The USA1941

The USA1941

The Big Picture• The USA dominated the history of the 20th century. Its economic and military

power made it the most important country in the world• During this year we will tackle the economic, social and political issues of the

Americas. We will begin by dealing with post war US. The over-arching question must be, ‘How well did the US government tackle the problems it faced at home from the 1940s to present day?’

• To lead us in to the main components of the course we will first:– Examine the impact of the Second World War on the US economy and society– Identify the role of women before, during and after the war– Investigate the premise behind the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s

and see how far the campaign to win equal rights for black Americans succeeded– Find out why the 1960s saw so many other protest movements

• Some people would say that in this period the USA’s troubled domestic history shows it to be more the ‘divided’ states than the ‘united’ states.

A Divided Union?The USA at War

A Divided Union?The USA at War

• The early part of the 20th century was dominated by war after war…why?

• What does this say about the goals of society?

• Have we focused on external issues too much?

• Look closely at this image and explain what picture the mural paints of the USA at war. You could present your views as a paragraph or a set of bullet points

• Keep your work, as you’ll need it soon

• Look closely at these pictures and explain what image the paintings convey of the USA at war. You could present your views as a paragraph or a set of bullet points

• Keep your work, as you’ll need it soon

Wartime Production• Achievements were staggering

– ‘To American production, without which this war would have been lost.’

• Joseph Stalin proposing a toast

• ’41-45: Rapid switch to war-time production– 250,000 aircraft– 90,000 tanks– 350 naval destroyers– 200 submarines– 5600 merchant ships– 16 ‘Essex’ class aircraft carriers

• USA industrial might swamped the Axis – 1944: USA made 1/2 the world’s weapons– > 2x Axis production– Also supplying allies w/ food, clothing,

vehicles (50,000 to USSR) tires, engines & parts, tools, etc.

Nelson Eddy singing Stout-Hearted Men

Willing Industrialists• Jan ’42: War Production Board

– Gov’t worked w/ industrialists, not dictating– Industrialists decided who produced what

• General Motors made machine guns• Chrysler made anti-aircraft guns• General Electric increased turbine production

300%

– 80% of contracts to 100 firms (w/ subcontracts)– Lots of $$$ made w/ ‘Cost plus 10%’ system

• Henry J. Kaiser key industrialist– Major force in TVA– Designed & built ‘Liberty’ ships– Large cargo ship avg. build time in ’43: 42 days!– Could do it in 4 days…wow

We Did It Before And We’ll Do It Again

Extra Workers• 16 million men & women served

– 14 million worked in factories

– GM alone hired extra 750,000

– Most manufacturing jobs in North or Pacific

– 4 million workers migrated from South

– 750,000 A-As worked in manufacturing

– California saw influx of 1.5 million people

Keep ‘Em Flying

Calling All Available Women• War opens opportunities for women

– < war 12 million working– > Dec ’41 300,000 join military, 7 mil more work– 1 in 3 aircraft workers– 1 in 2 munitions workers– 60% plant managers surveyed said women were

their best workers– ‘Rosie the Riveter’ became icon

• The down side– Not always welcomed by men or unions– Paid up to 60% less than men– Little or no child-care– Most women left work > war– Some kept working as secretaries, clerks, shop

assistants– Women changed work patterns of next 20 years

Rosie the Riveter, the caricature of the wartime working woman

You know you’ve arrived when Mattel makes an action figure out of you.

Rosie comes complete with action hair and kung-fu grip.

She’s ready to take on the Germans in this snappy one-piece denim overall w/ carpenter’s hook and waist loop retention system.

War & Prosperity• USA only country to emerge from war

economically stronger– 1/2 million new businesses started up

– Coca-Cola & Wrigley become world brands

– War effort ended unemployment

– Even American farmers, after 20 years of misery, benefited from overseas demand

– Americans plowed savings & earnings into bonds, which promised repayment w/ interest

– $129 billion worth of war bonds purchased• Hardships– Rationing, but nothing like other countries

– Ad men boosted companies’ images by explaining that shortages were due to needed supplies going to GIs overseas … patriotic!

This Is Your War Scrap Your Fat