CHAPTER 14
LOUISIANA’S WORLD WAR
II ERA: PATRIOTISM AND
PROSPERITY
Pages 454-481
Focus on Skills
Using Primary Sources
Page 456
Section 1
Louisiana in World War II
Pages 457-467
Section 2
Louisiana’s Governors
Pages 468-474
Section 3
Postwar Changes
Pages 475-477
Meeting Expectations
New Orleans: Home of the
Higgins Boats
Page 478
Chapter Summary
Page 479
Activities for Learning
Pages 480-481
14
Louisiana’s World
War II Era: Patriotism
and Prosperity
Chapter
TEACH
Research Activity
Have students use a search
engine or other reference materials
to research the events in Europe and
Japan that led up to the attack on
Pearl Harbor.
T454
Have students go to
www.authen
tichistory.com/audio/ww2/dec7/w
w2_2.html to listen to several
announcements describing the
bombing of Pearl Harbor. Ask students what it must have been like
to learn that their country had just
been attacked while they were driving to church, eating breakfast,
playing golf, etc.
Guiding Question 9-20
Class Discussion
Chapter Preview
Terms: sabotage, blackout,
ration, victory garden, United
Service Organizations, civil
service system, right-to-work
law, Cold War
People: Claire Lee Chennault,
Sam Jones, Jimmie Davis, Earl
Long, Robert Kennon
Places: DeSoto Parish, Vernon
Parish, Pearl Harbor, DeRidder
Focus
Since its formation, the United
States had only been attacked twice
on its “home soil.” One attack
occurred on December 7, 1941 (Pearl
Harbor) and the other on September
11, 2001. In the aftermath of the
9/11 attacks, students have been
better able to grasp the magnitude
of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ask
them to discuss changes that have
affected their lives since 9/11.
Then, have students brainstorm
changes that must have affected
Americans after Pearl Harbor.
Internet Activity
454
V
irginia was an eighteen-year-old girl when she and the rest of the
world learned that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. She knew this
event thousands of miles away would change her life in tiny Benton,
Louisiana.
Like many others in the state, she had a glimpse of war when the United
States military held its mock wars, called the “Louisiana Maneuvers,” in 1941.
Almost 500,000 troops had been in Louisiana preparing for possible war. But
no one expected the United States to be attacked.
Even before this huge military training event had taken place, Virginia had
followed the events of the war in Europe. When she was younger, she had developed a friendship with an English pen pal. Her contact with this girl with
hopes and dreams much like her own had made her feel a connection to the
suffering of the people in Europe. Now it would become much more personal.
Two of Virginia’s brothers had died of childhood diseases. Only her muchloved oldest brother was left, and soon he went away to war. The cousin who
had always entertained the family with his jokes showed up wearing his Navy
Louisiana The History of an American State
uniform, and the tall, handsome young man she had been dating was soon in
uniform too.
Virginia responded by participating in the civilian support activities. She
trained to become certified in civil defense. Like many other young women,
she entered the workforce. She attended the USO dances and kept in touch
with the young soldiers by writing frequently. The replies from friends and
family members in uniform were censored and transferred to the special V Mail
format that made the letters smaller and lighter. Virginia had enjoyed writing
for her high school newspaper, but composing cheerful responses to these letters was sometimes much harder.
She and her mother grew a garden and even raised chickens. This was not
new for this former farm family, but now it was part of the war effort. Sugar
and other food items were rationed, and growing their own food helped feed
the family.
Like the other young people who later became known as the “Greatest Generation,” Virginia did her part. She always knew that this was everybody’s war.
Chapter 14
Above: You can visit the
U.S.S. Kidd, a World War II
destroyer, in Baton Rouge.
Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Ask students to
• describe how Virginia might have
felt after witnessing the Louisiana
Maneuvers. (Comprehension)
• discuss what information Virginia
and her pen pal might have
exchanged. (Analysis)
• explain how Virginia’s civilian
support of the war mirrored that of
other young women. (Application)
• explain how the war affected
Virginia and her family.
(Comprehension)
Critical Thinking
455
Class Discussion
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Ask students to explain the
differences in how and when
people received information about
Pearl Harbor and the September
11 attacks. (Comprehension)
Write the statement “A War Is
Everybody’s War” on the board.
Ask students to discuss in pairs
what this statement means. Then,
ask them to share their thoughts
with the whole class. Ask students
if each war is everybody’s war.
Have students discuss why the
young people of World War II have
often been called the “Greatest
Generation.” Have them ask other
age-groups of people if they
believe this is a justifiable title.
Ask students to speculate on the
impact of being able to watch
wartime activities on live television,
through the efforts of photojournalists and live reports from combat
areas. Compare this modern accessibility to pre-television news coverage of wartime events and movements. (You may want students to
interview older relatives, friends, or
neighbors for information on the
topic.)
Guiding Questions 9-10 and 9-13
Writing Activity
Have students write a letter that
Virginia might have written to her
pen pal.
T455
Each Focus on Skills defines a skill,
gives the teacher an opportunity to
conduct a guided practice on the
skill, and finally allows students to
apply their understanding by practicing the skill on their own.
Try This!
1. A World War II poster
2. The United Nations
3. Date is not given, but it was
published in 1943.
4. There are photos of women from
countries around the world. The
photos depict the contributions
of these women to the war effort
during World War II.
5. It was intended to show women
that the war was not just for
men and to show the various jobs
that woman could do to support
the war effort.
It’s You Turn
1. An advertisement showing the
importance of the Higgins Boats
2. Probably the company that
manufactures the boats
3. Unknown, but probably in the
mid-1940s
4. It shows soldiers being deployed
from boats at a beach landing.
5. The picture provides an
advertisement supporting the
construction of Higgins Boats in
New Orleans.
Focus
on
Skills
Using
Primary
Sources
Defining the Skill
Primary sources are documents (such as letters,
diaries, statistics, photographs, and posters) that
were either created during the historical event they
describe or were recorded soon after the event by
people with firsthand knowledge. Primary source
documents can help you better understand why certain events occurred. Primary sources also make history more relevant and give you a more realistic insight into the people and events about which you
are studying.
When you examine a primary source document,
you should
1. identify the type of document,
2. note the author of the source as well as the
role he or she played in the event,
3. note the date of the source, if available,
4. record any specific facts the source contains,
5. read the source carefully, noting any pictures
that are included, and
6. draw conclusions about the information
contained in the document.
1
Section
Louisiana in World
War II
456
It’s Your Turn!
Look at the primary source on page 463 in your
textbook. On a separate sheet of paper, answer the
same five questions listed under Try This! about this
document.
INTRODUCE
Outline
As you read, look for:
A. The Maneuvers
B. Reaction to Pearl Harbor
C. The Home Front
D. The End of the War
• the “war games” held in Louisiana,
• Louisianians’ participation in World War II, and
• vocabulary terms sabotage, blackout, ration, victory garden,
and United Service Organizations.
In the 1930s, Germany under Adolf Hitler tried to take over Europe. At the
same time, the Japanese were expanding in Asia. When Hitler attacked Poland
in 1939, World War II broke out in Europe.
Although President Roosevelt had proclaimed America’s neutrality in 1939,
he watched with alarm as Japan, Italy, the Soviet Union, and Germany carved
up the world. The president looked for ways to help Great Britain, France, and
Materials
This seven-story flag hung on
Canal Street during World War II.
Figure 29 Timeline: 1940–1960
1941
Mock wars held
in Louisiana
1940
1947
First offshore oil well drilled in Gulf of Mexico
1944
Jimmie Davis
elected governor
1945
1941
Pearl Harbor attacked;
U.S. entered WW II
1939
World War II began
in Europe
1948
Earl Long elected
governor
1950
1947
Taft-Hartley Act
passed
1950
Korean
War began
1952
1956
Robert Kennon elected Earl Long elected governor
governor
1955
1960
1952
Dwight D. Eisenhower elected president
Have students respond to the
question “What does war mean to
me?” Ask them to think about how
the responses of people who have
never lived during the time of war
might differ from the responses of
people who have.
TEACH
1945
President Roosevelt died; Harry S Truman became president;
World War II ended
Social Studies Skill
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Section 1 Louisiana in World War II
457
Objectives
GLE 6: Describe ways in which location and physical features have influenced
historical events in Louisiana and the development of the state (e.g., Mississippi
River/swamp in the Battle of New Orleans).
GLE 41: Explain the importance of being an informed citizen on public issues,
recognizing propaganda, and knowing the voting issues.
GLE 42: Analyze situations involving scarcity (limited resources) at the individual,
group, and societal levels to determine the need for choices or what is gained/lost
by a decision.
GLE 51: Use economic concepts (e.g., scarcity, opportunity cost) to explain
historic and contemporary events and developments in Louisiana.
GLE 52: Explain how supply and demand affect prices.
T456
Textbook, pages 457-467
Blackline Masters
Fort Polk, page 185
A Political Campaign Poster,
page 186
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
Focus
1940
Sam Jones elected governor
Try This!
Look at the primary source in the next column
and answer the questions that follow.
1. What type of primary source are you
examining?
2. Who is the author of the poster?
3. When was the poster published?
4. What information is contained in the poster?
5. What conclusions can you draw from the
poster?
SECTION 1
LOUISIANA IN WORLD
WAR II
Reading a Timeline
Have students look at the timeline and identify which men served
as governor of Louisiana during
World War II.
Guiding Questions 9-15, 9-21
Making a Map
Have students locate the names
of the countries that made up the
Allied Powers and the Axis Powers in
World War II. Have them locate
those countries on an outline map
of the world. Be sure they use a key
to distinguish between the two
groups.
T457
These training exercises brought thousands of soldiers to Louisiana. The men
and their equipment filled the rural areas of northern and central Louisiana.
Part of the army came with cavalry horses; others had the new two-man Jeeps.
After the Louisiana war games, the army determined that horses would no longer
be used in battle. The new equipment
was more efficient.
The experience the men gained
during these exercises was credited
with saving thousands of American
The U.S. Coast Guard
lives during the real fighting. General
recruited about one hundred
Dwight Eisenhower and General
local men to patrol the coast
George Patton, two of America’s most
of Louisiana.
famous World War II commanders, directed the operation.
