America Officially Joins WWII
Life on the Home Front
Mobilization
• U.S. Declares War
– Dec. 8 and Dec. 11 Axis Power
declare on U.S.
• Military Service
– Selective Service System=11 mil and 5 mil volunteer
– “GI” (Government Issued)
– Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC-5/12/42)
• 250,000 would serve
– Minorities
• African Americans (1mil.); Mexican Americans (1/2 mil.);
Chinese Americans (13,000); Japanese American; (33,000);
Native Americans (25,000)
Government Takes Control
1) Office of Price Administration (Apr.1941)
-prevent inflation like WWI
-regulate price controls on supplies, rents and
freezes on wages
-Rationing-limiting the amount of goods people
could buy or use (essential for war effort)
ex. meats, vegetables, coffee, sugar and gas
2) War Production Board (1942)
-regulating raw materials and halting production of
nonessential war items
ex. drive to get iron, tin cans, paper, etc..
Government Takes Control
3) Office of War Information
-propaganda for war effort
4) Shift to War Materials
-machine guns, planes,
munitions, “Liberty Ships”
Work Force
• Unemployment
– decrease by 1943
– weekly earning increase
• Smith-Connally Act (1943)
– authorizes government seizure of plant or mine on
strike that was vital to the war
• National War Labor Board (NWLB)
– help to prevent conflicts in work force
– help negotiate with unions and war industries
Financing the War
• Revenue Act 1942
– increased the amount of people who paid income tax
(13 to 50 mil.)
– introduces payroll deductions or “pay as you go”
**Taxes accounted for 41% of the cost of the war
• Borrowed Money
– private banks, investors and the public
– “War Bonds” (1942=$156 Billion)
– Deficit Spending-spending more money than you have
*beginning of our HUGE national debt
Women’s Role
• Changing Job Role
– Shift from limited work outside home into
industry
– War creates higher paying jobs in steel, welders,
riveters, airplanes, shipyards, etc..
• Recruiting Women
– married and older women
– Rosie the Riveter
• Fictional character to get women into
the workforce
• Number of women working increased
a 1/3 from 1941-44
Women’s Role Cont.
• Employee Benefits
• Women’s Benefits
– increase $, patriotism, minority women
• Problems
– hostile environments, childcare, less money
• Post War
– “pushed” back to house
– mixed reactions of women
– lost jobs to men
– no longer needed
African American’s Role
• Social
– Move from South to North, cause problems
– “Double V” Campaign
• Axis Powers and equality at home
– CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) 1942
• non-violent tactics to end segregation
– FEPC (Fair Employment Practice Committee)
• hear complaints about job discrimination
• Military
– Segregated units (not bring in domestic issues)
Mexican/Native Americans
• Mexican
– Southwest and West in shipyards and aircraft factories
– “Barceros”-Mexican farm workers in agriculture
– Increase population in CA creates tension
• Native
– “Navajo” Code Talkers
– Move from reservations to work in
defense industry and don’t return
Japanese Americans
• Lived in West Coast and 2/3 were “Nisei” (first
generation American citizens)
• Reaction
– Executive Order 9066 (Feb 19, 1942)
• “military zones” in west coast and relocate all “aliens”
• Internment camps established inland (110,000 people)
– Results
• lost business, farms, homes and most property
– Apology in 1988 give $20,000 to each survivor
• Military
– 442 Regimental Combat-more medal for bravery
than anyone else