,
Americans in Wartime
Reading Focus
Key Terms
Taking Notes
• How did Americans mobilize the economy in World
War II?
• What impact did the war
have on African Americans?
• Why did Japanese
Americans and other
groups face special problems during the war?
War Production Board
Copy the concept web below.
As you read, fill in the blanl<
ovals with information about
Americans during World War II.
Add as many ovals as you need.
rationing
victory garden
Rosie the Riveter
"Double V" campaign
Tuskegee Airmen
compensation
bracero program
ain Idea Despite economic sacrifices., as well as discrimination faced by certain groups, Americans pulled together as
never before to help defeat the enemy.
-
Setting the Scene
An English VIsItor was flying over the
United States in 1943. Fresh from war-torn Europe, he was
impressed by the calm below. There were no bombs falling or armies
fighting. It was even hard to tell that the country was at war. Then, a
flight attendant put his lunch tray in front of him. He recalled:
" As I reached ... to attack my butter pat, there,
neatly inscribed on it, was the [command to] REMEMBER
PEARL HARBOR. It needed the butter to remind one of
the guns. "
-H . G. Nicholas, quoted in V Was for Victory (Blum)
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the United States
into World War II. Americans united as never before. The cry
"Remember Pearl Harbor" became a reminder that the efforts of
Americans on the home front were vital to victory.
Mobilizing the Home Front
Visualize Picture the scene in
the airplane described in Setting
the Scene. How do you think an
American passenger would react
to seeing the words "Remember
Pearl Harbor" on a pat of butter?
During World War II, more than 15 million Americans served in the
military. Many millions more spent the war years at home, far from
the battlefields. Winning the war depended on mobilizing the home
front to support and supply the armed forces.
Combat Training In 1941, the military's first task was to train
forces for combat. Army, navy, and air bases were built all over the
country. Recruits were trained to fight in the jungles of the Pacific,
the deserts of North Africa, and the towns and farmlands of Europe.
Women joined all the armed services. Women pilots logged 60
million air miles ferrying bombers from base to base, towing targets,
and teaching men to fly. Although women were not allowed in cornbat, many served close to the front lines.
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Chapter 27
The World War /I Era
" Miracle of Production Even more
han in World War I, the government COllt 'oLled the economy during World War II.
oGovernment agencIes
. set t ehpnces
·
f
0"
goods, negotiated with labor unions, and
ded d d what should b e produced.
'The War Production Board helped facBEGINNING A NEW
KELLAND SERIAL
tories shift fr m making consum r goods to
Heart 011 Her Sleeve
rn alcing guns, ships aircraft, and other war
EDGAR SNOW
ma terials. AutolUobil maker, for example
REPORTS ON GERMAN
ATROCIT IE 5
sWitched to producing tanks and tru.cks.
A Nazi leader once scoffed that
"Americans can't build planes, only electric
iceboxes and razor blades." He was wrong.
Americans performed a miracle of production. In 1942 alone, American workers produced more than 48,000 planes and shipped
more than 8 million tons of goods.
As production of war materials grew,
consumer goods became scarcer. The government imposed rationing, or limitations
on the amounts of certain goods that people
could buy. Americans used ration coupons
to purchase coffee, sugar, meat, gasoline,
and many other goods. When people ran out
of coupons, they could not buy the items
until new coupons were issued.
To combat food shortages, many
Americans planted victory gardens. At the
height of the war, more than 20 million victory gardens produced 40
percent of all vegetables grown in the country.
To pay for the war, the government raised taxes. It also borrowed
money from millions of American citizens by selling war bonds. Movie
stars took part in drives to sell bonds and boost patriotic spirit.
The war quickly ended the Great Depression. Unemployment fell
as millions of jobs opened up in factories. Minority workers found
jobs where they had been rejected in the past.
Women in the Wartime Economy
"If you can drive a car, you can run a machine." Newspapers and
magazines echoed this call to American women to work for victory.
"Why do we need women workers?" asked a radio announcer. "You
can't build ships, planes, and guns without them."
Women responded to the urgent demand for their labor. Almost
five million women entered the work force. They replaced the men
Who joined the armed services. Many women worked in offices.
Millions more kept the nation's factories operating around the clock.
Some welded, ran huge cranes, and tended blast furnaces . Others
became bus drivers, police officers, and gas station attendants. The
image of Rosie the Riveter, a fictional factory worker, became a
symbol of American women's contribution to the war effort.
