Impact Of Ww2 On American Culture

The severity of World War II directly impacted the future of American women by forcing them into positions of importance - a stark contrast to their traditional role as simple housewives. Without the jolting force of World War II shoving women into the somewhat uncomfortable position as the backbone of the nation’s labor force, traditions would have been perpetuated for decades longer. Because their wartime acts gave women nationwide a sense of self-confidence, they pushed for more rights in the proceeding decades with the rise of second-wave

The lifestyles of United States citizens began to change during World War II due to citizens beginning to have gender opinions and how women’s role changing because of some women being involved in the World War. World War II began in 1939 due to the invasion of Poland by Adolf Hitler. World War II caused many countries to get involved such as Germany, Japan, Italy, United States, and United Kingdom. The World War lasted from 1939-1945 or six years, however the effects after the end of the war relate to the citizens of the United States when discussing sexual movement, women’s right, gay liberation, and marriage equality. The sexual movement was a revolution that involved all genders to question the existing gender behaviors. For example, the

Alliances and treaties turned international incidents into world wars. The majority of both wars were fought on European and Asian soil, along with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The wars had a huge effect on the United States; on the economy and its society. Most of the physical damage took place overseas, but both World War I and II had lasting effects on the United States and its people. World War II had a greater impact on the United States than World War I, because it brought the United States out of the greatest depression in the country’s history and made the United States a leading world power.

Women in America have faced gender suppression for centuries. From issues such as not being able to vote, to equal wage rights, feminists and suffragettes have fought for their place in society. During World War II, women began to shape the world around them by taking jobs in large numbers, as men had to leave their jobs to enlist. This was supported through one of America’s cultural icons, Rosie the Riveter, who represented a strong, working woman. However, once the men returned at war’s end, women were fired from their jobs. While women were praised for their work, they also changed the workplace itself, helping the United States transition out of an industrial economy. Harsh factories were given a feminine, personal touch, and the women began to break out of their dull housewife lives--until the war ended. Although World War II caused only a temporary rise in women’s employment, women changed company policies and took jobs normally reserved for men, challenging their own role as subservient housewives and permanently improving employment in the businesses that they worked.

World War II was the catalyst that changed the opportunities available to women and eventually the way they were regarded as a viable workforce. Suddenly women throughout the United States were pushing themselves to their limits to support the war effort. Women were fulfilling jobs and responsibilities that many previously believed to be impossible for their gender. Opportunities were opened in steel plants, ammunition factories, and even the United States military. As the war progressed the number of male workers declined dramatically. Society had no choice but to turn to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of our nation for help. The results for each woman varied

Once World War II began, America was in desperate need of workers, so this gave women a food chance to find high-paying jobs. For example, about 350,000 women were able to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. There was an increase of job offers for women ranging from service pilots, military doctors, politicians, factory workers, and participation in the Armed Forces (Yellin 112, 299). “Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home” (“History” 1). If there is one person to thank for the new job opportunities, it is none other than the famous Rosie the Riveter. This well-known fictional woman served not only to promote the changes of fashion during the war, but was also used as a tool for recruiting women to work, especially in the Armed Forces, and it was a success. “In movies, newspapers, posters, photographs, articles, and even a Norman Rockwell-pained Saturday Evening Post cover, the Rosie the Riveter campaign stressed the patriotic need for women to enter the work force—and they did, in huge numbers” (“History” 1). Women began to get involved in organizations women in the earlier years were never imagined to work as such as the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and Women’s Air force Service Pilots (WASP). “More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, representing 65 percent of the industry’s total workforce (compared to just 1 percent in the pre-war years)” (“History” 1). World War II offered women a chance to be more involved in the military and any high-paying occupation that was considered “too manly” before then, because of the wider range of job offers (“History”

World War I — a conflict within Europe— impacted American society unimaginably. The changes that occur have an impact on the individual and their freedom. During the war, freedom became restricted; the effects remained reminiscent and lingered soon after. WWI restricted freedoms that are the foundation of the United States. The United States showed contradictory actions; in which, the freedom of speech is strictly limited. Even groups of individuals— like German Americans— were

From 1940- 1970 there were many significant changes in the lives of women. As seen in past wars including the United States, the roles of men, women and children are affected during times of turmoil. Prior to the U.S.’s potential involvement with World War II, they attempted to stay “neutral”. Despite hopes for neutrality, President Roosevelt called for an increased production of material over a year and a half prior to the attack at Pearl Harbor (Yellin, 3). Both to prepare for war and during the war, women joined the labor force and often worked in factories to replace men who had joined the military and to increase the production of war material. This was a huge shift in which women left their domestic roles of being homemakers and housewives to being major