By the end of the war, Louisiana
was the site of five military training camps and ten flying fields. Barksdale
Field, which had been established in Bossier Parish in the 1930s, became an
important training center. It continued its military importance after World War
II and now serves as the headquarters for the United States 8th Air Force. Other
flying fields became local airports after the war ended.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students what the garland
hanging across the street and the
presence of so many Nazi flags tell
them about the motorcade. How do
such outward symbols affect the
mood at any event? What are the
outward symbols normally displayed
at a high school homecoming,
parade, or game?
Lagniappe
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• identify how World War II
brought the United States out of
the Great Depression. (Knowledge)
• explain the purpose of the
peace-time draft law that was
passed in 1940. (Comprehension)
• explain the meaning of “mock
wars.” (Comprehension)
Guiding Questions 9-16 and 9-25
Above: This photograph
shows Adolf Hitler in a
triumphant motorcade
following the fall of Paris.
their allies. The Allies’ need for materials and supplies brought the United States
out of the Great Depression.
As the situation in Europe grew more threatening, the United States passed
the first peacetime draft law on September 16, 1940. The military began to
prepare American troops for possible fighting in Europe.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Two major military training exercises or “mock wars” were held in Louisiana. The state offered the right climate and rural areas with few people to
disturb. The people of Louisiana followed these maneuvers with great interest.
The first maneuvers started in August 1941. The U.S. Third Army was divided into two groups—the Red Army and the Blue Army. Headquarters for
the Red Army was at Mansfield in DeSoto Parish; Vernon Parish served as the
headquarters for the Blue Army. The two armies carried out their mock battles
over 30,000 square miles of Louisiana land.
After the Blue Army won, another mock war took place. This time, the Blue
Army group faced the Second Army. Headquarters for the two armies were
Winnfield in Winn Parish and Alexandria in Rapides Parish.
Ask students to identify the
geographic features that made the
state a good location for training
the military in preparation of future
fighting in Europe.
Guiding Question 9-1
T458
Making a Map
Have students find the location
of the five military training camps
and ten flying fields in Louisiana
during World War II. Ask them to
locate the military establishments
on an outline map of the state.
Guiding Questions 9-1 and 9-24
The Maneuvers
Geography Activity
Have students use a search
engine or other reference materials
to research the life and times of
Adolf Hitler. One site, at www.
hitler.org/, is the Hitler Museum,
which contains a number of images,
posters, and speeches. Another site
for biographical information is
www.remember.org/guide/Facts.ro
ot.hitler.html. Have students use a
graphic display to report their
findings to the class.
Guiding Question 9-20
Below: This tank alongside a
column of cavalry during the
Louisiana war games was
a sign that horses in battle
would soon be obsolete.
Ask students to
• identify the men who commanded the Louisiana Maneuvers.
(Knowledge)
• recall how many military training
camps were located in Louisiana
during the war. (Knowledge)
• name the training camp that
became the headquarters of the
United States 8th Air Force.
(Knowledge)
• identify the importance of the
maneuvers. (Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-16
Social Studies Skill
BLM Assign students Fort Polk on
page 185 in the BLM book.
Research Activity
Class Discussion
458
Ask students why the army
determined horses would no longer
be used in battle after the Louisiana
war games. What advantage did the
tank have over the horse?
Critical Thinking
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Section 1 Louisiana in World War II
459
Objectives (Cont.)
Objectives (Cont.)
GLE 58: Describe historical and economic factors influencing the economic
growth, interdependence and development of Louisiana and the nation (e.g., mass
production, oil boom and decline).
GLE 62: Construct a timeline of key events in Louisiana history.
GLE 63: Interpret data presented in a timeline correlating Louisiana, U.S., and
world history.
GLE 64: Compare and contrast events and ideas from Louisiana’s past and present,
explaining political, social, or economic contexts.
GLE 65: Analyze the causes, effects, or impact of a given historical event in
Louisiana.
GLE 67: Analyze given source material to identify opinion, propaganda, or bias.
GLE 69: Propose and defend potential solutions to past and current issues in
Louisiana.
GLE 70: Conduct historical research using a variety of resources, and evaluate
those resources, to answer historical questions related to Louisiana history.
GLE 72: Describe leaders who were influential in Louisiana’s development.
GLE 73: Describe and explain the importance of major events and ideas in the
development of Louisiana.
GLE 77: Describe major conflicts in context of Louisiana history (e.g., Rebellion of
1768, the French and Indian War).
GLE 78: Describe and analyze the impact of Louisiana’s geographic features on
historic events, settlement patterns, economic development, etc.
Ask students to make a list of
things soldiers might have practiced
in the war games. Which of these
would be of the greatest importance
in actual combat?
T459
for blackouts. During blackouts, cities had to be completely dark at night so
that enemy planes could not locate them if there were an air raid. New Orleans, Shreveport, and other Louisiana cities held practice air raid blackouts
regularly. Loud air raid sirens announced the blackouts.
During the war, Louisiana citizens served their country well. Louisiana’s first
war hero was General Claire Lee Chennault. Chennault was from Waterproof in
Tensas Parish. This famous pilot led his “Flying Tigers” in air battles against
the Japanese. Their P-40 and P-51 airplanes were painted with the frightening
eyes and teeth of a tiger shark.
By the war’s end, almost 275,000 people from Louisiana had served in the
military. The list of casualties has over 4,000 names. National cemeteries in
Louisiana are the burial sites for some of those who died during the war.
Critical Thinking
Ask students why the attack on
Pearl Harbor came as a surprise. Had
there been any warnings? Did the
American radar not pick up on the
Japanese planes?
Research Activity
Have students find a copy of an
actual newspaper account of the
attack on Pearl Harbor. (If they can
find several different newspaper
accounts, ask them to compare the
articles. Did the reports cover the
who, what, when, where, why, and
how of the incident or did they also
include propaganda or bias?
Guiding Questions 9-10, 9-16,
9-18, and 9-20
Lagniappe
The attack on Pearl Harbor lasted
only two hours (from 8 to 10 a.m.),
yet it resulted in the loss of 2,403
American lives. Another 1,178
Americans were wounded. The U.S.
Navy suffered greater losses in that
one attack than it had suffered in
all of World War I.
The Home Front
Above: On December 7,
1941, Japanese warplanes
attacked the U.S. naval base
at Pearl Harbor on the
Hawaiian island of Oahu.
BLM Assign students A Political
Campaign Poster on page 186 in the
BLM book.
Research Activity
Have students research the
economic sanctions against Japan
begun in 1940. Have them focus on
Japan’s reduced oil imports from the
United States and the cutoff of all
gasoline sales. Ask students why
Roosevelt enacted sanctions against
Japan. Ask students if they knew
that the United States was at one
time an oil exporter.
Guiding Questions 9-11, 9-12,
and 9-13
T460
460
Reaction to Pearl Harbor
In 1941, Japan decided to invade the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia)
and seize that country’s oil, which Japan badly needed. The only force that
could stop the Japanese was the U.S. navy stationed at Hawaii. The Japanese
made a surprise attack on the fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, causing great damage.
The people of Louisiana heard the news of Pearl Harbor on their radios on
that Sunday afternoon. Some of them were in their cars; others were in restaurants eating lunch. A Bienville Parish woman recalled, “I was standing at
my kitchen sink washing dishes when the news came over the radio.” People
who had just left church returned to pray for their country.
On December 8, the United States declared war on Japan and entered World
War II. A few days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.
Once the United States entered the war, the country prepared for possible attack. In the week following the bombing, special security measures were taken
at Barksdale Field. In the Caddo-Bossier area, bridges, city water supplies, and
the nearby defense plants were put under extra guard to protect them from
sabotage (deliberate damage or destruction).
Efforts to protect the country included the civil defense organization. Older
men who could not go to war watched for enemy planes and enforced the rules
The location of New Orleans and the available labor
supply made this port city a vital shipbuilding center
during World War II. One New Orleans shipbuilder, Andrew Jackson Higgins, developed the largest shipbuilding plant in the world.
Several defense plants were built in Louisiana. A
large shell-loading plant was built in Webster Parish.
One interesting wartime industry was the egg dehydration plant in Ruston. Dried eggs were prepared as
food for the soldiers.
Many people worked in the factories that made war
supplies. World War II brought even more women into
the work force than World War I had done. Women filled
jobs formerly held by men who had gone off to war.
Businesses throughout Louisiana trained women for
these jobs. For example, Andress Motor Company in
Shreveport trained women as automobile mechanics.
Because of the country’s war needs, civilian goods
had to be rationed, that is the consumption of certain items was limited. Rationing boards were established in each state. One of the first items rationed
was tires. As a result, bicycles were soon in short supply. Sugar, coffee, canned fruits and vegetables, butter, and meat were later added to the ration list. As
they did during World War I, the citizens of Louisiana
observed “meatless” days.
Shoe rationing began with three pairs per person
per year; before the war ended it dropped to only one
pair. Families used shoe rations for their children; as
a result, many adults could not replace worn shoes
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Class Discussion
The Art of Politics
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”Nonsense. S-2 reported that machine gun silenced
hours ago. Stop wiggling your fingers at me.”
GI cartoonist Bill Mauldin portrayed the lives of
American soldiers during World War II through the
antics of his famous characters Willie and Joe.
Maudlin became a celebrated political cartoonist.
Section 1 Louisiana in World War II
461
Reading Strategy
Internet Activity
Social Studies Skill
Multidisciplinary Activity
Building Vocabulary
In the early 1940s, more than
80 percent of Americans owned
radios. Have students use a search
engine to find an excerpt of
Franklin Roosevelt’s radio message
to the American people calling for
a declaration of war. One web site
is www.umkc.edu/lib/spec-col/
ww2/PearlHarbor/fdr-speech
.htm.
Guiding Question 9-20
Making a Map
Have students research to find
the various defense plants built in
Louisiana during the war. Ask
students to locate the defense
plants on an outline map of the
state.
Art Have students research
military uniforms of different
branches of the service and from
different countries during World
War II. Ask students to choose
one uniform and draw an
illustration of it. Collect the
drawings and make a display. (You
may also permit students to
“make” a uniform and dress a doll
in their creation.)
Have students define the terms
sabotage and civil defense. Ask
students to identify the security
measures taken in the
Caddo-Bossier area after the
bombing of Pearl Harbor. Have
students compare these with
security measures after the
attacks of September 11, 2001.