Rosie the
Riveter
Rosie the
Riveter became one of the most familiar
images of World War II, In this
magazine cover by popular artist
Norman Rockwell, Rosie treads
on a book written by Adolf Hitler.
Applying Information How
does this image reflect what you
have read about women's contributions to the war effort?
Chapter 27
Section 3
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4
Because women were badly needed in industry, they were able to
win better pay and working condition . The government agreed that
women and men should ge the same pay for the same job. Mauy
employer , however, found ways to avoid equal pay.
The war changed fashi ns for wom n. Ins ead of wearing kirts
on the job, many women d.r ssed in trousers. They wore overalls and
1ied scarves around their hair. More important, war work gave mally
women a new sen e of confidence. On form er welder recalled:
" I will never regret my two years or more in the shipyards. It gave me a good start in life .... I decided that if
I could learn to weld like a man, I could do anything it
took to make a living. "
-Nova Lee McGhee Holbrook, quoted in A Mouthful of Rivets (Wise)
African Americans at War
Relocation
of
Japanese
Americans L..-_--.,;::....-_ _-l
Here, American troops oversee the
movement of Japanese American
families on the West Coast to
relocation camps. "Herd 'em up,
pack 'em off" was the reaction
of one newspaper columnist.
Identifying Points of View
How do you think the families
shown in this picture felt about
what was happening?
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Chapter 27
When the war began, African Americans rallied to th eu' nation's
cau e, as th y had during World War I . Thi time, however, African
American decided to pur ue a "Double V" campaign-victory over
the enemy abroad and victory over di crimination at home .
Fighting Discrimination at Home As industry geared up for
war, factories replaced "No Help Wanted" signs with "Help Wanted,
White" signs. Such discrimination angered African Americans.
In 1941, A. Philip Randolph, head of the Brotherhood of Sleep ing
Car Porters, called for a protest march on Washington. The government,
he aid, "will never give the egro ju.stice until they see masses-ten,
twenty, fifty thousand Negroes on the White House lawn."
Government officials worried that such a march would feed
Hitler's propaganda machine. After meeting with Randolph, FDR
ordered employers that did business with the government to end
The World War /I Era
discrimination in hiring. As a result, the employment of skilled black
workers doubled during the war.
However, as black employment increased, so did racial tension.
Thousands of Americans-black and white-moved to cities to work
ill industry. Competition for scarce housing led to angry incidents. In
1943, race riots broke out in Detroit, New York, and other cities.
courage Under Fire While FDR acted against discrimination in
hiring, he refused to end segregation of the races in the military.
Nearly a million African Americans enlisted or were drafted. They
had to serve in all-black units commanded by white officers.
African Americans served heroically in all branches of the armed
forces. One of the earliest heroes of the war was Dorie Miller, an
African American sailor serving on the battleship West Virginia.
During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Miller dragged his wounded captain to safety. Then, though he had no training as a gunner, Miller
rnanI)ed a machine gun to defend his ship against enemy planes. For
heroism in action, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross.
In the army, African American soldiers formed artillery and tank
units. African Americans in the navy served as gunners' mates and
helped build bases in the Pacific. African American marines helped
defend American posts against Japanese attacks. The Tuskegee
Airmen were African American fighter pilots who trained at
Tuskegee, Alabama. By the end of the war, the Tuskegee airmen had
destroyed or damaged about 400 enemy aircraft.
The contributions of African Americans to the war effort
increased their determination to win justice at home. After the war,
black veterans would be at the forefront of a renewed campaign for
civil rights.
A Calamity for Japanese Americans
The war brought suffering to many Japanese Americans. Most lived
on the West Coast or in Hawaii. Many of those on the West Coast
were successful farmers and business people. For years, they had
faced prejudice, in part because of their success.
Forced Relocation After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many people
on the West Coast questioned the loyalty of Japanese Americans.
Japanese Americans, they said, might act as spies and help Japan
invade the United States. No evidence of disloyalty existed. Yet,
President Roosevelt signed an order allowing the army to move
Japanese Americans from their homes to "relocation camps." Many
Were American citizens by birth.
About 110,000 Japanese Americans were forced to sell their
homes, farms, or businesses at great loss. "We didn't know where we
Were going," recalled Peter Ota, who was 15 at the time. "We didn't
know what to take. A toothbrush, toilet supplies, some clothes. Only
What you could carry." In the camps, Japanese Americans lived in
crowded barracks behind barbed wire.
