Following the Great Depression, the idea of the U.S. entering World War II may have sounded appalling. Families would be torn apart, sons killed in battle, and strenuous years to come. Nobody knew whether the U.S. would win or not and it was a time of constant fear. All of this was terrible, but no one seems to mention the bits of good that came out of the war, particularly on the U.S. homefront. Entering the war vastly improved the U.S. economy, gave well-needed opportunities to minorities all over the country, and brought all Americans together toward one cause, regardless of gender or race. Americans stayed true to their country and remained tough throughout the war.
A major component of contributing to the war cause from the home front was rationing. Families throughout the U.S. rationed what they bought and consumed, primarily being: gas, food, and raw materials (Lee). All U.S. citizens needed to buy ration books that had stamps in them that would, in essence, track and cap how much one bought of a certain item (Salisbury and Kersten). This was enforced through the War Production Board which “[ensured] that such important resources would be primarily allocated to the production of weaponry, equipment, uniforms, and other essential military items” (Lee). Although this was tough for many families to swallow, it shows how much a common goal could unite a country. The production of consumer goods began to decrease and families started to buy necessities only (Lee). Americans were putting America first, not their selves. Many even planted their gardens, known as “Victory Gardens” (Salisbury and Kersten). They did this because food was so tight and they wanted to help the war cause in any way they could. Because the government ran these rationing organizations and was becoming more involved, some citizens started to get upset about how big a role the government had (Jeffries). This, of course, led to increased black market trade in which consumer goods and tightly rationed items were sold (Jeffries). Overall though, Americans realized the responsibility they had at the home front and did as much as they could for the sake of those who protected them.
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The American people stepped up when they needed to in desperate times of war and because they worked their tails off the U.S. economy boomed. The urban population skyrocketed and unemployment dropped from 14.6% in 1940 to 1.2% in 1944. In addition, the “gross national product and national income more than doubled in those same four years” (Jeffries). A major reason for this was that so many men went off to war, which led to a surge in job openings. During the Great Depression, there were not enough jobs but during World War II, there were plenty of job opportunities. For one of the first times in American history, women and African Americans began to get better jobs, specifically ones that men at war had held beforehand (Jeffries). On the other hand, other minorities were not so lucky. Japanese Americans and German Americans experienced extreme discrimination and hostility. Japanese Americans, in particular, arguably had it the worst. There was concern all over the country that many Japanese Americans were spies for Japan (Lee). This speculation led Franklin D. Roosevelt to “issue Executive Order 9066, which allowed for the forcible relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps” (Lee). These internment camps were more like prisons; they were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards. Living in terrible unhealthy and unhealthy conditions, they were also given little food or necessities needed to survive (Lee). Unfortunately, a high majority of these Japanese American families were incarcerated for no reason. Yet many of them still rooted for the U.S. to win, the country that betrayed their loyalty and trust. Although Japanese internment camps were not on the level of the concentration camps during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, they were still a disgusting moment in U.S. history that should be learned from.
Life on the U.S. home front during World War II was fast-paced with a lot of work to be done, but there were still small opportunities built in for free time. During the war, Americans liked to enjoy their free time by attending the cinema, catching up on sporting events, and listening to music and the radio (Jeffries). In particular, the radio played a huge role in the lives of American families during the war. Radios were everywhere at the time and “90 percent of American families owned at least one radio and listened to an average three to four hours a day” (Horton 46). People listened to the radio for updates on the war, music, and any popular news at all. It was a big change considering no one had access to this immediate news in World War I. What also drew the American people to the radio was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” which would bring in almost half the country at a time to listen (Horton 46). These chats encouraged the American people to keep home and to churn along. It worked because it was the first time that people would be able to constantly hear the voice of their President during wartime. The chats brought feelings of comfort and protection to the American people who lived in constant stress. Furthermore, radios were an effective tool used to spread propaganda all over the country. Propaganda was not just limited to radios though, one could find political and war propaganda virtually anywhere. Newspapers, posters, books, and schools all spread propaganda. (Sutherland 105). Even children had to deal with propaganda as “comic books, toys, and games all had war themes” (Sutherland 106). This led to the spread of rumors that worsened the fear that Americans were already in, but also rumors that brought hope and pride to the country.
The course of war is a terrible, life-wasting event. Sons, brothers, husbands, and friends went out to war and never came back. Young men who had the potential to be incredible fathers never returned. But, war does bring a nation together and the U.S. home front during World War II is a perfect example of that. Americans realized what had to be done and were up for the task, displaying the true and honorable way to be an American.
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