Guiding Questions 9-16 and
9-24
Ask students to
• identify how citizens who could
not go to war aided the war effort.
(Knowledge)
Guiding Question 9-24
• name Louisiana’s first war hero.
(Knowledge)
• explain how New Orleans was a
good location to build ships.
(Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-1
• identify jobs women filled during
the war. (Knowledge)
Reading Strategy
Building Vocabulary
Have students define the term
ration and give examples of
products that were rationed during
World War II. Ask students which of
those items would have been hard
for them to give up. Ask students
how they would react if things like
shoes, soft drinks, or chewing gum
were to be rationed today. Ask them
if they might have been part of the
black market that worked to
circumvent the rationing laws.
Guiding Question 9-11
Group Activity
Divide students into groups and
tell each group that they will
represent a family that lived during
World War II. Ask students to
research to find examples of ration
coupons, letters, diaries, and/or
photos from World War II. Have
them make copies or draw samples
of the artifacts they find. Tell them
they will make a memory book to
share with the class.
Guiding Question 9-20
T461
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• identify the location of the D-Day
invasion. (Knowledge)
• tell when France came under
German control. (Knowledge)
• give the name of the plan to free
France from German occupation.
(Knowledge)
Group Activity
Divide students into groups and
have each group select a major
campaign from the European or
Pacific Theater of World War II. Have
them research the major opponents
engaged in key battles, combat
problems, and outcomes. Have them
prepare a posterboard display to
share with the class. (In the
European Theater, choices might
include battle in North Africa, the
battle for Italy, the battles of the
Atlantic, the battles for the Eastern
Front, the Normandy Invasion, the
Battle of the Bulge in the campaign
to enter Germany, and the German
surrender. In the Pacific Theater,
choices might include Battle of the
Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Battle
of Guadalcanal, Battle of Mariana
Islands, campaign in New Guinea,
and the Battle for the Philippines.)
Guiding Question 9-20
Reading Strategy
Cause and Effect
Have students determine how
D-Day affected the outcome of
World War II.
Guiding Question 9-16
Writing Activity
Have students imagine they were
involved in Operation Overlord. Have
them write journal entries
describing their feelings and
actions on June 6, 1944.
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Connecting with U.S. History
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What is D-Day?
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D-Day was a major turning point in World War II.
The place was the beaches of Normandy in France,
and the date was June 6, 1944. The United States
joined the other Allied nations to free France from
occupation by Hitler’s Nazi troops.
The German dictator, Hitler, began his push to
control Europe with his invasion of Poland in 1939.
Hitler’s Nazi troops marched through Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and into France. British troops
tried to stop his takeover of France but were forced
out by the powerful German army. France surrendered to German occupation on June 22, 1940.
462
The following year, the United States entered the
war after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and
joined the Allies. The Allied nations began plans to
liberate France from Hitler’s control and to drive the
Germans back to Berlin. Long and careful preparations were required.
The military plan, known as Operation Overlord,
was headed by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The military operation began in Great Britain
Below: Higgins boats ferried American troops to the
beaches of Normandy on D-Day.
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Have students look at the photo
of American soldiers landing at
Normandy. Have them predict
what the men in the picture were
seeing, hearing, and feeling. Ask
students to write a caption for the
picture.
Lagniappe
The “D” in D-Day did not have
any special meaning. It simply
stood for “Day.”
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with ships crossing the English Channel to five
beaches along the coast of France. The English Channel is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates
the island of Great Britain from France.
The large navy ships could not land on the
beaches so amphibious craft were lowered into the
waters of the Channel. These Higgins boats landed
thousands of troops onto the beaches of Normandy.
General Eisenhower later credited the Higgins boats
with winning the war because of their role in this
major Allied victory.
The Americans who lost their lives on D-Day were
buried in a cemetery on Omaha Beach; each year a
ceremony honors these heroes. Rows of white
crosses and Stars of David mark the graves of 9,386
Americans who died in the liberation of France.
Eisenhower’s Order of the Day for June 6, 1944,
stated, “In company with our brave Allies . . .
you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny
over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security
for ourselves in a free world.” The brave Americans
fulfilled his words.
Top: The National D-Day Museum opened
in New Orleans in 2000. Above: This World War II
advertisement shows the Higgins troop landing boat.
Section 1 Louisiana in World War II
463
Class Discussion
Ask students
• why amphibious craft were
needed to transport men from large
navy ships to the beaches.
(Comprehension)
• to explain how Louisiana played
an important role in D-Day.
(Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-16
• to identify the number of
Americans who are buried in a
cemetery on Omaha Beach.
(Knowledge)
Critical Thinking
Have students discuss why
General Dwight Eisenhower credited
the Higgins Boats with winning
World War II.
Ask students to propose a plan to
win World War II.
Lagniappe
In September 1943, the American
navy totaled 14,072 vessels. Of
those boats, 12,964 (92 percent of
the entire U.S. Navy) were designed
by Higgins Industries, Incorporated.
Of that number 8,865 were built at
the Higgins plants in New Orleans.
Social Studies Skill
Making a Map
Have students draw a map
showing France, Great Britain, the
English Channel, and the Atlantic
Ocean. Have them illustrate the
strategy of Operation Overlord.
Internet Activity
Have students go to www.dday
museum.org/ to view the D-Day
Museum located in New Orleans. Ask
students to choose one exhibit to
view and write a summary of the
information presented.
T463
Veterans of World War II have fond memories of dancing with the young
ladies of the area. The music known as the “Big Band sound” was the favorite
dance music. The first USO building in the nation was built in DeRidder in
Beauregard Parish. This USO was built to serve the soldiers from nearby Camp
Polk (now Fort Polk).
A number of POW (prisoner of war) camps were located in wartime Louisiana.
Lincoln, Rapides, and West Baton Rouge parishes were just three of the sites for
the POW camps. The German prisoners held
in West Baton Rouge Parish were used as laborers during the sugar cane harvest.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students to discuss how the
lines for rationed goods illustrate
the concept of supply and demand.
Guiding Question 9-11
Internet Activity
Ask students to go to www.
teacher.scholastic.com/activities/w
wii/ahf/reilly/index.htm and read
about life during World War II
through the eyes of Elizabeth
“Betty” Reilly, who was fifteen years
old when the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor. You might want to
assign groups of students to read
about specific periods of Betty’s life.
After reading their selection, ask
students to prepare a report to share
with the class. The report could take
the form of a puzzle, collage, poster,
mobile, oral report, written paper,
PowerPoint presentation, or
storyboard.
Research Activity
Ask students to use a search
engine or other reference materials
to research life at home during
World War II. Ask them to make a
list of at least ten things that those
who were left at home did to
support the war effort. When
students share their individual lists
with the class, compare and contrast
the ideas they recorded.
Guiding Question 9-20
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• describe the purpose of the USO.
(Comprehension)
• name the location of POW camps
in Louisiana. (Knowledge)
Guiding Question 9-16
• describe how news of the end of
World War II was received.
(Comprehension)
The End of the War
Above: Because of the
shortage of consumer goods,
rationing often resulted in
long lines.
Lagniappe
Over 20,000 prisoners
of war were held in camps
throughout Louisiana.
464
even if they had the money. One young Bossier Parish bride was given shoe
coupons by her friends so she could have new shoes for her wedding.
Most families also repeated the World War I practice of planting a garden for
their use. Across the country, these victory gardens supplied over 40 percent
of America’s fresh vegetables during the war. The military also planted victory
gardens. The largest covered 250 acres at Barksdale Field and supplied the mess
halls there.
Children in Louisiana also joined in the war effort. Boy Scouts delivered
blackout booklets. High school boys made balsa wood airplane models, which
were used in civil defense training. Schools collected scrap metal, rubber, and
scrap paper. The scrap drives became competitive, and school yards were piled
high with scrap metal. In New Orleans, Jesuit High beat Warren Easton High
by collecting more scrap metal.
People showed their support for the troops in many ways. A star on a lapel
pin or on a banner in a window indicated a son or husband away in the service.
Patriotic signs were everywhere. A huge seven-story flag hung on Canal Street
in New Orleans.
Communities in Louisiana provided a place for entertainment for the soldiers stationed nearby. These United Service Organizations, or USOs as they
were called, were intended to provide a “home away from home” for those serving
in the military.
In 1945, Louisiana celebrated the news
of the war’s end. Strangers hugged on Canal Street in New Orleans and on Third Street
in Baton Rouge. Workers dropped confetti
from the windows of businesses in the downtown districts. The churches filled with
people saying prayers of thanks. The Shreveport Times reported, “The people of Shreveport celebrated V-E Day with tears and
laughter, in prayer and gratitude, in silence
and sorrow.”
The returning soldiers needed jobs and housing. In 1944, Congress helped
war veterans by passing the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, better known as
the “G.I. Bill.” This act of Congress provided unemployment and education
allowances and home, farm, and business loans for millions of World War II
veterans. Soldiers received unemployment pay of $20 a week for 52 weeks.
Many of Louisiana’s former soldiers headed to school.
The end of the war brought back celebrations that had stopped during the
war. Mardi Gras was not celebrated in New Orleans from 1941 to 1945. Now
everyone wanted to make up for the lost years of fun.
Check for Understanding
Multidisciplinary Activity
Above: This USO Club in New
Orleans, like many others,
provided a place for military
personnel to rest and relax.
Section 1 Louisiana in World War II
465
Multidisciplinary Activity
Art (1) Have students make balsa
airplanes to illustrate those that
were made during World War II to be
used in civil defense training in the
schools. (2) Have students make a
poster encouraging people to take
part in a homeland effort to support
the war.
T464
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. What are two ways America prepared for the war?
2. What special military training exercises were held in
Louisiana?
3. Why was the Higgins shipyard important?
4. Why did women work at jobs they had never done before?
5. Why was rationing necessary?
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Language Arts Have students write
questions they would like to ask
World War II survivors. Then, ask
students who know someone who
served in World War II to interview
that person. Make a Wall of Honor
display of the interviews along with
pictures of the veterans.
Reading Strategy
Research Activity
Social Studies Skill
Compare and Contrast
Have students compare the
ways people at home supported
the war effort during World War II
with ways people supported the
Iraqi War effort.