Between 1914 and 1918, more than a million women joined the workforce to fill the gap left by the men at war. Finding themselves working diversely from nurses and cleaners to police patrols and explosives manufacturing for the war. Yet they still earned only half as much as men working the same jobs men did and were still constricted with what they

World War II had a considerable influence on the United States. It is agreed by many historians that WWII was as surely won on the American homefront as it was on the actual battlefield. In 1939, compared to that of its enemies, American preparation for war was by far lacking. After just four year, The United States became a “military superpower.” According to a comparative study by Richard Overy, about two-thirds of all Allied military equipment produced during the war was provided by American industry. Companies that would normally produce everyday vehicles (such as automobiles) began to manufacture tanks and aircrafts. Although no battles were fought on the mainland, the war still heavily affected all ways of American life. It heavily affected political, economica, and corporate industry.

World War II had an extensive impact of the United States. In spite of all the battles being fought off America mainland, the war affected all aspects of American life back home. World War II may be known as the worst war in history, but a lot of good came out of it. If it was not for World War II many economic changes, social changes, and political changes may have never happened.

As more men entered the armed forces, women needed to replace them. By the war's end, hundreds of thousands of women had entered the workforce, many of them in traditionally masculine occupations such as engineering, munitions, transport, business, and eventually even the military. The war produced a leap in women's employment from twenty-six percent in the workforce in 1914 to thirty-six percent by 1918. One million women worked in munition industries, forty-thousand served as nurses, and twenty-thousand joined the Women's Land Army as agricultural workers (Marwick, 1977). For the young and the middle-class, work outside their homes was indeed a new experience. On the other hand, working-class women were used to paid work, but the type of work was new. Many left low-skill, low-wage jobs, especially in domestic service, for better paying skilled labor in factories and workshops (Kent, 1993).

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus defines the word adapt as a verb and its meaning is “to make suitable or fit (as in for new use or different conditions)” (14). Most people in the United States would say that the ability to adapt is simply a part of the American way of life. Americans have always relied on this trait from the early days of British colonization to present times. It can be demonstrated in all facets of life. Adaptability was the reason the old frontier was populated; people adjusted to the unfamiliar climates, conditions, and lands. Immigrants were able to and continue to be adapt to the American culture and thrive in the United States. Americans adapted to the threat of the enemy during World War II and had to acclimate to a life full of restrictions in their day to day activities. In the military, soldiers must adapt to a new way of thinking to allow themselves to become warriors. Now Americans must adapt to a life lived in view of everyone with the use social media and camera ready cell phones. Throughout the course of American history and into our present times American citizens have depended on their ability to adapt; whether it be mentally, physically, and/or emotionally. It was imperative that citizens were adaptable in the past and it continues to be so today, not only to survive but to prosper.

For example, in metals and manufacturing, the number of female operatives between 1940 and 1950 rose from 175,246 to 331,140 (Blackwelder 145). In 1949, there were twice as many women working in California than there were in 1940 (Striking Women). Through the evaluation of these statistics, many historians came to conclude that the war, for sure, had a “long-term rather than temporary impact on women's place in the labor force" as it shows the rising progress of women’s employment. (Blackwelder 147). The claim is established further by the increase of 5.25 million females in the labor force between 1940 and 1949 (Striking Women). This suggests that World War II, indeed, made a lasting impact on American women in the labor force than argued by historians like Claudia Goldin. It shows that although there was a postwar decline in women’s employment, the war was a “milestone for women in America" (Chafe

With World War II there was an abundant need for soldiers to fight in the war and to go overseas to other countries. Consequently a necessity for employees came about because men were leaving to go fight. Women were then in demand for the jobs to produce resources. As said in an AMH 2020 class, “women would make a lot of the jeeps and tanks needed for the war. Once the war ended, they all got pink slips saying to go home, make cookies and have babies. Some of the women accepted this, while others protested.” The equipment needed for the men in the war effort had to be produced somehow. With the men gone to fight, women took their place producing the necessary war material as well as the daily needs at home. Although, women stood up for America and did their part during the war the prejudice of men being superior was still predominate when the men came back from the war. They took the jobs that the women had which resulted in women protesting and fighting for their right to work which ended up changing most Americans viewpoints for years to come. “As of this date the number of women in the workforce is 48% compared to 1972 where only 38% of the workforce were women.” This shows how the acceptance of women in the workplace has changed as Americans thinking progresses.