1. America at War Reform Revolt and Reaction Lecture Two: Term 1 Week 3

2. Isolationism US still focused on domestic problems Unpopularity of WW1 (Nye Committee 1934- 35) German, Italian and Irish American opposition to intervention 1930s Neutrality Acts America First Committee

3. FDR and Intervention FDR - aid to Britain after war starts 1 Sept 1939 Declared the US “neutral” but “I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well” Sept 1940 first peacetime draft Re-elected (3 rd term) Nov 1940

4. The Undeclared Atlantic War Jan 1941 “Four Freedoms” speech March 1941 Lend- Lease Act Aug 1941 Atlantic Charter Norman Rockwell’s paintings become an Office of War Information poster (early 1940s)

5. The Japanese Attack Pearl Harbour 7 December 1941 Over 2,000 people killed 187 aircraft and 18 naval vessels destroyed or damaged Congress vote on declaration of war against Japan 477-1 8 December 1941 Germany declares war against US

6. America at War 15 million Americans in armed forces (total pop. 131.7 million in 1940) 405,000 Americans killed No fighting on American soil What was the impact of the war on servicemen and women?

7. The War Economy Jan 1942 War Production Board Increase in administrators 1.1m – 3.4m Unemployment fell from 17% to 1.2% Increased mobility (CA pop. increased 14.5% 1941-4) Office of Price Administration (Jan 1942) National War Labour Board 1942

8. Women and the Family War disrupts family life “goodbye babies” and the “baby boom” 1940 Govt. childcare in war industry areas (by 1943 320,000 school age children involved) Rise in juvenile delinquency blamed on women working

9. Women at Work 6 million women join labour force (57% increase) Employed in “male” tasks e.g. shipbuilding increased from 6 women employed to 160,000 But still discrimination – low wages and little opportunity for promotion

16. The Impact of WW2? Women’s work temporary and gender attitudes remain unchanged? US recovered from depression but became increasingly conservative FDR dies 12 April 1945 during his 4 th term Beginning of the Cold War Shift from isolation to leadership of the “free world” US becomes economic and military Superpower