Use a search engine or other
reference materials to locate
information on POW camps in
Louisiana during World War II.
Choose one of the camps to
research in detail. (A partial
listing of camps and other
information can be found at
www.crt.state.la.us/crt/tourism/la
wwii/courier_articles/pows.htm.)
Guiding Question 9-20
Making a Map
Have students locate the POW
camps on an outline map of
Louisiana. Ask students where
most of the camps were located.
Ask students to name the parishes that had POW camps.
Guiding Question 9-16
1. A peace-time draft law was
passed, and the military
began preparing for possible
fighting.
2. Two major military training
exercises or “mock wars”
3. It was the site of the
construction of the largest
number of boats used by the
U.S. Navy in World War II.
4. Women had to fill jobs that
had previously been held by
men who had gone off to
fight in the war.
5. Because certain goods were
needed for the war effort
Alternative Assessment
Have students write an imaginary
letter to a soldier in World War II
describing the conditions at home in
Louisiana.
Lesson Closure
Have students list five things
they learned about World War II and
its effect on Louisiana.
Guiding Question 9-22
T465
Class Discussion
Ask students
• to describe the role Minden
played in World War II.
(Comprehension)
• to identify when the town of
Minden was established.
(Knowledge)
Internet Activity
Have students go to www.min
denusa.com/history.htm to find a
brief history of Minden. Ask them to
make a timeline of the historical
development of the town.
Guiding Question 9-14
Critical Thinking
Ask students to discuss the
paradoxical relationship of the
Germans to the town of Minden. For
example, Germans were early settlers
of the town, and during World War
II the town supported a factory to
make shells to use against Germans.
Reading Strategy
Compare and Contrast
Have students use the history of
Minden as a model to research their
own community. Have them use a
search engine to find information
on the social and economic history
of their community. Then, have
them compare and contrast their
town with Minden.
Guiding Question 9-20
T466
Spotlight
Minden
The small town of Minden in Webster Parish played
a big role in World War II. The United States government purchased thousands of acres in Webster Parish and built the huge Louisiana Ordnance Plant, a
shell-loading facility. Thousands of people worked
at the plant during the war years. People came from
all over Louisiana for the good-paying jobs at the
plant.
While this facility made this an important time
in the history of Minden, this town had been established for more than one hundred years by the time
466
of World War II. The first pioneers settled near Bayou
Dorcheat in the early 1800s.
One interesting part of the earlier history of
Minden can be seen at the remains of the Germantown colony. A group of Germans came to Louisiana
in the 1830s to establish a religious, self-reliant
community. All that remains today from that social
experiment are a few of the simple log buildings.
Below: The Main Street of Minden still displays its
small-town charm.
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Other buildings also tell the history of this town
in the gently rolling hills of North Louisiana. Many
of the town’s beautiful old homes along the treelined streets were built during the early twentieth
century when the timber industry was thriving. Others were built with wealth from the oil and gas boom
of the 1920s.
The people of Minden are proud of their tradition
for culture and education. A private college for
women operated in the town before the Civil War.
Today, an annual art festival and Friday night football are important parts of Minden’s culture.
Minden is a Main Street community. This national
program is designed to support and revitalize the
downtown areas of these towns. Minden seeks to
preserve its past and promote its future with careful planning and community participation.
Left: Minden's water tower. Below: The Germantown
Colony Museum is located seven miles north of Minden
on the site of the original Germantown Colony.
Section 1 Louisiana in World War II
Internet Activity
Minden is described as a “Main
Street community.” Go to www.
mainstreet.org/ to learn more
about this program.
What other cities and towns in
Louisiana have been designated
“Main Street communities”? Choose
one of those cities or towns and
research its program more fully.
Lagniappe
• The exact date of the founding of
Minden is unknown. Possible dates
are as early as 1832 and as late as
1837.
• The founder of Minden, Charles
Veeder, left Minden in 1849 for
California. He founded two more
towns in that state.
• Among Minden’s native sons are
Gene Austin, who recorded “My Blue
Heaven,” the first official “gold
record,” and “Sweet Lou” Dunbar of
the Harlem Globetrotters.
467
T467
SECTION 2
LOUISIANA’S GOVERNORS
2
Section
Louisiana’s
Governors
INTRODUCE
Outline
A. Sam Jones
B. Jimmie Davis
C. Earl Long
D. Robert Kennon
E. The Return of Earl Long
As you read, look for:
• the policies of Louisiana’s governors during
this period, and
• vocabulary term civil service system.
Huey Long’s death in 1935 did not end his control on Louisiana. State politics continued to be divided into pro-Long
and anti-Long factions. The anti-Long faction included those
who opposed Long’s ideas of government programs and those
who believed Huey Long and his followers were corrupt.
Some politicians just tried to pick the winning side. The
struggles between the pro-Long and anti-Long factions
continued throughout the 1940s. The anti-Longs won the
1940 election, when Sam Jones beat Earl Long in the
governor’s race. Jimmie Davis, another anti-Long candidate, was elected in 1944 to continue the reforms. The proLongs did not win back the governor’s office until 1948.
Materials
Textbook, pages 468-474
Blackline Masters
An Inaugural Address,
page 187
Louisiana’s Governors and
Their Accomplishments,
page 188
Who Am I?, page 189
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
Above: Governor Sam
Houston Jones, who took
office in 1940, established
the civil service system for
state workers.
Focus
Have students review the list of
characteristics of a good governor,
which they developed in Chapter 3.
Ask them to review the governors of
Louisiana that they have studied.
Generate a class list of good and
poor leaders. Tell students to keep
the list of characteristics available in
order to use the criteria to evaluate
the men who served as governor of
Louisiana between 1940 and 1960.
468
governor was elected. That system,
known as patronage or the spoils system, rewarded people with government jobs for helping a candidate win.
The “spoils system” got
Under the civil service system, workits name from Senator
ers take tests for government jobs and
William Learned Macy, who
cannot be fired for their political views
said in 1831 “To the victor
or party affiliations.
belong the spoils.”
Jones was a reformer, but he did not
try to limit the social programs Huey
Long had established. In fact, he increased the amount of old-age pensions and added more children to the free
school-lunch program. Education received more funds, and capital improvements continued, which meant more roads, bridges, and hospitals for the state.
All this was possible because state revenue had increased with the economic
prosperity brought on by World War II. The war helped the United States recover
from the Great Depression, and Louisiana recovered along with the rest of the
country. When Sam Jones’s term ended, he left the state a budget surplus.
Class Discussion
Lagniappe
Sam Jones
Sam Jones had served as an assistant district attorney in Calcasieu Parish. A
veteran of World War I, he was an active member of the Louisiana American
Legion. This organization for war veterans supported his campaign for governor. The voters liked Jones because he was not part of the “political crowd” in
state government.
Jones’s main campaign promise was to bring honesty to state government.
After his election, he stopped Huey Long’s “deduct” system. State workers were
no longer expected to make political contributions. Jones also took steps to
end voter fraud by making voter registration lists available to the public. This
was done to remove the names of dead people from the voting lists.
Governor Jones’s goal was an efficient state government. He reorganized
state departments to operate in a more businesslike way. Companies who wished
to work on state projects had to submit bids. A bid is an offer to complete the
state project at a certain price. The lowest bidder is awarded the job.
Governor Jones provided job protection for state workers with a civil service system. Before civil service, state workers lost their jobs every time a new
Below: Governor Jimmie
Davis was a well-known
country music singer. Here
he is seen performing at a
governors’ conference
dinner in Miami in 1946.
Jimmie Davis
In 1944, the people of Louisiana elected James H.
“Jimmie” Davis as governor. Davis had first been elected
as a city official in Shreveport and then served on the
Public Service Commission. Because this board helped
consumers, most members of the board became very
popular throughout the state.
The story of Jimmie Davis began in the hills of North
Louisiana, in Jackson Parish. He was the son of a sharecropper, one of eleven children. He described his childhood as one of poverty and hard work in a loving country
family. He put himself through college, becoming a history teacher. One of the ways he earned money for his
education was to sing on the street corners in Alexandria. His voice and his guitar playing later provided him
with a career in country music and the movies.
Davis had already made money as an entertainer
when he ran for governor. Some people said that was a
good reason to elect him; he didn’t need to steal from
the state! Davis’s campaign slogan was “Peace and Harmony,” and his campaign style reflected that. He campaigned by giving short speeches and then singing with
his band. The crowds liked the free entertainment.
As governor, Davis served Louisiana during World War
II. Public attention was on the war and on the federal
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Ask students
• what positions Sam Jones and
Jimmie Davis held prior to becoming
governor of Louisiana. (Knowledge)
• to identify Jones’s main campaign
promise. (Knowledge)
• to describe how Jones went about
making government more efficient.
(Comprehension)
• to describe an unusual feature of
Davis’s campaigning.
(Comprehension)
Guiding Questions 9-16, 9-21,
and 9-23
Reading Strategy
Reinforcing Vocabulary
Have students review the term
deduct system. Ask them how Huey
Long had used the system. Why
would Sam Jones be opposed to it?
Section 2
Louisiana’s Governors
469
Building Vocabulary
Have students define the term
civil service. Ask them if they have
heard of the civil service system.
Compare how people obtained
government jobs before and after
civil service. Ask students to recall
the name of the system that was
used before the civil service
(patronage or spoils system). Ask
students how civil service would
make for a more honest, efficient
government.
Guiding Question 9-16
Critical Thinking
TEACH
Writing Activity
Have students write ten questions they would like to ask the
governors who are highlighted in
this section of the chapter.
Guiding Question 9-21
T468
Objectives
Objectives (Cont.)
GLE 16: Analyze the distribution and uses of Louisiana’s natural resources.
GLE 28: Explain why taxes are needed and purposes for which tax monies/revenues are used.
GLE 32: Describe various peaceful ways of resolving political or social conflicts,
including majority vote vs. consensus.
GLE 33: Analyze how the democratic process has been used to institute change in
Louisiana.
GLE 39: Identify individual rights guaranteed in the Louisiana Constitution.
GLE 40: Describe ways by which citizens can organize, monitor, or influence government and politics at the local, state, and national levels.
GLE 41: Explain the importance of being an informed citizen on public issues, recognizing propaganda, and knowing the voting issues.
