Life on the

Home Front

Patriotism Inspires

Exceptional

Actions

Payi

ng f

or

the W

ar

• War Bonds – citizens bought them to help pay for the war (people gave $ to the gov’t and 10 years later, could get more back)

• Volunteerism – willingness of Americans to get involved

Rati

onin

g &

V

icto

ry G

ard

ens Rationing

• Government limited food/clothing/gas so there would be enough to supply the military

• Stamps were issued based on family size

Victory Gardens• People grew and canned

their own gardens to provide more food

Offi

ce o

f W

ar

Info

rmati

on

• Created by the President

• Produced – Pro-Allie, Anti-Axis propaganda

• Radio Programs & Newsreels

• Required all movies to contribute to the war effort

• Tried to stir up distrust of German, Italian, and Japanese leaders

Was this constitutional?

GI’s • GI – Means “Government Issue” – was stamped on military supplies

• Many willingly joined the service, especially after Pearl Harbor

• Despite training, few were really ready for combat (emotionally)

Japanese

A

meri

cans

• After Pearl Harbor, many questioned the loyalty of Japanese Americans

• Roosevelt declared non-US citizen German, Italian, & Japanese to be “enemy allies”

• Many German & Italian aliens & sent them to Internment Camps in the central US

• Executive Order 9066-People of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast were evacuated to internment camps (both citizens and not)

• Korematsu vs United States – Japanese American that sued the US about the constitutionality of interning citizens – the court found against him

Gathering in Puyallup, WA

Camp in Amache, Colorado

Wom

en in

the

Work

forc

e• Women stepped in to jobs left by the men

at war• Many did manufacturing jobs• “Rosie the Riveter” was term given to

women in factories• WACS (Women’s Army Corps) – attended

basic training and most took clerical jobs in the military

Afr

ican

Am

eri

cans

Tuskegee Airmen• 1st black combat unit• Fighter Pilot unit• Didn’t lose a single bomber

assigned to them

Double V• Fought for Victory in the War• Fought for Victory against

segregation at home

Employment• Like women, African

Americans filled empty jobs left by soldiers

Nati

ve

Am

eri

cans

• Native Americans enlisted for military service at higher proportions than any other minority group.

• Many men and women left the reservation for the first time to work in defense industries.

• Navajo Code Talkers – US needed an code the Japanese couldn’t decipher. Navajo is unwritten and very complex.

Mex

ican

Am

eri

cans

• Many served in the military• Faced continued

segregation/discrimination issues• Agricultural Industries recruited

men from Mexico to fill jobs left by those in the military

Jew

ish

Am

eri

cans • Faced

discrimination at home

• Wanted the US to do more about condition of Jews in Europe