The American Home Front

Chapters 26-27 American History Text

US Declares War and Mobilizes

December 8, 1941- FDR declares war on Japan December 11, 1941- Germany and Italy declare war on the US Government agencies were created to focus the nations war effort
Oversight was provided for factories, farms, and mines

Rationing began in earnest

Heating oil, shoes, meat, sugar, coffee, gasoline, rubber

US Declares War and Mobilizes

Full employment replaced unemployment 1942- US production equaled that of the Axis Powers combined 1944- US production doubled that of the Axis Powers combined
250,000 planes, 100,000 armored cars, 75,000 tanks, 650,000 pieces of artillery, and millions of tons of bombs, shells, and bullets

Women in the Armed Forces

Women served in all US services
Similar to WWI only with greater impact To free men from stateside service

WACS- Womens Army Corps WAVES- Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services (Navy) SPARS- Semper Paratus- Always Ready (Coast Guard) WASPS- Womens Air Service Pilots

Women on the Home Front

Women were urged to join the American workforce through government propaganda
Rosie the Riveter

Millions of women responded African American women benefitted as well by getting better paying jobs than they previously held Contrary to the plight of women after WWI, women maintained their position in the workforce after WWII and made great strides towards equality with men in the workplace

Blacks in the Armed Services

Around one million African Americans served in the war (under segregation) Blacks were allowed to join the Marine Corps Blacks were allowed to become officers Blacks were allowed to fly planes in combat Navy allowed blacks to serve as sailors instead of just kitchen help

Blacks in the Armed Services

Black engineers built the Ledo Road in the jungles of Burma after the Japanese had captured the Burma Road

Blacks in the Armed Services

Dr. Charles Drew developed a blood bank for collecting and storing blood during the war

Distinguished Service
Tuskegee Airmen (332nd Fighter Group)
Served with distinction in North Africa and Italy Under the command of Benjamin O Davis, Jr.

Distinguished Service
Benjamin O Davis, Sr.
First African American to achieve the rank of general in the US Army

Distinguished Service
Dorie Miller- mess assistant on the USS West Virginia during the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor
Manned an anti-aircraft gun to defend the ship

Segregation and the War

Just as in WWI, Blacks were still segregated within all service areas President Harry S. Truman appointed a national committee to recommend racial equality in the armed services 1949- the army, navy, and air force abolished racial segregation 1950-53- (Korean War) white and black servicemen fought side-by-side

Blacks on the Home Front

1941- A. Philip Randolph organized a march on Washington, D.C. to protest against racial discrimination in wartime hiring

Blacks on the Home Front

FDR issued Executive Order 8802 before the march occurred Outlawed any discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, or national origin in the federal government or in defense factories Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) was created to oversee that this order was carried out

Blacks on the Home Front

Many African Americans emigrated from the South into other parts of the country during WWII
1950- half of all African Americans lived somewhere other than the South

Many African Americans moved into the larger cities of the country looking for factory work
Resulted in several major racial riots among blacks and whites

Japanese Americans on the Home Front

Japanese Americans were blamed for aiding in the invasion of Pearl Harbor Previous discrimination became worse after Pearl Harbor FDR gave in to pressure from US citizens and government officials to remove the Japanese Americans from the West Coast 1942- 110,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and sent to concentration camps 1200 Japanese men from these camps volunteered to serve in the armed forces

Distinguished Service

442nd Regimental Combat Team

Fought heroically in Italy

Raising Money for the War Effort

1941 to 1945- US government spent $321 billion
Twice as much as had been spent from 1789 to 1941

Highest taxes in American history

94% for the highest incomes Brought in 41% of the cost of the war

US government borrowed from banks, corporations, and individuals War Bonds (loans to the government)
$100 billion worth were sold to US citizens

Prosperity Returns to America

1942- wages and prices were frozen by the US government to fight inflation No real impact upon the US economy as
Cost of living rose 29% Factory wages increased 50% Farmers were earning more money than ever

The Great Depression seemed a distant memory