GLE 58: Describe historical and economic factors influencing the economic
growth, interdependence and development of Louisiana and the nation (e.g., mass
production, oil boom and decline).
GLE 62: Construct a timeline of key events in Louisiana history.
GLE 63: Interpret data presented in a timeline correlating Louisiana, U.S., and
world history.
GLE 64: Compare and contrast events and ideas from Louisiana’s past and present,
explaining political, social, or economic contexts.
GLE 65: Analyze the causes, effects, or impact of a given historical event in
Louisiana.
GLE 66: Analyze how a given historical figure influenced or changed the course of
Louisiana’s history.
Have students discuss how World
War II helped speed economic
recovery in Louisiana.
Guiding Questions 9-16 and 9-22
BLM Assign students An Inaugural
Address from page 187 in the BLM
book.
T469
Critical Thinking
Lagniappe
Jimmie Davis’s campaign slogan
was “Peace and Harmony.” Ask
students if this was an appropriate
slogan given the period of time in
which he ran for governor. (World
War II was still in progress.)
Guiding Question 9-21
Jimmie Davis wrote
“You Are My Sunshine”
in 1940.
government in Washington, D.C. During the war years, the state government was not expected to do much.
Even so, Davis was sometimes accused
of being out of the state too much,
taking care of his show business career.
The economy of the war years
brought more money to the state. The
charity hospital system added a new
hospital in Shreveport. State workers
were covered by a retirement system.
Because he was a former teacher,
Davis directed state money towards
improving education. Many new
buildings were constructed at the
state colleges and universities.
Davis had promised the voters a
balanced budget, and, with the economic war boom, he had no trouble
keeping that promise. The budget
surplus he inherited when he became
governor was even larger when he left.
Group Activity
Have students use a search
engine to find the lyrics of “You Are
My Sunshine,” written by Jimmie
Davis. Ask them to brainstorm a list
of words in the song that illustrate
Davis’s “Peace and Harmony” theme.
(A copy of the lyrics as well as an
instrumental version can be found
at www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/
lyrics/sunshine.htm.)
Guiding Question 9-20
Multidisciplinary Activity
Music Have students write a new
verse to “You Are My Sunshine.”
Have them make this verse a song
to Louisiana.
Research Activity
Ask students to use a search
engine or other reference sources to
research Earl Long. Have them make
a timeline of his life and work and
compare major events to those of
his brother Huey. (Remind students
that they made a timeline of Huey
Long’s life in Chapter 13.)
Guiding Questions 9-14, 9-15,
9-17, and 9-20
T470
Above: The four-poster bed
of Governor Jimmie Davis is
on display at the Old State
Capitol. The quilt hanging
over the end of the bed
was made by Davis’s mother
from his old ties.
470
Earl Long
One member of the Long family had not given up his political ambitions.
Earl Long had been blocked from power first by his brother and then by the
disputes among his brother’s followers. Earl Long’s big chance came in 1948,
when he was elected governor.
The relationship between Huey and Earl Long was as complex as the brothers themselves. When Earl stepped into Huey’s sales position, Huey charged
him a fee to take over the route. At times during Huey Long’s career, Earl helped
“save Huey’s hide,” as he would say. At other times, he opposed Huey. On one
occasion, Earl even testified in Congress against his brother.
Many people who knew both Huey and Earl Long said they liked Earl more,
and he was considered the better one-on-one politician. Huey Long used poli-
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
tics as a means to power. Earl Long
loved politics and campaigning. He
had a true concern for the poor, believing “the fortunate should assist
the unfortunate, the strong should
assist the weak, and the rich should
assist the poor.”
Earl Long had been lieutenant governor under Richard Leche. When
Leche resigned, Earl completed his
term as governor. He intended to have
the job again. Earl ran for governor
in 1940 but was defeated by Sam
Jones, losing in forty-one parishes.
But in 1948, he beat Sam Jones in
sixty-two of the sixty-four parishes.
He was on his way to the Capitol that
Huey built.
Earl Long’s campaign style was
colorful. He sent sound trucks out
ahead, telling the people he would
soon arrive and give away hams and bacon before his speech. Some people
came for the giveaways; others came to hear his funny but rough attacks on
his opponents.
The Winn Parish farm Earl Long called his “pea patch” was his favorite
place. He engaged in a little campaign trickery about his peas. He knew people
liked the idea of getting peas grown at his farm. He would buy peas at one
campaign stop and give them out at the next, saying they were from the pea
patch. He proudly called himself a country boy and proved it by wearing
overalls on the farm. This love for his rural roots was not a campaign tactic,
as Huey’s had been.
As governor, Earl Long pushed for more spending on social programs (government programs intended to improve the quality of life for its citizens). The good
economy provided revenues for the state. Long used those revenues to increase
spending on health, welfare, education, and highways. African American teachers had filed a lawsuit to require equal
pay for white and African American
teachers, and it was during Long’s term
as governor that the pay for black
teachers was raised. The state even
Earl Long made the cover
gave the veterans of World War II a
of Time magazine on
bonus of $1,000.
August 30, 1948.
Soon, however, more money was
needed to continue the programs
Class Discussion
Above: This photograph
shows Earl Long being sworn
in as governor for the first
time, following the resignation of Governor Leche.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Ask students to contrast Earl
Long’s swearing-in ceremony with
one students have seen. Ask where
the ceremony might have taken
place. Does it look like a formal
ceremony? What does Long appear
to be doing?
Economics Activity
Lagniappe
Section 2
Ask students
• what positions Earl Long held
prior to becoming governor of
Louisiana. (Knowledge)
• to describe Earl Long’s campaign
tactics. (Comprehension)
• to explain the importance of the
“pea patch.” (Comprehension)
• to identify the programs that
Long supported as governor.
(Knowledge)
• why Long had to increase taxes.
(Comprehension)
• to describe Long’s attitude toward
civil service. (Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-21
Louisiana’s Governors
471
Objectives (Cont.)
Critical Thinking
Writing Activity
GLE 69: Propose and defend potential solutions to past and current issues in
Louisiana.
GLE 70: Conduct historical research using a variety of resources, and evaluate
those resources, to answer historical questions related to Louisiana history.
GLE 72: Describe leaders who were influential in Louisiana’s development.
GLE 73: Describe and explain the importance of major events and ideas in the
development of Louisiana.
GLE 76: Trace and describe various governments in Louisiana’s history.
GLE 80: Trace the state’s economic development and growth toward economic
diversity (e.g., fur trade, tourism, technology).
Ask students how Earl Long’s
belief that “the fortunate should
assist the unfortunate, the strong
should assist the weak, and the
rich should assist the poor” is
reminiscent of Huey Long’s
beliefs. (Remind students of the
Share Our Wealth program.)
Have students write an ode to
Earl Long. (An ode is normally a
lyric poem of some length with no
special rhythm or rhyme. The ode
generally expresses emotions and
is sometimes meditative in content.) You may want to read one
or two samples of odes to give
students ideas of what and how to
write.
Review the concept of taxes as
presented in Chapter 3. Remind
students that tax revenues are used
to support government programs as
well as public services. Ask students
how they think people felt about
paying additional taxes to support
Earl Long’s programs for health,
welfare, education, and highways.
Ask students to interview at least
ten people to determine their support or opposition to paying more
taxes today to support those types
of programs. (You may want to
make graphs to illustrate the data
that is obtained.)
Guiding Question 9-6
T471
Long wanted. He convinced the legislature to increase the sales tax, the gasoline tax, and the severance tax.
Earl Long intended to reward his friends and
punish his enemies, in the Long political style. He
persuaded the legislature to end the civil service
system started by Jones. State jobs could again be
rewards for supporters. Long carefully controlled
membership on state boards, and he used the
power of the governor’s office to interfere with local
government. For example, he pushed the legislature to pass laws that changed New Orleans city
government. The people of New Orleans had no vote
on these changes.
Using Photos and
Illustrations
Have students look at the
photograph of Earl Long. What
impression does he make in this
picture?
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• identify the positions Robert
Kennon held prior to becoming
governor. (Knowledge)
• describe how Kennon’s view of
government differed from Earl
Long’s. (Analysis)
• tell what new device Kennon
introduced to eliminate voter fraud.
(Knowledge)
• explain how Kennon made it
more difficult to raise taxes.
(Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-8
• list programs that were supported
by Kennon. (Knowledge)
Guiding Question 9-21
Robert Kennon
Above: Governor Earl Long
on a shopping spree in New
Mexico. He bought twelve of
these western saddles.
Critical Thinking
Robert Kennon fought against
illegal gambling in Louisiana. Today,
gambling is legal in Louisiana, but
its opponents still use some of the
arguments that were used to oppose
its existence in Kennon’s day. One
argument opponents use is that
gambling increases crime.
Proponents of gambling cite the
revenue that it brings into the state
treasury. Have students research
other arguments for and against
gambling. Then ask them to debate
the issue.
Guiding Questions 9-6, 9-13,
and 9-27
T472
472
The governor elected in 1952 to follow Earl Long
was his opposite in political style. Robert Kennon
had been elected mayor of his hometown of Minden
in Webster Parish. At twenty-three years of age,
he was the youngest mayor in the United States.
He later served as a district attorney and a judge
before he ran for governor.
Governor Kennon described his style of government as the “civics book approach.” He meant he
would follow the rules for good government. Reform and efficiency were his
goals. To eliminate voter fraud, Kennon introduced voting machines. The machines were intended to count votes accurately and fairly.
Kennon convinced the legislature to restore the civil service system to protect government workers from political firings. Governor Kennon also got rid of
“deadhead jobs,” jobs filled by people who did little or no work but who had
received the jobs as a reward.
One of the major changes during the Kennon years was a constitutional amendment making it harder to raise taxes. The amendment required a two-thirds vote
of the legislature for approval of taxes. To see that state agencies operated fairly,
without politics, the governor appointed special committees. These committees
were called blue ribbon boards because of their highly qualified members.
The governor also fought illegal gambling in the state. Gambling in South
Louisiana was wide open, with slot machines in many restaurants. Congressional hearings headed by Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver revealed the influence of organized crime in Louisiana. Kennon pushed for an investigation.
The state police raided gambling places and seized gambling equipment.
