The U.S. Home Front During World War II History Essay Example

During the 1930s, The Great Depression would erupt, sparking a lot of both negative and positive changes among people with the New Deal, some included the banking crisis, poverty, unemployment, and a deep economic recession. On the other hand, programs were formed to help people with security like the Social Security Act for the elderly and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for banks. More job opportunities for people arised, while innovations helped make the life of Americans easier. Time would heal American lives and the US, but a new problem would arise, WWII.  Though people claim that WWII did not change Americans lives in the home front, I assert that their lives were indeed changed politically with different Executive Orders affecting the lives of workers and Japanese people, socially, with different groups of people rising up like African Americans, women and all Americans overall, and economically with the US and the people both benefiting off of the war in the Home Front.

In a political aspect, the lives of many Americans changed. In 1991, Executive Order 8802 was passed. The reason of this order was to prohibit racial discrimination occuring among employees for national defense (Doc 1). There was a lot of racial discrimination among people and bad treatment for their race, being paid less and rejected from their jobs. This Order was aimed towards the American public and industries to be very aware of this order passed. The Executive Order would be viewed as good, helping many people of color, it would also form the Fair Employment Practice Committee whose goal was to help African Americans and other minorities. Not even a full year later, a new executive order would be passed, it would be passed shortly after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, an attack that would make the US enter war. The attack was a surprise attack from the Japanese against the US and their Naval Base, resulting in over 2,000 American lives lost and angry Americans who viewed Japanese people as bad. In 1942, Executive Order 9066 would be passed, the goal was to intern all Japanese Americans into these camps to “protect” them from being persecuted and keep them safe (Doc 3). The image illustrates Japanese people waiting to be picked up and taken to internment camps (Doc 3). This executive order would be directed to all Japanese Americans.  Politically, these Executive Orders would change the lives of colored people working and Japanese Americans too.

Social changes were also very important in the lives of Americans during the war. In the Home Front, Roosevelt would help calm people with his Fireside Chats. While the Allied and Axis Powers fought, this would worry many Americans, scared for their lives and for the safety of democracy. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat on the Home Front in 1942 was made due to the war. In this Fireside Chat, Roosevelt spoke of the hard work that was being put into the war, saying the US was more united than ever (Doc 2). Roosevelt aimed to inspire and motivate Americans at home who were worried, reassuring them that democracy would win, he saw victory (Doc 2). Though this did help calm some people’s minds, meanwhile there were other people fighting for their own rights. In an article from Pittsburgh Courier, a new war slogan was introduced that became very popular.  In 1942, a Double “V” Campaign was organized, representing colored Americans. The goal of this campaign was for colored people fighting in the war to plead to America and Americans that colored people deserved the four freedoms, freedom of speech, worship, want and from fear (Doc 4). There was still a lot of segregation in America and it was viewed as negative for many colored people who faced racial injustices and also discrimination. This campaign was a call to action from themselves, for those colored people who were Americans too. Another social change that was very prominent was the idea of Rosie the Riveter. A song by Redd Evans and John Jacob Leob was released in early 1943.  The song was directed towards Americans, mostly women, and the song spoke of the ideal women in the workforce, Rosie the Riveter (Doc 6). She was viewed as a woman who did her job well, and was better than other men, it was an example to other women in the workforce (Doc 6).  These social changes changed the lives of Americans in the Home Front from WWII in different ways.

In an economical aspect, the economy of both the people and the US changed drastically for the better. During the war, the US needed a lot of provisions and aid to help the military fighting for the war. A lot of supplies were scarce during this time and the US needed to do something in which the OPA came into play. In 1943, a poster from the Office of Price Administration was released, it was directed towards Americans, to illustrate how items had to be rationalized for people and the positive impact this brought for many (Doc 5). The Office of Price Administration had the job to control the cost of items and rationalize the ones who were short for people.  This was viewed as very good for many people as less items would run out quickly. Another way Americans' lives were changed economically was with the unemployment rate. During WWII, many Americans got opportunities to come out of their poverty status and obtain jobs. The US unemployment rate chart illustrates the employment rate from the 1930s to mid 1940s. The objective of this graph is to exemplify how the employment rate of the US substantially decreased for Americans in the US (Doc 7). This illustrates the positive effect WWII had on many Americans, helping the economy become more stabilized in the US too. In an economical aspect, the lives of Americans in the Home Front were changed in very positive ways.

WWII would be crucial to American lives in the Home Front, in a variety of ways.  This would be short lasting because a new problem would arise soon after, the fight against Communism otherwise known as the Cold War. Even then, there would still continue to be a fight from colored people and African Americans for better opportunities in the workforce and among society, racial discrinimation and bad treatment would also continue to occur, and women would also keep becoming role models in different ways. Some changes for Americans that would occur during the Cold War would have an impact on pop culture, new changes would arise regarding music, fashion and sexuality. Counterculture would also arise changing society in many ways and the thinking of people, and unlike WWII, Americans would not be in favor of the Cold War. WWII would change the lives of Americans in the Home Front and these changes would affect more than one group of people.