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Seclective Service and Training Act
In September, Congress approved the Selective Service and Training Act, a plan for the first peacetime draft in American history by a wide margin. -
After the Attack on Pearl
After the attack on pearl habor recurits were overwhelmed. the Department of Agriculture had transferred over 350,000 acres to the War Department. New bases such as the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, were built, and existing ones such as Eglin Air Force Base were expanded. This is also when they started to experiment with tanks. -
African Americans Demand War Work
Even though women were hired African Americans were not really wanted. Philip Randolph, informed President Roosevelt that he was organizing a march on Washington “in the interest of securing jobs . . . in the national defense and . . . integration into the . . . military and naval forces.” -
The “Double V” Campaign
Not all african americans wanted to support the war. Hitler already treated them badly so whatelse could he have done to them. So One leading African American newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, launched the “Double V” campaign to urge readers to support the war to win a double victory over Hitler’s racism abroad and racism at home. -
Women Joined Armed Forces
Congress first allowed women in the military in May 1942 by creating the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). Many women were unhappy that WAAC was not part of the regular army, however. About a year later, the army replaced the WAAC with the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), and Hobby became a colonel. Also with women being able to help this allowed more men to fight in combat situations. -
Wartime "Miracle"
Almost all major industries and some 200,000 companies had converted to war production. Together they made the nation’s wartime “miracle” possible. Tanks replaces cars and liberty ships were being built. Also in this time the Great Depression had come to an end because of mobilizing the economy. -
Women in Defense Plants
Most working women were young, single, and employed in traditional female jobs such as domestic work or teaching. The wartime labor shortage, however, forced factories to recruit married women for industrial jobs traditionally reserved for men. The great symbol of the campaign to hire women was “Rosie the Riveter,” a character from a popular song by the Four Vagabonds. -
Japanese, German, and Italian American Relocation
President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 allowing the War Department to declare any part of the United States a military zone and to remove people from that zone as needed. our days later when a Japanese submarine surfaced north of Santa Barbara, California, and shelled an oil refinery. Most of the West Coast was declared a military zone, and people of Japanese ancestry were evacuated to 10 internment camps farther inland. -
Support and Sacrifices
High demand for raw materials and supplies created shortages. People had to ration, limit the purchase of,many products to make sure there was enough available for military use. Meat, sugar, fats, oils, processed foods, coffee, shoes, and gasoline were rationed. Americans also planted gardens in backyards, schoolyards, city parks, and empty lots to produce more food for the war effort. The government encouraged victory gardens. -
Hollywood Goes to War
President Roosevelt created the Office of War Information (OWI). The OWI’s role was to improve the public’s understanding of the war and to act as a liaison office with the various media. The OWI established detailed guidelines for filmmakers, including a set of questions to be considered before making a movie, such as, “Will this picture help win the war?” -
Racism Leads to Violence
Many African Americans left the South for jobs in war factories in the North and West. However, African Americans often faced suspicion and intolerance. Fighting between white and African American teens triggered a citywide riot that left 25 African Americans and 9 whites dead.