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., had a
history-making career. During
World War II, he organized and
took command of the Tuskegee
Airmen. Davis flew 60 combat missions but rarely took credit for any
victory. "The mission was always
the dominating factor," he said. "It
was a life and death operation, and
it was importantto our nation."
After the war, Davis helped end
segregation in the Air Force. He
flew combat again in the Korean
War, and in 1959 he became the
first African American to be
awarded the rank of Major General.
What attitude did Davis have
toward duty?
In t he Service Despite unfair txeatrnent, thousands of Japanese
AInerican men served in the armed force. Most were put in segregated units and sent to fight in Europe. There, they won many honors
Chapter 27
Section 3
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787
for bravery. The 442nd Nisei Regimental Combat Team became th
most highly decorated military unit in United States history.
e
Years latel', in 1988 Congres apologized to J panese American
who llad been driv n from th ir hom s in World Wal' n. Congtes
also approved compen 'ation, or repaym 'Dt for 10 e, in the arnOUtl~
of $20,000 to every ul'vivol' of the camps.
Other Groups Face Problems
Anil
YOU
liAD
*
Japanese Americans were not the only group to fa e wartime restric_
tions. About 11,000 G rman Americans and several hundred Italian
Americans wer also held in government camps as " nemy aliens."
Other German American and Italian Americans faced urfews or
travel resn-ictions.
A growing Mexican American population al 0 faced problems.
Because of the need for workers, the United State signed a trea ty
with Mexico in 1942, It allowed the recruitment of M xican laborer
to work in th United States. Under this bracero program, many
Mexicans moved north to work on farms and railroad .
In June 1943, a group of sailors on leave attacked some young
Mexican Americans, beating them on the streets. The incident led to
several days of rioting in Los Angeles. Newspapers blamed the violence on the Mexican Americans. But in her newspaper column,
Eleanor Roosevelt argued that the riots were the result
of "longstanding discrimination against the Mexicans in the
Southwest."
Still, like other groups, Mexican Americans served bravely in the
military during World War n. Despite lingering problems at home,
Americans were united in their resolve to push on to victory in
Europe and the Pacific.
S~c~ion 3 Assessment
Recall
1. Identify Explain the significance of (al War Production
Board, (bl Rosie the Riveter,
(cl "Double V" campaign,
(dl A. Philip Randolph,
(elTuskegee Airmen.
2. Define (al rationing, (bl victory
garden, (cl compensation,
(dl bracero program.
Comprehension
3. Describe two economic policies that helped the American
war effort.
4. What gains did African
Americans make at home as a
result of the war?
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Chapter 27
5. How did the war affect
Japanese Americans on the
West Coast?
Critical Thinking and Writing
6. Exploring the Main Idea
Review the Main Idea statement at the beginning of this
section. Then, write a letter
from an American to a relative
fighting overseas explaining
why you are willing to make
sacrifices for the war effort.
7. Supporting a Point of View
Do you think the government
is ever justified in suspending
citizens' rights during wartime?
Write a paragraph explaining
your reasons.
The World War /I Era
---
T
Designing a Poster
With a partner, design a
poster to encourage young
Americans to serve in
World War II. Your poster
may focus on either military or nonmilitary service.
Connecting With ... ~~......~.....
A WARTIME Economy
With the outbreak of World War ", the nation geared its
economy to one goal: victory. The home front was alive
with patriotic enthusiasm. Everyone, young and old,
was expected to do his or her part.
During the war,
the government rationed essential
items such as sugar, gasoline,
coffee, meat, and even ketchup.
Citizens were given ration books
to keep track of the "points"
allotted to each family.
CAN BE MADE INTO ...
r-------------~-------
You are a young person during
World War II. Working in a small
group, make a list of things that
you and your friends could do at
home and in the community to
help win the war.
30,000 razor blades
30 lipstick tubes
2,300 pairs of nylons
50 machine guns (.30 caliber)
1 pound of fat
2,500 tons of tin and
190,000 tons of steel
t pound of gunpowder
20 ammunition cartridges
1 parachute
5,000 tanks
Children wentto the streets
to collect scrap metal, paper,
rubber-anything that could
be recycled to help win the
war. At left, members of New
York's Tin Can Club Number One
wash their day's haul. The chart
(above) shows how some everyday products were turned into
needed war materials.
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