Transcript Rosie the Riveter

The War at Home
Ch. 17-1
Objective: To
examine the U.S.
mobilization for war
Selective Service Act
• During World War II, 10 million men were
drafted, and another 6 million men and women
enlisted.
– 12% of U.S. population served in WWII.
– More than 15 million men and 350,000 women served
in U.S. armed forces
– 18 % of U.S. families had a family member enlisted
• Most Americans felt the draft was operated
fairly, giving deferments (exceptions) to some
college students, 2 million agricultural workers, &
physically or mentally unable to serve
Selective Service Act
• Signed Sept. 14, 1940 – it is the first
peacetime draft
– Men, ages 21-35, were required to register at
local draft boards
– Later ages 18-45 were eligible for service
There was still discrimination in
the military…
• Served in separate military units:
– African Americans
– Japanese Americans
• Served in “white units”:
– Hispanics
– Native Americans
– Chinese Americans
– Italian Americans
* Racial prejudices and tensions often
decreased as men served with men unlike
themselves.
Government Controls the Economy
Agency/ Law
What the regulations did
Office of Price
Administration (OPA)
-fought inflation by freezing wages, prices and rents
-rationed foods: meat, butter, cheese, vegetables,
sugar, coffee
National War Labor Board
(NWLB)
-limited wage increases
-allowed negotiated workers benefits
-kept unions stable
War Production Board
-rationed: fuel, heating oil, metals, rubber and plastics
Department of the
Treasury
-issued war bonds to raise $ for war effort
Revenue Act of 1942
-raised wealthy American’s income tax rate
-added lower/ middle income taxes
Smith-Connally AntiStrike Act (1943)
-limited workers rights to strike during war
-president had power to control striking plants
Rationing
Rationing: Consumers were only allowed to purchase a
fixed amount of particular goods.
•The OPA issues rationing coupons;
•Consumers faced shortages as a result of the war;
• Ex. gas, sugar, butter, meat
• No new cars were produced after 1942.
Rationing Coupons
for sugar.
Propaganda
• Propaganda – A biased communication
designed to persuade an audience to think
or behave in a certain way.
– Propaganda is used for a variety of reasons
throughout WWII.
Propaganda is used to encourage rationing…
Paying for the War
Propaganda is used to encourage people to buy
war bonds to pay for the war.
Paying for the War
Propaganda was used for many reasons…
The wartime demand for goods ended the Great Depression
and unemployment fell.
Analyzing Propaganda
Propaganda often relies on the
use of stereotypes;
“The Ducktators”
1)Describe how Hitler, Mussolini
and Tojo are depicted. What
stereotypes are used?
2) What is the purpose of the
sign, “We wish to apologize to the
nice ducks or geese. . .”? Why
was this included?
1)What is the purpose of the
cartoon? What should Americans
do?
Analyzing Propaganda
Propaganda was
also directed at
U.S. troops.
For each cartoon:
1)Describe the scenario – the setting and the premise of the
cartoon;
2)What message is the cartoon is sending to U.S. troops?
How should they change their behavior?
New Roles for Women
Urgent need for women to
enter the workforce:
1) Aid in the war effort
2) keep the nation’s economy
going.
· Over 6 million women
entered the workforce,
replacing men that joined the
military and filling the need
for factory workers
- Total women in the
workforce rose to 35%.
←1942: a woman grinds the points on drills,
and the drills will be used in the war effort.
Rosie the Riveter: Symbolized
the millions of women that
worked in factories producing
planes, tanks, ships, and other
war goods.
- 1/3 of women worked in
defense plants; more challenging
& better pay.
- Women enjoyed a newfound
confidence in their ability to
support their families by working
outside of the home and many
began to earn salaries equal to
men.
We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter
Artist: J. Howard Miller
“Rosie the Riveter”
Lyrics by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb, 1942
All the day long,
Whether rain or shine,
She's a part of the assembly
line.
She's making history,
Working for victory,
Rosie the Riveter.
Keeps a sharp lookout for
sabotage,
Sitting up there on the
fuselage.
That little girl will do more
than a male will do.
Rosie's got a boyfriend,
Charlie.
Charlie, he's a Marine.
Rosie is protecting Charlie,
Working overtime on the
riveting machine.
When they gave her a
production "E,"
She was as proud as she could
be.
There's something true about,
Red, white, and blue about,
Rosie the Riveter.
“Rosie the Riveter” Song Analysis-
1. What message does this song send to
American women during WWII?
2. What message does this song send to
American men during WWII?
3. By writing a song about working women
of the war, what is the ultimate point the
song is making?
Other Economic Gains
• As the defense industry boomed,
unemployment fell to 1.2% by 1944;
– Paychecks rose and people began to save for
the future
• The 1940s were also good to farmers
– War increased demand for farm products,
which increased prices
– Good weather
– Better technology
– Farm income tripled; farmers pay off debt 
Discrimination & Reaction
• Minorities make economic gains during
WWII
– New jobs available – skilled/semi-skilled
– Unemployment decreases
– Many serve in the military
• Discrimination persists
– Race riots in Detroit (1943)
– “Zoot Suit” riots in LA (1943)
– Japanese Internment
Zoot Suits
The zoot suit was a style of dress adopted by many Mexican
American youths as a symbol of their rebellion against
tradition”