America’s home front during World War II

By,

Keith McNally

The American Home Front

• America Mobilizes for war

• Industrial Production Increases

• Women’s involvement in the war

• Communities Boom due to war

• Problems with Children resulting from war

• How American Life was altered

America Mobilizes for the War

• The government increases in size• In 1939 the number of civilian employees

grew to 900,000• In 1945 the number of employees grew to

4,000,000• Federal spending grew from one billion

dollars a year to 98 billion dollars a year in 1945

Industrial Mobilization and Defense Production

• The G.N.P. (Gross National Product) grew to 215 billion dollars by 1945

• The G.N.P. is how much money a country has by selling things

• Defense production increases to include 6 million tons of bombs, 2.4 million trucks, and 300,000 airplanes

Women’s War Involvement

• In 1943 17 million women worked paying jobs

• Women worked the same jobs as men but received less pay

• Working women changed society’s views of “women’s work”

• Women took men’s jobs while they were fighting(Rosie the Riveter)

• “the price of meat” women working as prostitutes during the war (especially Hawaii)

Community Grows Due to War

• Community’s received help from the Community Facilities(Lanham) Act

• The act provided federal funds for children

• Examples are recreation, day care, clinics, or anything that showed a “war-related need”

Problems Involving Children

• There is a shortage of schools and teachers

• There was a growing fear of crime and delinquency in children

• Street gangs started to appear

• “Victory Girls”- young girls who felt the need to have intercourse with soldiers for “patriotic reasons”

Impact on American Life

• The economy recovered

• The number of government social programs increased

• “The G.I. Bill”- gave veterans college tuition money, health care, and home mortgages

The End

Works Citied • Civic Centre, Dagenham. On the Home Front, Heritage and History Publications, Barking and Dagenham. 01 Dec.

2004 http://www.barking-dagenham.co.uk/4-libraries/publications/her-bk-on-home-front.html#skip.

• Delaware, State of. "Officers and men of U-858 line up on dock in Lewes, May 1945." 27 May. 2004. Officers and men of U-858 line up on dock in Lewes, May 1945. 02 Dec. 2004 <http://www.state.de.us/sos/dpa/exhibits/photograph/wwii/847p.shtml>.

• Fairbanks, PhD,, Jefferson. 01 Dec. 2004 <http://www.avardfairbanks.com/secular_works/warmemorials/warmemorials_riveters.jpg>.

• Freeman , Julie D. . "World War II Homefront." 25 Feb. 2002. World War II Homefront. 01 Dec. 2004 <http://employees.oneonta.edu/richards/145-webpage/145-16/>.

• Institution, Smithsonianin . "Produce for Victory." Museum On Main Street; Produce for Victory Program Resources. Smithsonianin Institution. 01 Dec. 2004 <http://www.museumonmainstreet.org/exhibs_produce/produce_resources.htm>.

• "Virtual Stamp Club." 01 Dec. 2004. Virtual Stamp Club. 03 Dec. 2004 <http://www.virtualstampclub.com/century5.html>.

• "World War II ." World War II . 02 Dec. 2004

<http://www.unc.edu/courses/2000fall/hist022-002/worldwarii.html>.