- Vidéo: WWII Part 2: the Homefront
WWI Strengthened the federal government of the USA:
- Federal agencies during WWII
- Massive rationing of food and supplies
- Propaganda to support the war effort and against the Axis (Wikipedia ; ‘Der Furher’s face’ – Disney; Loony Tunes turns animation into wartime propaganda – ‘The Ducktators’ – 1942; ‘Casablanca’ a classic of WWII propaganda – The conversation)
The war kicked the American economy into overdrive (transition to wartime production):
- By 1944 American factories were producing an airplane every 5 minutes, a Liberator -bomber- evry 55 minutes (video), a ship everyday (« Liberty ships »; video)
- The Government spending spurred development of some states and areas (Los Angeles)
Social changes in factories:
- Organized labor (Unions) grew (video)
- Many of the workers were women (Rosie the riveter) but they had to let go their jobs after war (mostly high paying industrial jobs)
- The US Bill of rights (video) to avoid unemployment for returning soldiers.
The American ideology promoted diversity, tolerance and equality but the situation of the minorities was not that good in the USA during WWII. But some evolutions appeared…
- A ship of Jewish refugees, the St Louis, was refused US landing in 1939 (website: History)
- The Detroit race riots (june 20-22; 1943) killed 25 African Americans and 9 whites (article; Times website)
- The zoot suit riots in Los Angeles in June 1943 (History video)
- 25000 native Americans fought in WWII (General Douglas Mc Arthur meeting native troops on 31 December 1943 Wikipedia)
- Asian American women played a part in America’s war effort (History website)
- the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII (website Archive.gov)
- African Americans double V campaign (https://blackhistoryintwominutes.com/the-double-v-campaign-of-world-war-ii/) and the history of black soldiers (video= https://blackhistoryintwominutes.com/2021/10/the-history-of-the-black-soldier/)