During Kennon’s term, the harsh conditions and brutal treatment of prisoners at the state penitentiary at Angola received national coverage. The governor
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
ordered an investigation and changes. Guidelines for the prison were
established, and the pay for guards was increased to attract more
qualified people.
New Orleans benefited from Governor Kennon’s reform program.
The city government had been under the control of the Longs.
When Huey Long decided the city government was too powerful,
he used the state government to take away much of the city’s
authority. Earl Long had continued this control. Governor Kennon
extended home rule to the city government of New Orleans, protecting the city government from state interference.
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• explain how Robert Kennon
reversed some of the policies of Earl
Long. (Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-8
• describe Long’s erratic behavior
during his second term as governor.
(Comprehension)
• explain why Long encouraged
blacks to register and vote.
(Comprehension)
Guiding Questions 9-9 and 9-21
The Return of Earl Long
In the 1956 governor’s race, the voters turned away from the
reform movement and back to Earl Long. His opponent was the
popular reform mayor of New Orleans, deLesseps Morrison. Long
campaigned by ridiculing his opponent’s name and his expensive
suits. Long said he would stick to his country roots and not wear
those fancy tailored clothes. He said “on ole’ Earl, those clothes
would look like socks on a rooster.”
Earl Long had enjoyed his first term as governor. His second term was not as
easy. He could not add more government programs without increasing taxes.
The new law required a two-thirds vote in the legislature to raise taxes, and he
could not get that much support. He was able to increase spending on the
programs already in place because state revenues were increasing.
Governor Long stayed fairly low key for the first part of the term, but in 1959,
he lost control in a very public setting—during a speech to the legislature. For
two hours he yelled and screamed at the legislature, naming names as he issued
his insults. His behavior was so extreme that no one heard his message.
The governor was angry because the segregationists (those who believe in
keeping the races separate) were removing black voters from the registration list.
The Democratic Party in the South had only allowed whites to vote in
the party primary elections. In a 1944 Texas case, Smith v. Allright, the U.S.
Supreme Court said this restriction was unconstitutional. Now that blacks could
not be excluded from these primary
elections, they had begun to register
to vote.
Earl Long had encouraged blacks to
vote. In fact, the number of black votThe Louisiana Political
ers had increased from under 10,000
Museum is in
to more than 100,000 during his secWinnfield, birthplace of
ond term. Long’s social programs helped
Huey and Earl Long.
the poor blacks in Louisiana, and he
wanted their votes.
Lagniappe
Civics Activity
Addressing Learning Styles
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Ask students to review the
process of how a bill becomes a
law in Chapter 4. Then ask them
to simulate the passage of a tax
bill using the new requirements
that were passed under Robert
Kennon.
Guiding Question 9-8
Body/Kinesthetic
Have students role-play a
meeting between Earl Long and
members of the state legislature
to discuss one of his proposals
during his second term.
Guiding Question 9-7
Section 2
Reading Strategy
Compare and Contrast
Have students make a graphic
organizer, such as a T-Chart, to
record information to compare and
contrast Earl Long’s two terms as
governor.
Research Activity
Top: Governor Robert Kennon
introduced many reforms
during his term in office.
Above: deLesseps Morrison,
Earl Long’s opponent in the
1956 gubernatorial election,
was mayor of New Orleans
four times. He ran for
governor unsuccessfully
three times.
Louisiana’s Governors
473
Have students use a search
engine or other reference materials
to research Smith v. Allright. Ask
students how a Texas case could
affect Louisiana. (Review the powers
of the three branches of government
from Chapter 4.) Ask students why
the primary election was so
important in the South. (At this
time, the South was totally under
the control of the Democrat Party so
the only real choices came in the
primaries.) Information on the
Supreme Court case can be found
at www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/sto
ries_events_smith.html.
Guiding Questions 9-9 and 9-22
Logical/Mathematical
Ask students to calculate the
percentage of increase in black
voters between Long’s first term
and his second. (In his first term,
black voters numbered around
10,000, while in his second term
the number increased to more
than 100,000.)
T473
BLM Assign students Louisiana’s
Governors and Their Accomplishments
on page 188 in the BLM book.
Guiding Question 9-21
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. To have an efficient
government
2. He inherited a budget surplus,
and the economic war boom
allowed him to continue to
operate the government with
a balanced budget.
3. Health, welfare, education,
and highways
4. To eliminate voter fraud by
counting votes accurately and
fairly
5. Kennon had the law changed
to require a two-thirds vote
in the legislature to raise
taxes.
6. For removing black voters
from the registration list
Above: This photograph was
taken in El Paso during
Governor Earl Long’s “wild”
trip across country. The man
on the right is David Bell,
Louisiana Commissioner for
Veterans Affairs, who arrived
in El Paso ahead of Long.
The segregationists did not approve of his
actions. The legislature passed a law stating
that any two people could challenge a person’s
voter registration. The segregationists used the
law to remove blacks from the voting rolls. It
was this activity that so angered Earl Long.
His behavior continued to be so erratic that
his family sent him to a mental hospital in
Galveston, Texas. A few weeks later, he was confined in a state mental hospital. Once there,
he fired the director, saying he could do that
because he was governor. He then appointed a
new director, who released him.
There have been several suggested explanations for Long’s behavior. He appeared to have
both physical and mental health problems.
The interesting relationship between the
Longs and the voters of Louisiana is illustrated
by what happened after Earl Long’s crisis period. He could not run for governor again in
1960, because at that time a governor could
not serve two consecutive terms. He decided
to run for Congress in his home district. On the
day of the election, he had a heart attack. He
refused to go to the hospital because he said
the people would not vote for him if they knew
he was sick. After the polls closed, he went to the hospital. He died a few days
later knowing he had won his last election.
Alternative Assessment
Have students choose two
governors in this section to compare
and contrast. (You might want them
to choose the two governors who
they believe are the most different.)
Guiding Question 9-21
Lesson Closure
Have students respond to one of
these prompts: “The most influential
Louisiana governor between 1940
and 1960 was ___ because ___.”;
“The most popular Louisiana
governor between 1940 and 1960
was ___ because ___.”; “The most
honest Louisiana governor between
1940 and 1960 was ___
because ___.”
Guiding Question 9-21
BLM Assign students Who Am I? on
page 189 in the BLM book.
Guiding Question 9-21
T474
474
Check for Understanding
1. What was the goal of Governor Jones?
2. Why was it possible for Governor Davis to have a balanced
budget?
3. What are some areas where Governor Earl Long increased
spending in his first term?
4. Why did Governor Kennon introduce voting machines?
5. Why was it harder for Governor Earl Long to get tax
increases in his second term?
6. Why was Earl Long angry at the segregationists in the
legislature?
3
Section
Postwar Changes
Lagniappe
Kerr-McGee was a small
independent oil company in
1947 when it hit oil nine
miles off Louisiana’s outer
islands.
As you read, look for:
• the postwar economy,
• the cultural changes in the postwar period,
• the Cold War, and
• vocabulary terms right-to-work law and Cold War.
The period following World War II was a
time of rapid and remarkable change, both
in the United States and in Louisiana.
The Economy
During the 1940s and 1950s, Louisiana’s
economy shifted from agriculture to industry. Farm jobs disappeared when machines
replaced laborers on the farms. Farm workers moved to towns and cities to work or
left the state to find jobs. African American farm workers migrated to northern
cities like Detroit where they could find factory jobs, less discrimination, and a different lifestyle. By the 1950s, the majority of
Louisiana’s population was urban.
The postwar period saw even more
growth in Louisiana’s oil industry. An exciting new opportunity developed with the
first offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico
in 1947. In addition, chemical plants began locating along the Mississippi River
between Baton Rouge and New Orleans to
take advantage of the available oil. New
jobs with higher wages changed the
lifestyle of many who lived in the area.
Money began pouring into the state from oil leases on state land. This money
led to a dispute between Louisiana and the federal government over the oil
extracted from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. The conflict between the state
and the United States about how much of the royalties belonged to Louisiana
was not settled until the 1980s.
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Section 3
SECTION 3
POSTWAR CHANGES
INTRODUCE
Outline
A. The Economy
B. Cultural Changes
C. The Cold War
Materials
Textbook, pages 475-477
Blackline Masters
Food Prices, page 190
Education, page 191
Life in the 1950s and Today,
page 192
Teacher CD-ROM
Transparencies
Online textbook
mystatehistory.com
Focus
Above: Geologists working
for Kerr-McGee are seen
here exploring for oil in the
Gulf of Mexico in 1947.
Postwar Changes
475
Class Discussion
Critical Thinking
Objectives
Ask students
• how Earl Long got out of a
state mental hospital.
(Knowledge)
• why Long refused to go to the
hospital when he was having a
heart attack. (Comprehension)
Ask students what Long’s
actions (his relationship with the
state legislature, his getting out
of a mental hospital, his refusal
to go to a hospital when he was
having a heart attack) say about
his character and determination.
Guiding Question 9-21
GLE 6: Describe ways in which location and physical features have influenced
historical events in Louisiana and the development of the state (e.g., Mississippi
River/swamp in the Battle of New Orleans).
GLE 9: Explain ways in which goals, cultures, interests, inventions, and
technological advances have affected people’s perceptions and uses of places or
regions in Louisiana.
GLE 32: Describe various peaceful ways of resolving political or social conflicts,
including majority vote vs. consensus.
GLE 41: Explain the importance of being an informed citizen on public issues,
recognizing propaganda, and knowing the voting issues.
GLE 51: Use economic concepts (e.g., scarcity, opportunity cost) to explain
historic and contemporary events and developments in Louisiana.
Brainstorm a list of things that
make up modern culture. Have
students choose two of those items
that they believe best represent
popular culture today. Ask them to
predict what culture was like in the
1950s. Record their predictions so
you can refer to them as you cover
this section of the chapter.
TEACH
Class Discussion
Ask students
• how the economy of Louisiana
changed during the 1940s.
(Comprehension)
• to describe the advancements in
Louisiana’s oil industry in the late
1940s. (Comprehension)
Guiding Questions 9-2, 9-26,
and 9-27
Geography Activity
Have students research the
chemical plants that are located
along the Mississippi River. Have
students locate those plants on an
outline map of Louisiana.
