Mobilizing for Victory
· During World War II, 10 million men were drafted, and another 6 million men and women enlisted.
· The government controlled the economy as it did during World War I.
Examples:
- the government set prices and rationed scarce goods
- the War Production Board helped factories to produce war goods
· The wartime demand for goods ended the Great Depression and unemployment fell.
· Consumers faced a shortage of goods due to the war.
Example:
- no new cars were produced after February 1942
· There was an urgent need for women to enter the workforce to help with the war effort and to keep the nation’s economy going.
· Over 6 million women entered the workforce, replacing men that joined the military.
· “Rosie the Riveter” symbolized the millions of women that worked in factories producing planes, tanks, ships, and other war goods.
· Women enjoyed a newfound confidence in their ability and right to work outside of the home and many began to earn salaries equal to men.
Relocation of Japanese Americans
· After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans questioned the loyalty of Japanese Americans, fearing they may act as spies or help Japan invade the U.S.
· The Wartime Relocation Agency (WRA) took the following actions against approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans:
- they were forced to sell their homes and businesses
- they were relocated to inland camps, living in crowded barracks behind barbed wire
- they were released in 1944, after victory against the Japanese seemed imminent
