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World War II: The Impact at Home

The quick fall of France to the German army in 1940 shook the support of the American people. Suddenly, Great Britain alone stood between Nazi Germany and the United States. Once the United States was fully committed to the war in December of 1941, patriotism soared in American society. Americans' willingness to carry out blackout and civil defense drills; to recycle metals, paper, and even cooking fats; to work longer hours, but to have fewer consumer goods to buy with their salaries There were political changes as well, as the country began to shift to the right. This lecture examines the domestic side of World War II and the changes that took place in American society during the war.

An Overview of the War's Impact on American Society

Three questions troubled Americans during the war years and immediately afterward:
Big government
The economy
Communism at home and abroad

"Rosie the Riveter"
The wartime economy brought about full employment and, in doing so, achieved what New Deal programs had been unable to do. In 1940, there were 8 million Americans unemployed. By 1941, however, unemployment was almost unheard of. There were actually labor shortages in some industries. As a result, more and more women entered the workforce. Women took up jobs in industry that had once been reserved for men, and "Rosie the Riveter" became a popular American icon. By 1945, women made up 36% of the nation's total workforce.

Sacrifice
The federal government encouraged Americans to conserve and recycle materials such as metal, paper, and rubber, which factories could then use for wartime production. Lots of everyday household trash had value: kitchen fats, old metal shovels, even empty metal lipstick tubes.

War Bonds provided a crucial source of revenue for the war effort. By sponsoring public stunts such as celebrity...