Life on the Home Front

Industry

• Industry had to change in order to prepare for war

• Factories stopped their normal production and made supplies for war– Tanks instead of cars– Chart on p. 614-615– Ford produced nearly 1/3 of all military supplies

Minorities in the Workplace • Women

• Single, young, traditional jobs– Rosie the Riveter• Four Vagabonds• Campaign to hire women

– Joined the military• Women’s Army Auxiliary corps

• African- Americans– Army still segregated• Fought for a “Double V”• Tuskegee Airmen

– Fair Employment Practices Commission

Daily Life in Wartime America• Wage and Price Control – OES regulated farm prices– OPA regulated all other prices

• Kept inflation under control• Rationing– Limiting availability – Coupon books (blue points & red points)

• Victory Gardens– Produce more food for the war

• Scrap Drives– Pots, pans, tires, bacon grease

• E bonds– 300 billion spent/Raised taxes – $18.75 ten years later $25.00

A Nation on the Move• 15 million Americans moved – Southern California and Deep South• Sunbelt

– Housing crisis – Racism • Belle Isle

• Zoot Suit Riots– Baggy, pleated pants, wide brimmed hat, long key

chain– Appeared “unpatriotic” – Southern California/Mexican American teenagers – LA banned the suit

Japanese American Relocation • Hostility after Pearl Harbor– Spies– Racist paranoia – February 19, 1942 Executive Order 9066• Allowed the War Dept. to declare any part of the U.S. a

military zone and remove anybody they wanted

• 120, 000 Japanese Rounded up – 77, 000 WERE American citizens– 10 major camps in 9 states– Poor living conditions• Rationed food, communal facilities, cheap housing, constantly

guarded

Amache (Granada), CO Opened: August 24, 1942.Closed: October 15, 1945.Peak population: 7,318.Gila River, AZOpened July 20, 1942. Closed November 10, 1945.Peak Population 13,348.

Heart Mountain, WYOpened August 12, 1942.Closed November 10, 1945.Peak population 10,767.

Jerome, AR - Opened October 6, 1942. Closed June 30, 1944. Peak population 8,497

Manzanar, CA - Opened March 21, 1942. Closed November 21, 1945. Peak population 10,046.

Minidoka, ID - Opened August 10, 1942. Closed October 28, 1945. Peak population 9,397

Poston, AZ - Opened May 8, 1942. Closed November 28, 1945. Peak population 17,814

Rohwer, AR - Opened September 18, 1942. Closed November 30, 1945. Peak population 8,475

Topaz, UT - Opened September 11, 1942. Closed October 31, 1945. Peak population 8,130

Tule Lake, CA - Opened May 27, 1942. Closed March 20, 1946. Peak population 18,789

Legality??

• 2 days to evacuate• Loyalty questioned– Whether they would be willing to be drafted to fight

in the war or volunteer as a nurse– Whether they would swear to obey all laws of the

U.S. and not interfere with the war effort • Korematsu v. United States (1944)

“…not based on race, but on military urgency.”– Overturned in early 80s

• Japanese American Citizens League– Regan apologized, $20,000 to survivors

Assignment• Create a political cartoon about a topic from this

section. Choose from the changing workplace, racial tensions, or daily life.

• Your point MUST be made clear.• Write a brief description on the back explaining

your cartoon.• Color it!• Worth 15 points/ Due tomorrow