1. The U.S. Home Front Even though the fighting in World War II was all the way across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the war changed the lives of everyone in America. The war effort in the United States was often called the home front.

2. Rationing Many products were in short supply Metal had to be used to make tanks and battleships Medicine was needed on the battlefields Imports were hard to get from other countries at war; especially rubber for tires because it came from SE Asia By the end of the war, many products were rationed. Each family would get ration stamps allowing them to buy a certain amount of a type of product. Some products rationed included: tires, automobiles, sugar, gasoline, meat, butter, and coal.

3. In the spring of 1942, the Food and Rationing Program was set into motion. Rationing would deeply affect the American way of life for most. The federal government needed to control supply and demand. Rationing was introduced to avoid public anger with shortages and not to allow only the wealthy to purchase commodities. In addition to food, rationing encompassed clothing, shoes, coffee, gasoline, tires, and fuel oil. With each coupon book came specifications and deadlines. Rationing locations were posted in public view. Rationing of gas and tires strongly depended on the distance to one's job. If one was fortunate enough to own an automobile and drive at the then specified speed of 35 mph, one might have a small amount of gas remaining at the end of the month to visit nearby relatives. Rationing resulted in one serious side effect: the black market, where people could buy rationed items on the sly, but at higher prices.

4. Home Front: Women Women played an important role for the US during the war. Although they did not enter combat as soldiers, many women helped by serving in the armed forces. They also helped to keep the country together at the home front. Women worked in factories producing ships, tanks, munitions, and other much needed products for the war effort.

5. Women go to Work In the beginning of the war in 1939, there were around 190,000 men in the US Army; by the time the war was ended in 1945, there were over 10 million! On top of this, factories in the US were at full capacity making arms, tanks, ships, and vehicles for the war. There was a shortage of workers.

6. Women go to Work To fill the gap and help build supplies for the war, many women went to work. They took on tough physical labor jobs Women who went to work in factories were nicknamed Rosie the Riveter.

8. Rosie the Riveter The US government came up with the “Rosie the Riveter” campaign to inspire women to work in the factories. The campaign was displayed on posters and magazines. There was even a song called “Rosie the Riveter” Rosie was a character that portrayed a strong patriotic women who worked in the factories to help the country. Was very successful as hundreds of thousands of women entered the work force taking on jobs that had been previously done by men.

9. Women in the Armed Forces Women served as nurses in the Army Nurse corps. They served in a variety of areas including field hospitals, ship hospitals, medical transport planes, and evacuation hospitals. Women served in the Women’s Army Corps or WAC. This was a branch of the armed forces started in 1942. Women served in non- combat areas such as mechanics repairing vehicles, army post offices sorting mail, and working in communications and warning systems. There were 150,000 women in the WAC by the end of the war.

10. Women in the Armed Forces At first many men did not want women in the armed forces. But later, women troops were such good soldiers that some leaders suggested that women should be drafted! Women also served as Women’s Air Force Service Pilots or WASPs. These were women who already had pilot’s licenses. They flew military planes between army bases and flew cargo planes carrying supplies. This freed up male pilots for combat missions.

11. Famous Women Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady, strong supporter of the troops and for civil rights. She opposed the internment camps of the Japanese Americans and was active in boosting moral on the US home front. Queen Elizabeth: The Queen was a symbol of unity for the British against Hitler. She was a great source of moral for the troops. Tokyo Rose: This was the name given to the Japanese women who voiced radio propaganda to the US Troops fighting Japan. She tried to demoralize the troops by continuously telling them that they could not win the war. Eva Braun: Hitler’s mistress. She married him at the end of the war, right before they committed suicide together. Sophie Scholl: German woman who actively opposed the Nazis and the Third Reich. She was arrested and executed for protesting the war. Anne Frank: Jewish girl who wrote diaries while hiding from the Nazis for two years in a secret room. She was eventually caught and died in a concentration camp.

12. Japanese Americans At the time of war there were many citizens of the United States of Japanese descent. After Pearl Harbor, many people didn’t trust them and were worried that they would help Japan to invade America. In 1942, President Roosevelt signed a bill that ordered Japanese Americans to go to internment camps. These camps were almost like prisons. They were guarded by soldiers and surrounded by babed wire.

13. Japanese Americans Around 110,000 Japanese Americans were forced into the internment camps. They had to leave their homes, shops, and jobs. Many lost their homes and most of their possessions. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill that gave reparations of $20,000 to the survivors. In 1989, President George W. Bush gave a formal apology.

14. Entertainment and Propaganda The US government knew that Americans must stay united in the war effort in order to win the war. They created all sorts of posters that showed patriotism and ways that people could help with the war effort from home. There were also lots of wartime movies showing how brave the soldiers were and how evil Hitler and the enemy was. All movie scripts had to be approved by the government!

15. WWII Patriotic Posters https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=Mf2c93sUSjM Tokyo Rose Propaganda Film https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=l14WDZCnz-w Disney Propaganda Film

16. Entertainment and Propaganda Many celebrities fought in the war Baseball players such as Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams enlisted and fought. Movie stars such as Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable joined the army.