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St. Louis As A City Of Economic Prowess During World War II

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St. Louis, Missouri, a city founded upon the dreams and aspirations of mankind, became a city based upon the wartime needs of the United States and Allied Powers during World War II. Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, St. Louis became one of the main industrial regions for the war in the United States, due to “its strategic location, its favorable transportation facilities, and the character and diversification of its industries.” The location of the city allowed direct access to the ocean through the Mississippi, limiting the transportation time required for the war destined commodities and also protected it from any immediate threat of enemy fire. Wartime demands changed St. Louis from an economically distressed city during the Great Depression to a city of economic prowess in the 1940s. Initiating World War II revitalized the city through the introduction of industries, economic stimulation, and social transformations that would impact St. Louis long after the final shots of the war faded away in distant lands. The Second World War had an unprecedented impact on St. Louis economically and socially and ushered in many long lasting changing in the region.
The municipality of St. Louis, before the commencement of wartime preparations, had “been compared to an apple rotting at the core because of the steady loss of population and declining property values in central areas”. St. Louis’ population had been growing at a diminishing rate for much of the 1900s,

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