“it is sooooooo on!” mobilization for world war ii

8/14/2019 It is Sooooooo on! Mobilization for World War II

1/10

It Is SoooooooOn!

Mobilization for World

War IIOn December 8th, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt

asked Congress to declare that a state of war exist[ed]

between the United States and the empire of Japan in

response to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Almost

immediately the country began to mobilize its

families, finances, and factories for the war effort.

Each one of the groups will represent a different family or government agency that has

been impacted by World War II. Your job will be to think about the situation that you

are in now that America is at war, and create either a diary entry (if you are a family)

or a status report/memo (if you are a government agency). You will also create a

poster to share with the class the experiences of various families around the country.

You need to consider the following things: Now that the country is at war, everyone is expected to contribute. What can

YOUR group contribute to the cause, and how will it help?

What are the repercussions of your assistance? Will you anger some people you

know? Will you be hurting yourself/your group by contributing?

What financial sacrifice will you make to support the cause? What could you

gain financially by supporting the cause?

How is the war impacting your family/group in ways beside money?(manpower, emotions, etc.)

Is there anything that you need to make your job easier, or that would allow you

to contribute more? (i.e. What can government do to help?)


2/10

Jackson Family of Five: Farmers and African-Americans

Mr. Jackson: 52 Mrs. Jackson: 48

Children:Robert: 23 William: deceased at 19

Jennifer: 8 Charles: 8Occupation: FarmersLocation: just outside of Tuskegee, AL

The Jackson family originally had two parents, two older sons, and a set younger twins. The

second son, William, joined the US Navy in 1939 and was stationed at Pearl Harbor, USA. He

is now dead, which gives the other brother a reason to hate the Japanese. Robert, the elder

brother, then joined the US Air Force to take revenge for his brother.

The family has a fairly large plot of land and primarily grows cotton, corn, and tomatoes.

Jim Crow has been less in the news, what with the war and all, and you have found less

harassment.


3/10

Perez Family of Eight: Factory Workers and Foreigners

Mr. Ramirez: 84 Mrs. Ramirez: 83

Mr. Perez: 54 Mrs. Perez: 51

Children:Jose: 22 Marietta: 16

Marcos: 10 Suzzana: 6

Occupation: Factory WorkersLocation: Pittsburgh, PA

The Perez family emigrated from Mexico in 1924, during the "Roaring Twenties" to better

themselves financially. During this time they did well, but they were poverty stricken during

the Great Depression. Now, the men in the family have jobs in munitions factories and family

life is once again good. The family includes the parents of the mother (Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez),

parents, and four children. They have family that remains in Mexico, and they go visit them

from time to time (and send money when they can).

Now that the war has started, troops are going to need a lot more stuff. However, that also

means that the borders have tightened a little bit.


4/10

Swanson Family of Four: Dissenters

Mr. Swanson: 62 Mrs. Swanson: 63

Children:Emily: 30 Michael: 24

Occupation:runs radio stationLocation: Galesburg, IL

The Swanson family is a well-off family, which owns the CBS radio affiliate in

Galesburg, Illinois. However, they are pacifists and are against the war. Mr. Swanson

had been a great admirer Charles Lindbergh. This puts them at odds with their son,

who is in the US Air Force, and many other Americans, who believe that people who

are against the war are against freedom, the American way of life, etc. Their daughter

is a reporter in Chicago for the Chicago Tribune and covers many aspects of the war.

Their radio station is heavily dependent on advertisers, and increasingly the

government is using radio stations to beam propaganda.


5/10

Ogawa Family of Five: Japanese Americans

Mrs. Ogawa: 61

Mr. Ogawa: 34 Mrs. Ogawa: 34

Children:Suzuki: 14 Hideki: 9

Occupation: grocery store ownersLocation: San Francisco, CAThe Ogawa family, consisting of three generations (grandparent, parents, children),

emigrated to the United States in 1929. They began a grocery store in downtown San

Francisco, California and were prospering until Dec. 6, 1941, when Japan attacked

Pearl Harbor and forced the US. into war with that nation. Due to the extreme

prejudice of white Americans, this naturalized American family, along with others like

them, was forced from their home and store to a compound called a relocation camp

for Japanese Americans during the war.


6/10

Blech Family of Five: Jews

Mr. Cohen: 51 Mrs. Cohen: 55

Mr. Blech: 41 Mrs. Blech: 39

Children:Emily: 15

Occupation: immigration businessLocation: New York City, NY

The Blech family emigrated from Germany as Hitler began to discriminate against

Jews. It consists of two parents and a child and the brother-in-law and sister of the

father (the Cohens), who came to USA in 1930, before Hitler and the Nazis. The

brothers-in-law started a business which aids other German citizens in escaping the

Nazis.

They still have relatives over in Germany, and the family has not heard from any of

them in several months despite frantic attempts to contact them.


7/10

Civilian Conservation Corps: New Deal Programs

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created as part of the initial New Deal

programs of Franklin Roosevelt. The goal of the CCC was to take unemployed men and

put them to work building parks, bridges, dams, community pools, and various other

public goods. At its peak, the CCC provided jobs to up to 600,000 people.

However, the war has changed things dramatically, and priorities within the

government have shifted from domestic to foreign affairs. And the priorities of the

workers have shifted slightly as well.


8/10

Ford Motor Company: Manufacturing Companies

Now that the war has started, the American armed forces are going to need equipment.And they're going to need it fast.

Ford has built itself on a reputation of being able to make quality products at a cheap

price, and to make them relatively quickly. Now is the time for Ford to step up and

help in the war effort. There is great opportunity here, if Ford Motor Co. is up to the

challenge.


9/10

J.P. Morgan Bank: Lenders and Banks

Banks have been particularly hard-hit during this Depression, and yet somehow you

have barely managed to stay alive. But now that war is here, uncertainty reigns, and

banks do not like uncertainty.

On the other hand, war also means investment opportunities, which is something that

most banks definitely like. And as one of the biggest banks in the country, J.P. Morgan

Company is a unique opportunity to both contribute to and profit from the war if they

so choose. The question for the staff: how?


10/10

Name Contributions to Mobilization

Farmers

African-Americans

Factory Workers

Foreigners

Dissenters

Japanese-Americans

Jews

New Deal Programs

Manufacturing Companies

Banks and Lenders

How did World War II help bring about an end to the Great Depression?

“it is sooooooo on!” mobilization for world war ii

Documents