1. The Great Depression and WWII

2. Quiz Format:
20 Multiple Choice
1 Short Answer (choice between 4 options)
To Do:
FINISH NOTECARDS!
DO MAKE UP WORK

3. The Great Depression made economic inequalities for women even worse
World War II improved women’s economic options
Underlying, structural inequalities between men and women were never made equal in the 1930s-1940s
Actually, economic equality still does not exist today
Overall,…

4. The most profound economic, social, and political crisis in U. S
The most profound economic, social, and political crisis in U.S. History
In 1929, capital markets collapse
Around 25% unemployment, for years
People fall into poverty
Wages fall for those employed
Individuals lose their savings and their homes
Middle class people became poor and poor people stayed poor or starved
Life became survival as families fell apart and people died
The solution: Roosevelt’s New Deal which was various government programs meant to stimulate the economy and create jobs and help the poor
The Great Depression

5. The New Deal Hurt Women and Minorities
New Deal policies mostly apply to white males because it applied to those who worked for wages
Therefore women, children and minorities were often ignored by these policies because federal policies did not apply to women who did not work for wages
The implications :
Existing gender and racial inequalities continued
The concept that federal action to address economic conditions, but not racial or gender inequalities
Separation of those “social” issues from economic issues so race and economic status were not connected according to the government
The New Deal Hurt Women and Minorities

6. Women in the Workforce During WWII
WWII ends the Great Depression as mobilization helped boost the economy
There were more women in the workforce as women were expected to help the war effort from the home front
Changes include the kind of jobs women did and how they thought about work
More women in manufacturing:
More women in government
72% of employed women were married, not single
Women in the Workforce During WWII

7. Women working in industrial jobs and other higher-paying work was seen as temporary
Women were expected to leave their jobs as soon as the men returned from war and return to pink collar jobs such as teachers, secretaries, and nurses
Women in WWII
Women in the 1950s
The Catch

8. Women in the Great Depression
Which letter was most compelling to you?
Why? (Give 3 reasons).
Give examples of the struggles women described they and their families faced during the Great Depression.
Women in the Great Depression