Guiding Question 9-1
T475
The economic growth after World War II also led to the growth of
labor unions. Governor Kennon and others believed that labor unions
had become too powerful in Louisiana. They argued that the state’s
economy suffered since new businesses did not want to come to Louisiana because of the strong labor movement here.
In 1954 the legislature passed a right-to-work law, a law that allows workers to get and keep jobs without having to join a union. Union
members and Governor Earl Long worked to have the legislature repeal the law in 1956. After 1956, labor unions could get a business to
agree to a contract that said workers should join the union or at least
pay the union dues. Unions said this protected the workers. Business
owners said they were forced to pay higher wages.
Reading Strategy
Building Vocabulary
Ask students to define the term
right-to-work. Ask them to discuss
whether right-to-work laws
encourage or discourage the growth
of industry. How do unions view
right-to-work laws? Would
businesses favor locating in states
with strong labor unions or
right-to-work laws?
Guiding Question 9-12
Cultural Changes
BLM Assign Food Prices on page
190, Education on page 191, and
Life in the 1950s and Today on page
192 in the BLM book.
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• identify the first television stations in Louisiana. (Knowledge)
• name some of the most popular
television shows of the 1950s.
(Knowledge)
• describe the preferred music of
teens in the 1950s. (Comprehension)
• name some musical performers of
the 1950s. (Knowledge)
Guiding Question 9-22
Internet Activity
Have students use a search
engine or other reference materials
to find information on the 1950s.
Ask them to choose an area to
research, e.g., dress, music, films,
television, food, family values,
hobbies. Ask them to present the
information they find to the class.
They should include a visual with
their presentation. (You may want
to schedule a “50s Day” as a
culmination to the research.)
Guiding Question 9-20
T476
Top: Jerry Lee Lewis from
Ferriday has always been a
showman. This photo was
taken at a 1958 performance.
Above: New Orleans-born
Antoine "Fats" Domino was a
popular rock-and-roll musician.
476
After World War II, television changed the culture of America. The
state’s first television stations included New Orleans station WDSU and
station WAFB in Baton Rouge. On December 18, 1948, people in New
Orleans excitedly filled Municipal Auditorium to watch their first television broadcast. By the 1950s, this new invention had reached many
homes in Louisiana. Families soon gathered around the television set
in the evening to watch comedies like “I Love Lucy,” game shows like
“What’s My Line,” and the popular western “Gunsmoke.”
Another cultural change shocked the older generation in the 1950s.
Rock and roll music became the soundtrack of teenage life. Louisiana
jazz and blues music led to this new music, rock and roll. Some of the
early performers, such as Fats Domino, recorded their new music in
New Orleans.
Elvis Presley, the most famous of the new musicians, thrilled young
Louisiana audiences before he became nationally famous. He appeared
on the “Louisiana Hayride,” a country music radio show, in Shreveport in 1954. Soon, teenagers from all over North Louisiana flocked to
hear Elvis at the “Hayride.” The girls screamed and squealed, shocking the regular fans of country music at the show. On August 28, 1956,
New Orleans teenagers flocked to Municipal Auditorium to hear Elvis
sing. The music critic of the Times-Picayune reported, “He sang ‘Blue
Suede Shoes’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ with what passes for a voice.” Elvis returned to New Orleans in 1958 to film the movie King Creole.
The Cold War
While some people in Louisiana focused on the new social changes after
World War II, others turned their attention to world tensions. The relationship
between the United States and the Soviet Union grew strained after World War
II. The hostility was called the Cold War because it was mainly fought with
words and diplomacy.
The fear of the spread of communism through Soviet aggression provoked American reaction. The United
States formed a number of military
alliances hoping to “contain” communism. Tensions from the Cold War
led to actual fighting in Korea in
1950. Some World War II veterans
returned to fight in that war, and
they were joined by younger soldiers.
Louisiana families again waited anxiously for word from the war zone. The
Korean War ended in 1953, but the
conflict between communism and
capitalism continued. An arms race
developed between the Soviet Union
and the United States, and fear of the atomic bomb threatened world peace.
Military bases and oil refineries in Louisiana were considered prime targets.
State and local governments prepared for possible attack. Evacuation plans were
developed for Louisiana’s major cities. Practice evacuation drills were even held
in some Louisiana schools. Buildings were designated as “fallout shelters,” where
people could go in case of an atomic attack.
The Civil Defense Office encouraged Louisiana citizens to build their own
fallout shelters. Architects provided do-it-yourself plans and explained how
individuals could build a shelter for $300 in about two weeks. People in North
Louisiana were warned that Barksdale Air Force Base might be bombed. They
were advised to build bomb shelters with one-foot-thick concrete walls and
three feet of earth covering the roof.
Newspapers carried mock headlines such as “Shreveport ‘Destroyed’ in Civil
Defense Tests” (Shreveport Times) and “Who’s Afraid? Not We!” (Baton Rouge
Morning Advocate). The Morning Advocate printed an enhanced photograph of
the State Capitol being blown up. In spite of this publicity, most people did not
build fallout or bomb shelters. Preparing for an atomic attack seemed futile.
Check for Understanding
Class Discussion
Above: Thousands of
American troops participated in the Korean War in
the early 1950s.
Lagniappe
In 1950, the Louisiana
Legislature established local
Civil Defense Agencies.
These groups are now called
the Offices of Emergency
Preparedness.
1. Why did workers leave the farm?
2. What happened to the oil industry?
3. What two cultural changes affected life?
4. What are two ways people prepared for a possible nuclear
attack?
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
Section 3
Postwar Changes
477
Objectives (Cont.)
Objectives (Cont.)
GLE 63: Interpret data presented in a timeline correlating Louisiana, U.S., and
world history.
GLE 64: Compare and contrast events and ideas from Louisiana’s past and present,
explaining political, social, or economic contexts.
GLE 65: Analyze the causes, effects, or impact of a given historical event in
Louisiana.
GLE 67: Analyze given source material to identify opinion, propaganda, or bias.
GLE 69: Propose and defend potential solutions to past and current issues in
Louisiana.
GLE 70: Conduct historical research using a variety of resources, and evaluate
those resources, to answer historical questions related to Louisiana history.
GLE 73: Describe and explain the importance of major events and ideas in the
development of Louisiana.
GLE 77: Describe major conflicts in context of Louisiana history (e.g., Rebellion of
1768, the French and Indian War).
GLE 78: Describe and analyze the impact of Louisiana’s geographic features on
historic events, settlement patterns, economic development, etc.
GLE 79: Explain how Louisiana’s natural resources have shaped its history (e.g.,
petroleum).
GLE 80: Trace the state’s economic development and growth toward economic
diversity (e. g., fur trade, tourism, technology).
Ask students to
• define Cold War. (Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-24
• identify prime targets for attack
in Louisiana during the Cold War.
(Knowledge)
Guiding Question 9-24
• explain the purpose of fallout
shelters. (Comprehension)
• explain why newspapers carried
mock headlines announcing fake
disasters. (Comprehension)
Guiding Question 9-18
Critical Thinking
Discuss the concept of fallout
shelters during the Cold War. Ask
students why they think the
majority of people did not build
fallout shelters.
ASSESS
Check for Understanding
1. Farm jobs disappeared when
machines replaced workers
and farmers left the farms to
seek jobs in towns and cities.
2. Louisiana’s oil industry grew
after World War II.
3. Television and rock and roll
4. Establishing evacuation routes
and building fallout shelters
Alternative Assessment
Divide students into groups and
ask each group to plan a TV news
program that might have aired in
the late 1950s. Have students
present news that affected postWorld War II Louisiana.
Lesson Closure
Have students read current
newspapers to identify places
around the world where conflict
exists today. Ask them to bring in
specific articles and discuss the
events and their potential effect on
Louisiana.
T477
Class Discussion
Ask students to
• describe the LCVP’s designed and
manufactured by Higgins Industries.
(Comprehension)
• describe the growth of Higgins’s
company between 1938 and 1943.
(Comprehension)
Lagniappe
• Adolf Hitler referred to Andrew
Higgins as the “new Noah.”
• Higgins Industries built two
major types of boats: the high-speed
PT boats, which carried anti-aircraft
machine guns, smoke-screen
devices, depth charges, and
Higgins-designed compressed-airfired torpedo tubes; and the various
types of landing craft constructed of
wood and steel that were used to
transport fully armed troops, light
tanks, field artillery, and other
mechanized equipment and supplies
essential to amphibious operations.
Answers to Questions
1. This is a secondary source
because it is a summary of
information. It is not being told
by someone who experienced
these events. A primary source is
usually a first-person account.
2. Visit the museum, interview
someone who worked there, look
for books on the subject
3. Amphibious means the vehicle
can travel on land and water;
accolades refers to praise;
reproduction means a copy of the
Higgins boat.
4. Answers will vary.
5. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary.
T478
Meeting Expectations
New Orleans: Home of the
Higgins Boats
The D-Day Museum in New Orleans was opened on
June 6, 2000, the anniversary of the Allied invasion
of Normandy. It has been designated as America’s
World War II Museum. The museum web site provides information and photographs as a preview of
the exhibits. The following explanation about the
Higgins boats is included there.
To win the war, the United States and its allies had to develop tactics and equipment to launch massive amphibious
landings at sites ranging from Pacific atolls to the French
coastline. The city of New Orleans made a unique contribution to this critical part of America’s war effort.
New Orleans was home to Higgins Industries, a small boat
company owned by the flamboyant entrepreneur Andrew
Jackson Higgins. Higgins designed and produced a unique
and ingenious collection of amphibious boats capable of
delivering masses of men and equipment safely and efficiently from ship to shore, eliminating the need for established harbors.
. . . he is best known for designing and manufacturing
thousands of LCVPs (Land Craft, Vehicle, Personnel), special
craft designed to carry infantry platoons and jeeps to shore.
Higgins boats were used in every major American amphibious operation in the European and Pacific theaters, including D-Day in Normandy. Indeed, they were crucial to
the success of those operations.
Higgins initially had difficulty getting the attention of
the military. But with persistence and a superior product,
he was soon competing with the more established shipyards
of the Northeast. Higgins’ designs won him huge govern-
478
ment contracts and his tiny business expanded dramatically.
In 1938, he operated a single boatyard employing less than
75 workers. By late 1943, his seven plants employed more
than 20,000 workers. . . .
