progress, but it never got really below about 15 16% of the population, but by 1943 the American unemployment rate was about 1.9%. And so that was a testament to how the word increase production.
the federal government stepped in to the economy and regulated, what would be production tried to minimize the profits of the big corporations make sure workers were paid very very good wages to minimize any kind of worker discontent.
Roosevelt Administration pass executive orders to ensure racial opportunities and justice in the workplace that that began to set the precedent, the government could demand that Private sector businesses, honor and inclusion and quality and so forth.
16th Amendment: fund and raise money for the war effort.
Got better wage: this would mean that lots of Americans From the working classes would have pent up savings accounts. they would want to spend after the war is over. And there was a return to peace and there was a return to the desire to purchase the consumer products produced in America, the homes, the appliances, the automobiles
Not only will the war and the Great Depression in the 1940s, but it will create an economy and savings and consumer power that will spur about 20 years of economic growth into the next 2 decades
Social (People)
Manpower for the military
Selective Service Act, 1940
1939 – 189,000; 1945 – 16 Million (after the act)
60% drafted / 40% enlisted (30M registered); 1/3rd of males +15
All races; Women = 1 Million minorities; apx. 350K+
Migrations to the South and West – War Work
Production facilities in california’s cities
Women in the industrial workforce
“Rosie the Riveter”
women’s rights
women were earning now a real way to wage comparable to men. And even though many of them will be forced to kind of give up these jobs to returning veterans after the war.
the quest for greater economic inclusion
African American Migration from the South; California; Economic Gains;
Double V Campaign
Civil Rights
Strong racial prejudice nonetheless
Roosevelt Administration past executive orders to kind of require employers to pay them fair wages and equal wages
Mexican Americans migrated to cities; Los Angeles; social growth;
“Zoot Suit Riots”, 1943
police hostility and white hostility towards Mexican Americans in Los Angeles.
Mexican Americans were wrongly victimized in this in this active of brutality towards them. It galvanized their sort of social awareness
Chinese Americans in California
Social and economic advancement
Japanese Americans
Executive Order 9066 (feb 19)
it gave the military commanders working with their political liaisons in a different districts of United States of America to deem which individuals are which groups could be considered military or national security threat to the United States of America.
But in the western districts, particularly in the western half of the United States and places like California, Oregon, Washington. And nearby, the military and political leaders decided Japanese Americans pose a threat to national security. So, so they were given orders. Now, by way of this order.
120,000 relocated (80,000 Nisei-native born);
Internment camps; service in WWII – 442nd
Wood structure
Regiment – to fight in WWII
Korematsu v. U.S.; “Shikataganai”
after the war is over the Japanese people are released. And many of them went back into American society to rebuild their lives, but these were challenging tasks. Many Japanese Americans who were property owners business owners never got back their businesses or properties in places like San Francisco.
Many of them, you know, would have to struggle to get back the money they had in bank accounts, and when they got it back years later in the 1950s. It was without any interest. Right.
“Shikataganai” phrase that would be used to describe how they dealt with this oppression during the war and the phrase means, kind of like nothing can be done about it. It can’t be helped.
Political
“Win-the-War” Politics
Election of 1944; FDR and Harry S. Truman
Democratic Party still controlled the majority in American politics in the Congress,
“Win-the-War” promoting this idea of when the war politics party differences were generally set aside by Democrats and Republicans for the bigger cause of the war
Cultural
Media; “Hollywood”; Strong Consensus
Promoting the war
Generally they portrayed you know images of American heroism allied heroism and portrayed. Of course, the Japanese and Germans are very negative lights.
