American life was drastically impacted by World War II, and in this essay I will discuss how the war affected American civilian life on the home front.
On December 7, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan, and subsequently caused the rest of the Axis powers to declare war on them, engaging America in World War II. This led to massive change in the American lifestyle, as industry began maximizing production to supply the military with war supplies. As a result, the gap in American employment that was created by the Great Depression was quickly filled, in a race to occupy the large amount of new jobs which sprung up. Along with this, the need to get workers to meet the rate of production needed to win the war led the government to “increase
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Even though in the past, gender roles had restricted women from entering specific industries, the “demand for workers led to a dramatic rise in women’s employment, from fourteen million working women in 1940 to nineteen million by 1945” (Divine, pg. 896). The industry which saw the biggest increase in female workers was the aviation industry. “More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, representing 65 percent of the industry’s total workforce” (American Women in World War II, Paragraph 4). Not all American social groups benefited from the economic boom in the same way. For example, even though African Americans and Mexican Americans did have some economic gains, they still suffered from racial discrimination in the workplace.
World War II did not only have positive impacts on the American lifestyle, however. The biggest group to suffer from the war was the Japanese Americans. Due to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and their racial origin caused Americans to fear these citizens. In response to these fears, President Roosevelt “gave the army power, without warrants or hearings, to arrest every person of Japanese descent on the West Coast” (Scott, Lecture 5). As a result of this, 120,000 Japanese Americans, ¾ of which were Nisei (born in the U.S.), were forced into concentration camps all along
In September of 1939, a global war had begun when Hitler led the German forces to invade Poland. The American president was reluctant on entering the war because he was building allies in the western hemisphere and was focused on making life better on the home front. Tragedy struck America on the morning of December 7, 1941 when the Japanese conducted a surprise aerial attack against the United States naval base at pearl harbor. The lethal and deadly force of the attack spurred President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to realize it was time to enter the war. As American troops were being sent off to war citizens' lives on the home front changed dramatically. The soldiers were being taken care of before the people and did not experience the
Overall, what were the consequences of WWII for the United States? How was the U.S. changed by the war?
Everyone in the United States was affected by World War II. The war meant sacrifice for everyone due to government rationing; however for others the sacrifice was far greater, it was the loss of freedom, a limb or loved one. The loss of freedom was not limited to those individuals that were captured and held as a POW in a foreign land, it also applies to the often overlooked Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps in what was now their homeland, the United States. Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor Japanese Americans struggled for freedom in the United States. They were discriminated against by not being allowed to own land or become citizens; they struggled for legal justice. In Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s memoir Farewell
During World War II the United States began to manufacture war materials to support its allies through lucrative government defense contracts as automobile factories like Ford and General Motors put aside their usual business operations and began to produce tanks and airplanes, shipyards too expanded their operations . The demand for war equipment naturally increased the demand for labor and as a result helped pull the American economy out of the grips of the Great Depression. Then as the unthinkable happened, on December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, which drew many young American men into the battlefield.
World War II was the last total war in American history, meaning that it was the last war in which the United States mobilized all of its resources, civilian and military towards winning a war. Because of this, World War II affected civilians on the homefront more than any since. It is a worthy endeavor to analyze the primary documents from civilians of the time to get a better understanding of their perspective.
There is a fine line between what American society looked like during World War II and contemporary America. The dilemma is that society has gone from patriotism and a fight for liberty to “everyone walking around with a chip on his or her shoulder” (Carr 2). This two distinct differences on America culture and society is manifested in, Howie Carr’s “Take $2000 and Call Me in the Morning” and Ronald Reagan’s speech, “The Boys of Point du Hoc”.
After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese that propelled the U.S. into World War II, paranoia causes President Roosevelt to sign an executive order forcing all people of Japanese ancestry; including those born in the U.S. to be moved to concentration camps. Even in the towns where the camps were located, stores would post signs saying “No Japs Allowed”.
The American home front during World War II is recalled warmly in popular memory and cultural myth as a time of unprecedented national unity, years in which Americans stuck together in common cause. World War II brought many new ideas and changes to American life. Even though World War II brought no physical destruction to the United States mainland, it did affect American society. Every aspect of American life was altered by U.S. involvement in the war including demographics, the labor force, economics and cultural trends.
Following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, racial tensions increased in the United States, especially on the West Coast (Divine 898). The anti-Japanese sentiment led to President Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, which gave military officials the power to limit the civil rights of Japanese Americans (Danzer 802). The order also authorized the forced relocation of all Japanese Americans to concentration camps (Divine 898). These camps were located in desolate deserts and flatlands in the interior of the United States (Sato 67). Two thirds of the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forced to relocate were “Nisei”, or native born American citizens (Divine 898).
From 1939 through 1941 millions were faced with the violence and devastation of World War II. Life on the Homefront in the United States and Great Britain was difficult and overwhelming.World War II was one of the most bloody battles in history, and most of whom were civilians.In this paper, we will explore what life is like for people during a terrifying war.
Roosevelt involved businessmen into war by organizing their efforts to mobilize economy and enhance productive capacity. Surprisingly, by 1942, American production was equal to the combined production of Japan, Italy and Germany which ended depression.
World War II (WWII) had an immense effect on the United States; culturally, economically, and industrially. Although no battles were fought on American soil, the war affected all phases of American life. Among the infinite of changes experienced by Americans during this time, there was a big shift in the industrial complex, a re-imagining of the role of women in society, and economic boost. Social shifts began to shape a new national identity which would change the country forever.
WWII: was it destiny, devastation, or a devious mind? WWII had a big effect on the United States population. If we would not have had WWII, our un-employment rate would be higher. Without WWII, the culture in the United States would be less diverse than it is today. In conclusion the world as we know today would not be the same if WWII had not occurred; it played a major role in the changing of population, economy, and culture in the United States.
When war broke out, there was no way the world could possibly know the severity it would have taken on the people of the world. Fortunately one country saw and understood that Germany and its allies would have to be stopped. America’s Involvement in World War II not only contributed in the downfall of the insane Adolph Hitler and his Third Reich, but also came at the best time and moment. If the United States entered the war any earlier the consequences would probably have been worse.
One of the most important wars ever fought was World War II. In the midst, the Nazis