Download US Home Front and Propaganda

2/8/2017
In 1940, after France surrendered to Germany, Congress passed the
Selective Service and Training Act (age 21-35)
This was the first peacetime draft in American history
By the end of the war over 15 million men had served
About 5 million men volunteered and another 10 million were
drafted
One of the key factors in America’s success
in WWII was the high productivity of its
industry.
Automobile factories began to produce
trucks, jeeps, and tanks.
The automobile industry produced nearly
1/3 of the military equipment
manufactured during the war.
The War Production Board (WPB) could set
production goals and control the
distribution of raw materials and supplies.
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Office of Price Administration (OPA)
Created to stabilize wages and
prices
Rationed many products to make sure
there were enough for the military
Food, gasoline, and rubber were all
restricted
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Rationing
Each household would pick up a
book of ration coupons each
month.
Blue coupons controlled
processed foods.
Red coupons were for meats,
fats, and oils.
In order to buy food you had to
have enough coupons [and money
of course]
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Victory Gardens
Americans were encouraged to
plant gardens to help support the
war effort
Scrap Drives
government organized scrap
drives to collect certain raw
materials
Rubber, tin, aluminum, and
steel were collected in various
forms
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Oil Collecting Stations
Oils and fats were important to
making explosives
Bacon grease and meat drippings
could be exchanged for extra ration
coupons
US Gov spent more than $300 billion during the war
more money than it had spent from Washington’s administration
through the end of FDR’s second term
Taxes were raised
this only covered 45% of the cost of the war
War bonds were used to raise the rest of the money
American citizens bought $50 billion
Financial institutions bought $100 billion
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At the start of WWII, U.S. military
was completely segregated
Military bases were integrated in
1943, but African Americans were
still organized into their own military
units
About 1 million African Americans
and nearly 350,000 Hispanic
Americans served in the military
350,000 women joined the armed forces,
but were barred from combat
Women had their own branches of services,
including:
Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (later the
Women's Army Corps or WAC),
the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP),
and
the Women Accepted for Volunteer
Military Services (WAVES)
About 70% of women who served in the
military during WWII held traditionally
"female" jobs as typists, clerks, and mail
sorters
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On the home front, the war
produced 19 million new jobs
which were increasingly filled by
women and minorities.
Eventually 2.5 million women
went to work in factories.
In 1941 FDR issued an executive
order making discrimination in
defense industries or the
government illegal.
Rosie the Riveter: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/us-home-front-during-world-war-ii/videos
World War II Part 2 - The Homefront: Crash Course US History #36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofnGQwPgqs
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oRead page 11 and the top of page 12
oFor each propaganda technique highlight key words to help
you understand the main idea
oAs we go through each poster:
o Decide which technique is being used.
o What’s the message?
o Do you think the technique is effective?
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A
B
C
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D
E
F
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G
H
I
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J
K
L
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M
N
O
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P
Q
R
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S
T
o Create an original piece of propaganda for WWII
o Must be a hand drawn by you, no tracing or copying (you may look at a picture
to reference while drawing)
o Must be related to World War II and from the US perspective
o Cannot be a recreation or modification of any existing propaganda
o You should be encouraging people to do (or not do) something to help the war
effort.
o Come up with a good slogan and decide how you are going to illustrate your
poster.
o You will not be graded on artistic ability, but rather the thoughts behind your
poster.
o Neatness and legibility will be part of your grade; so, don’t be sloppy
o Due Wednesday, 2/17 (directions are on the bottom of your handout)
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