The Home Front during WWII-Arsenal of Democracy

1. The Home Front during WWII-Arsenal of Democracy Mobilizing for War

2. Ch 25 Part I- Essential Ques. • How did the US expand its armed forces? • How was the mobilization of industry, labor, scientists, and the media achieved? • What steps did the government take to control the economy and deal with alleged subversion?

3. Mobilizing for War-The War Powers Act • FDR gained power to reorganize the federal gov. and create new agencies ( War Powers Act) • Supply Priorities & Allocation Board (SPAB) • Office of Price Adm. (OPA) Price Controls, rationing • National War Labor Board (NLRB) Halted Strikes, Negotiated disputes • Office of War Mobilization (OWM) Coordinated all operations of the agencies • Office of War Information (OWI) Sell the War • Office of Scientific Research and Development – Radar, Sonar, Manhattan Project (atomic bomb) • Office of Strategic Services – gather intel

4. Financial Costs of WWII • WWII cost $1.15 a day for every man, woman, and child, $250 million per day • Federal Spending rose from $8.9 billion in 1939 to $95.2 billion in 1945 • The GNP more than doubled • From 1941-1945 the Gov. spend $321 billion • 10X that of WWI • More than all gov. expenditures from 1789 to 1940

5. Paying for the War • The US Government added millions of taxpayers to the rolls through lowering the minimum tax-exempt income • Raised personal income tax rates • Held excess profits from corporations • US borrowed the $ from banks, private investors, and the public • War bond sales brought in $186 billion • Deficit Spending – The Nat . Debt rose from $43 billion in 1940 to $259 billion in 1945

16. Economic Conversion • In January 1942 the government set up the War Production Board (WPB) to direct the conversion of peacetime industries to the production of war goods • The WPB decided which companies received defense contracts • It set priorities and allocated war materials • It used the Cost Plus System to allocate profits to companies • “Dollar a year” executives came to Washington to contribute while staying on their Co. payrolls

17. A Production Miracle • The Ford Motor Company made a new factory to make B-24 bombers • Henry Kaiser used new techniques to build Liberty ships in 40 days down from 200 days • By 1944 US Production Levels doubled those of the Axis Nations put together • By the middle of 1945 the US produced 300,000 airplanes, 80,000 landing craft, 100,000 tanks, 5,600 merchant ships, 6 million rifles and 41 million rounds

20. New Workers • By 1944 nearly 18 million workers were laboring in wartime industries ( The female overall workforce reached 19.5 million) • More than 6 million in wartime jobs were women • They were only paid 60% as much as men • Women mined coal, repaired aircraft engines, cut and wielded sheet metal and operated forklifts and drill presses • “Rosie the Riveter” Campaign helped recruitment

24. Minority Workers • Defense plants hired more than 2 million minority workers • A. Phillip Randolph’s proposed March on Washington forced FDR to call on employers and labor unions to hire without discrimination for war industries (Created the Fair Employment Practices Commission) • The Bracero Program brought Mexican legally into the US to help in industries ( Ex. Shipbuilding) • 200,000 Mexican Americans entered the US legally to harvest crops

28. War Time Strikes • 17million new jobs were created but economic gains were unevenly distributed • Major Unions agreed to no-strike pledges in exchange for higher wages and pensions • Union member ship rose from 10.5 million to 14.7 million members • Unions enrolled 1.25 million blacks • 1943 – US Rubber Company Factory in Detroit staged a “Hate Strike” • 1943 – United Mine Worker (John L. Lewis) Minors won, Smith-Connally Act Passed

31. Family Life on the Home front • Between 1940- 1943 more than a million more couples married than if had there been no war • By 1946 divorces skyrocketed • Housing Shortage-Federal Gov. build 2 million new homes • Juvenile Delinquency increased during the war • By 1944 High School enrollments decreased by 1.2 million “Back to School Campaign” • More books, magazines and baseball • 60% of Americans viewed movies per week

36. The GI Bill • To ease entry into Civilian Life and provide opportunity for serviceman Congress passed in 1944 the GI Bill of Rights ( GI Bill) • It provided education and training for veterans • College Tuition and Low Cost Mortgages • 7.8 million veterans attended colleges or technical schools under the GI Bill • Low cost loans for starting businesses

39. Discrimination and Reaction • Between 1940 and 1944 the % of African Americans working in skilled or semi-skilled jobs rose from 16% to 30% • In 1942 civil rights leader James Farmer founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to combat urban segregation • Detroit Race Riot of 1943 – 3 days, 9 whites, and 25 blacks were killed, FDR sent in troops • A. Phillip Randolph’s efforts resulted in the FEPC • “Double V Campaign” started in Pitt. Pa

42. Zoot Suit Riots • 200,000 Mexican Americans were legally brought to the US to work • Mexican Americans lived in barrios • In 1943 Mexican Americans wore “Zoot Suits” as a symbol of rebellion • On June 4th, 11 sailors claimed they were attacked, mobs violence erupted between servicemen and Zoot Suits, many young Mexican were beaten and jailed unjustly with 700 injured

45. Japanese Internment • After Pearl Harbor many Americans feared an invasion of the US, and it was thought that the Japanese could be loyal to the enemy (0.1% of US Pop.) • In Feb. 1942 FDR signed Executive Order 9066 in which civil rights were suspended and the army began rounding up Japanese citizens • Japanese on the West Coast were given one week, then they were transported to camps in UT, CO, AK, ID,AZ,WY, and CA. (120,000 people)