October 4, 2010How did Americans mobilize for war?–Place Essays in the bin–Americans Mobilize worksheet in groups

–Each group presents their answers

Homework: Chapter 25 Section 2

Possible Essay Question:

Describe some of the hardships faced by ordinary Americans during WWII. Include soldiers, women, and minorities.

Selective Service System

Eager Americans rushed to be recruited5 million volunteers not enough for the war

Selective Service System (cont’d)Selective Service system expanded draft to provide another 10 million 8 weeks basic training

Women

Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) – women serve in noncombat positionsWomen had status and salary but few benefitsAuxiliary eventually dropped and given full benefitsNurses, ambulance drivers, radio operators, electricians, and pilots

Women (cont’d)

Not enough workers to fill the demand so 6 million women started working in factoriesEarned 60% of what they would pay men

MinoritiesSegregation had them wondering whether or not they should fightMexican Americans1 million African Americans – lived and worked in segregated units and worked noncombat positions

Minorities (cont’d)

Asian Americans served as spies (Japanese Americans) and interpreters Native Americans used their language for communication between the ranks2 million hired to fill factory jobs

Manufacturers

Car production halted to make tanks, planes, boats, and command carsFactories reverted to war productionMechanical pencils to bombsShipyards building massive ships within 4 days

A. Phillip Randolph

President and founder of Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters African American labor leaderSet up a march on the capital demanding the right to work and fight for America

A. Philip Randolph (cont’d)

Roosevelt called him to the White House and asked him to back downRandolph said that there would be 100,000 to march (more than Washington D.C. could hold)Roosevelt backed down and issued executive order calling employers and defense industries to not discriminate

Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD)

Created to bring scientists into the war effortSpurred improvements in radar and sonarEncouraged use of pesticides to fight insectsPushed development of miracle drugs like penicillin

OSRD (cont’d)

Secret development of a new weapon, the atomic bombGerman scientists succeeded in splitting uranium atoms releasing huge amounts of energyEinstein warned Roosevelt that the Germans could use this as a weapon

OSRD (cont’d)

Roosevelt created Advisory Committee on Uranium who said it would take 3-5 years to create a bombOSRD set up intensive program at Columbia University in Manhattan to shorten this timeBecame known as the Manhattan Project

Entertainment Industry

Hollywood started making war-oriented moviesPropaganda movies that sturred hatred of the Nazi’s and Hitler As war dragged on, people tired of the war themesHollywood responded with musicals, romances, and other escapists films

Office of Price Administration

Fought inflation by freezing wages, prices, and rentsRaised income tax rates and extended the tax to millionsEncouraged Americans to buy war bonds

War Production Board (WPB)

Rationed fuel and materials vital to the war effort, such as gas, heating oil, metals, rubber, and plasticsConverted peacetime companies to wartime productionHeld drives to collect scrap iron, tin cans, paper, rags, and cooking fat for recycling for war effortChildren participated in the scour for scrap

RationingEstablished fixed allotments of goods essential for the militaryHouseholds received ration books with coupons to be used for meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, and gasMost accepted it as personal contribution to the war effortWorkers carpooled or rode bicyclesSome hoarded scarce goods or purchased them through the “black market” at inflated prices