Section 6-3 The American Home Front

December 7, 1941 - 1945

A Day That Will Live in Infamy

Day after Pearl Harbor, FDR gave his famous speech U.S. declared war on Japan Dec. 8, 1941 Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on Dec 11 Neutrality Over

Enlistment and Patriotism

American military NOT prepared for war. Only 400,000 men on active duty (others merely registered) The U.S. calls on American men to enlist. Women join too! (400,000)
Nurses WAC and WAVES

Govt Film Recruiting Women

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGp93ijzok4&

Enlistment and Patriotism

U.S. Military

Response OVERWHELMS recruitment centers Medical rejection (Classification IV-F) causes some to commit suicide By end of war almost 16 million men enlist or are drafted (6 million voluntary)

16,000,000 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000 0 Pre-Attack After

Diversity in the Military

Discrimination in US society still prevalent, but: 1,000,000 African Americans 300,000 Mexican-Americans 33,000 Japanese Americans 25,000 Native Americans 13,000 Chinese Americans

Serve in military during WWII BUT SEGREGATED

The Golden 13 First African-American Naval Officers

Financing the War

Federal Spending: 1939: $ 9.4 billion 1945: $95.0 billion TOTAL COST: $321 billion Where to get the money?
Taxes 41% of cost

Rest borrowed WAR BONDS

Like Liberty Bonds $156 billion raised

Propaganda

Public Sacrifice During War

OPA

Office of Price Administration Created to stop inflation and price gouging Rationing implemented.
Limit how much of a good each person can buy

Rationed Goods
20 Essential Commodities Rationed Rationed items include: sugar, coffee, meats, grains, rubber and fuel. People given ration stamps (had to have stamp to buy)

Importance of Food
Farms were producing as much food as possible (double pre-war output) Revives struggling farming sector Victory Gardens back! Much of the food went to British and Russian soldiers and citizens

Shift in Production
American Industry converts to war time production: GM, Ford, and Chrysler now make tanks, transports, bullets, etc. Boeing makes bombers and fighter. Gun makers like Colt, make machine guns, flamethrowers, war rifles.

Economic Gains
Unemployment fell to only 1.2% by 1944 and wages rose 35% Farmers benefited as production doubled and their income tripled

Pittsburgh Production

More Steel than all Axis Nations COMBINED

LSTs

The GP Vehicle

Developed in Butler, PA (North of Pittsburgh)

H.J. Heinz Co.

Balsa Wood Gliders

Pittsburgh Production

War Production
Ship and Submarine Production
Per month

25 20 15 10 5 0

Before

After

In full war mode, the U.S. was producing weapons faster than anybody around thought that it would or could. Ships and In one month, the U.S. Subs was able to produce up to 4,000 tanks and 4,500 planes. Ship production also increased dramatically.

Aircraft Production
1939 United States 2,141 1940 6,068 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945

19,433 47,836 85,898 96,318 46,001 7,540 8,263

German 8,295 y Japan 4,467

10,862 12,401 15,409 24,807 40,593 4,768 5,088 8,861 16,693 28,180

Arms/Armor Production

Chrysler (car company) makes 12,500,000 bullets A DAY

Naval Production
Country Aircraft carriers Battleships Cruisers Destroyers Convoy escorts Submarines Merchant tonnage

United States Japan Germany Italy

22 16 0 0

8 2 2 3

48 9

349 63 17

420 183 23

203 167 1,141 28

33,993,230 4,152,361

1,469,606

Unintended Benefits for Women

Before the war, 12 million women worked in the U.S. Desperate for workers to produce weapons, women replaced the men that went to war. 18 million women in workforce during war

Women Produced Wartime Goods

Womens Gains Toward Equality

Over 6 million women entered the work force for the first time Over 1/3 were in the defense industry. Women enjoyed economic gains during the war, although many lost their jobs after the war

Success on the Home Front

The war provided a lift to the U.S. economy Jobs were abundant but rationing means cannot spend money! America emerges from war as the worlds dominant economic and military power.

Population Shifts
The war triggered the greatest mass migration in American history. More than a million newcomers to California between 1941-1944. Millions of AfricanAmericans from south to north. (Manufacturing jobs)

The Ugly Side of the Home Front: Discrimination

African-Americans
Segregation in military and at home Mistreatment by Northern workers Double V Campaign: Pittsburgh Courier Victory for Allies Victory for equality After serving war effort, deserve respect!! BUTlose jobs to white veterans after war

Mexican-Americans
Latino population of Los Angeles segregated in barrio Popular clothing style = zoot suit Strong anti-Mexican sentiment stemming from 1942 Sleepy Lagoon Case:
Murder blamed on gang of Mexican-American youth 9 convicted (wrongly)

Zoot Suit Riots

2 incidents of violence b/t Mexican-American youth and servicemen in 4 days (August 1942) 200 naval personnel convoy to East LA in taxis: Using clubs, beat groups of Mexican youth and burn zoot suits Thousands of servicemen join over next few days Police there, but instructed not to arrest sailors

Zoot Suit Riots

Aftermath of riots:
150 injured 500 Mexican-Americans arrested ZERO servicemen arrested Military forced to ban servicemen from LA

LA media praises servicemen for cleansing LA of gangs LA makes wearing zoot suits a crime

Suspicion Cast Upon JapeneseAmericans

Japanese-Americans long discriminated against in US
Viewed as threat to American labor/jobs Anti-miscegenation laws passed Tight immigration restrictions

Pearl Harbor makes worse

Fear of collaboration with enemy

Suspicion Cast Upon JapeneseAmericans

Japanese-Americans long discriminated against in US
Viewed as threat to American labor/jobs Anti-miscegenation laws passed Tight immigration restrictions

Pearl Harbor makes worse

Fear of collaboration with enemy

Many take extreme steps to demonstrate loyalty

Executive Order 9066

Executive Order 9066 (Feb 1942):
Pacific Coast (to 100 miles inland) labeled as Military Exclusion Zone Military may remove any persons who pose a risk to national security Persons of Japanese ancestry are primary targets
112,000 living on Pacific Coast (90% of Japanese-Americans) 80,000 are second generation (born here) 60% are US Citizens

Excluded persons rounded up and sent to camps

Internment
Persons of Japanese ancestry gathered with little notice
Little chance to pack Little chance to organize affairs Businesses abandoned

No fact-finding or due process

Upheld as Constitutional in Korematsu v. United States SCOTUS finds that need to protect against espionage outweighs Korematsus individual rights.

Imprisoned for up to 4 years

Surrounded by barbed wire Armed guards Children are placed in camps with adults

Reparations for Internment

President Carter (1980):
Creates Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) CWRIC finds internment was result of racial prejudice and evidence of Japanese-American disloyalty did not justify it. Determines that payment of $20,000 and letter of apology will be given to all survivors

Enemy Alien Control Program

Japanese-Americans not only people affected:
11,527 German aliens (non-citizens) and GermanAmericans interned for duration of war 600,000 Italian-Americans given curfews, travel restrictions and excluded from living near coasts.