During the war, Higgins’ name became indelibly tied to
his landing craft. Men did not come ashore in LCVPs, they
traveled in “Higgins boats.” His achievements earned him
countless accolades, but none was greater than the one he
received from General Eisenhower. Higgins, Eisenhower said
years later, “won the war for us.”
The National D-Day Museum displays a reproduction of
a Higgins LCVP in its Louisiana Memorial Pavilion. This
Higgins Boat was built from original plans entirely by volunteers—several of whom worked for Higgins Industries
during World War II.
1. Is this a primary source or a secondary
source? How do you know?
2. What are two other ways you might learn
more about Higgins boats?
3. Readers use context clues to learn the
meaning of words. Using what you read, what
are the meanings of these words: amphibious,
accolades, and reproduction?
4. What is one question you would like to ask
Andrew Higgins?
5. What question would you ask a soldier who
traveled in a Higgins boat?
6. What would you want to learn about a
Higgins boat if you viewed the reproduction
in the museum?
Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
BLM Assign students Words, Words,
Words on page 193 in the BLM book.
Chapter Summary
Louisiana in World War II
• Major military training, called the Maneuvers,
was held in Louisiana.
• The state elected the colorful Earl Long in 1948.
He increased social programs and raised taxes
to fund his plans.
• On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the
Japanese attacked the naval base at Pearl
Harbor. As a result, the United States entered
World War II.
• The next governor, Robert Kennon, was an antiLong described as using a “civics book” approach. Governor Kennon and the head of the
state police fought illegal gambling.
• Civilian life was called the “home front,” and
people did their part with rationing, growing
victory gardens, and participating in civil
defense activities.
• With Governor Kennon’s encouragement, the
legislature passed a law requiring a two-thirds
vote to raise taxes.
• Defense plants in Louisiana included the
shipyard that built the famous Higgins boats.
• Women worked in the plants because so many
men were serving in the military.
• USOs were established near military bases to
provide entertainment and support for the
troops.
• Louisiana had a number of POW camps, and
some POWs worked to help bring in crops.
• When World War II ended, the G.I. Bill helped
the veterans get housing and an education.
Louisiana’s Governors
• Politics in Louisiana was a struggle between proLongs and anti-Longs.
• Sam Jones was elected as a reformer promising
an honest, efficient government.
• Jimmie Davis, elected in 1944 as another antiLong, was able to fund improvements because
of the good economy but most attention was on
the war.
• The prosperity brought by the war provided
plenty of money for the state budget and both
Jones and Davis left a budget surplus.
• Governor Jones had begun civil service, a job
protection for state workers. Earl Long had this
law repealed, and Kennon brought it back.
• The people elected Earl Long to follow Kennon
in 1956. He had trouble funding new programs
because it was more difficult to get the support
of two-thirds of the legislature. He opposed the
segregationists who were removing blacks from
the voting rolls.
• The national publicity about his breakdown in
1959 overshadowed his intentions and his
accomplishments.
Several different explanations for
Earl Long’s behavior have been
proposed. At the time, some
suggested he “was having a number
of small strokes.” Another theory
said the medications he was taking
affected his behavior. Apparently, he
was taking a number of strong
medications that were legally
prescribed but that are no longer
used because of adverse effects. The
most recent explanation suggests
that he suffered from bipolar
syndrome (manic-depressive
disorder).
Reading Strategy
Postwar Changes
• Louisiana’s economy shifted from agriculture as
the oil industry grew.
• Growth of labor unions led to the passage of a
right-to-work law passed in 1954 under Governor Kennon. The law was repealed in 1956
when Earl Long became governor.
Making Connections
Have students review economic
advances in Louisiana from
Chapter 3.
Written Activity
• The 1950s brought the cultural changes of
television and rock and roll.
• The Cold War between the United States and the
Soviet Union affected people in Louisiana. The
danger of a nuclear attack led to civil defense
drills and evacuation plans.
Chapter Summary
Lagniappe
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Have students write an essay
describing what life was like before
the advent of television or have
them write an original story about
life without television. (Have
students stress that, without
television, they would not have
access to information to remain
informed citizens.)
Guiding Questions 9-10 and 9-16
Lagniappe
At the peak of production, the
combined output of Higgins
plants exceeded 700 boats a
month. The total output for the
Allies during World War II was
20,094 boats, a production record
for which Higgins Industries was
several times awarded the
Army-Navy “E,” the highest award
that the armed forces could
bestow upon a company.
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REVIEW
1. Answers will vary.
2. a. Robert Kennon
b. Right-to-work law
c. Jimmie Davis
d. Fort Polk
e. Oil royalties
f. G.I. Bill
g. Rationing
h. Barksdale Air Force Base
i. Earl Long
j. Cold War
3. a. They endured rationing so that
the troops could have what
they needed, worked in plants
and in civil defense.
b. Because so many of the men
had gone to war
c. It helped pay for a college
education and for housing.
d. The state’s economy was doing
well.
e. They considered the Longs
dangerous and undemocratic.
f. A civics book is a book about
government; he meant he
would carefully follow the rules
for good government.
g. He called them hypocrites and
said they should know that
change was coming.
h. Television and rock and roll
i. Labor unions opposed this law
because they said workers
would be paid less. Business
owners were in favor because
they said the labor unions had
pushed wages too high.
j. Because of the threat of
nuclear attack by the Soviet
Union
4. Answers will vary.
Activities
for
Learning
A
w Review
1. Identify each key person and place and
explain each term in your own words.
2. Match each headline with a key person, place,
or term.
a. “Civics Book” Governor Elected
b. Labor Unions Oppose New Law
c. Singer Campaigns for Governor
d. Military Brings Growth to Leesville
e. Landowners Receive Record Amounts from
Wells
f. University Enrollment Swells
f. What did Robert Kennon mean by a “civics
book” approach to government?
g. How did Governor Earl Long respond to the
ideas of the segregationists?
h. What were two important cultural changes
that impacted Louisiana in the 1950s?
i. Why did some people support a right-towork law and others oppose it?
j. Why did Louisiana have civil defense plans
during this time?
4. Create a chart of the governors listed in the
Chapter Preview. Indicate whether each is
pro-Long or anti-Long and list one contribution of each.
g. Shortages of Tires Limit Travel
h. Airbase Located in Bossier Parish
i. Governor Gives Controversial Speech
Connect
j. Local Schools Hold Civil Defense Drills
3. Answer these questions.
a. How did people on the home front help the
war effort?
b. Why did women in Louisiana work in the
factories during World War II?
c. What are two ways the G.I. Bill helped
Louisiana soldiers at the end of the war?
d. Why did the state often have a budget
surplus during World War II?
With Your World
1. Young people in Louisiana during World War
II wanted to help the war effort. Why do you
think they felt this way? Do you think people
your age today would respond in the same
way to a crisis like World War II? Explain your
answer.
2. Identify a world situation today that
influences your daily life in some way.
Explain.
e. Why did anti-Long candidates call
themselves “reformers”?
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Chapter 14 Louisiana’s World War II Era: Patriotism and Prosperity
CONNECT
With Your World
1. Answers will vary.
2. Answers will vary.
3. Answers will vary.
o
b 3. In the 1950s, young people were influenced
by music and television. Is this still true of
young people today? Explain your answer.
With Geography
4. The physical geography of Louisiana influenced the decision to hold military training
in Louisiana. Explain why.
5. How did Louisiana’s location affect the kinds
of factories that grew during World War II?
6. How did television change Louisiana’s
culture?
With the Economy
7. World War II improved the economy of
Louisiana. Identify two reasons for this.
8. How does the increase in women who worked
relate to scarcity of human capital?
9. What caused a shift away from an agricultural
economy in Louisiana after World War II?
With Civics
10. Why was patriotism so important during
World War II? Name two ways people in
Louisiana showed their patriotism.
11. Earl Long believed that state government
should provide many public services. Give two
examples.
12. What change in the law made it more
difficult for Earl Long to get the legislature
to approve funding for his public service
programs?
13. Why were state workers given job protection?
Extend
1. Learn how World War II affected your family
or your local area. Interview family members
or older people who lived during this time.
2. Plan what you would like to include in an
exhibit about World War II in your local
library. List at least five artifacts you would
like to display.
3. Interview an adult who was your age in the
1950s. What can you learn about their
memories of television and rock and roll?
4. Create a collage about youth culture today.
5. Write an essay comparing the youth culture
today with that of the 1950s. How are they
alike? How are they different?
6. Locate the web site of the D-Day Museum in
New Orleans. Read the information in the
student section to learn more about D-Day
and the museum.
7. Propaganda was used to encourage Americans
during World War II. Do an Internet search to
find examples of some of the posters used.
Select a poster and explain its purpose. Do
you think it was effective? Explain your
opinion.
Photo Question
This general
from Waterproof,
Louisiana, led
the famed
“Flying Tigers”
during World
War II. What was
his name?
Activities for Learning
13. Because every new governor
could fire all the workers. This
made the stable functioning of
the government difficult and
meant that workers could be
expected to make large
contributions in order to keep
their jobs. NOTE: State
government employees are now
forbidden by law to make any
political contributions.
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EXTEND
1. Answers will vary.
2. Answers will vary.
3. Answers will vary.
4. Answers will vary.
5. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary.
7. Answers will vary.
With Geography
4. The areas were much like the
physical geography in some of
the places that were expected to
be the scene of battles.
5. The port of New Orleans and the
Gulf of Mexico made the
shipbuilding industry grow.
6. Family life changed as people
spent more time watching
television and less time talking.
Also, people learned more about
other cultures, and Louisiana
became more like the rest of the
United States.
With the Economy
7. Shipbuilding was a huge industry
during the war. The oil in
Louisiana was needed by the
military.
8. The shortage of available men
meant a scarcity of human
capital until the business owners
realized that one way to deal
with the scarcity was to increase
their pool of human capital by
training and hiring women.
9. Machinery had replaced farm
workers, and the oil industry
boomed.
With Civics
10. People were afraid of what their
future would hold if the United
States lost the war. They saw
democracy threatened by Hitler
and the other Axis powers.
People did civil defense work
and worked at USOs.
11. School lunches and health care
for the poor
12. The law was changed to require
a two-thirds vote in the
legislature to increase taxes.
PHOTO QUESTION
General Claire Lee Chennault
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