America At Home

Opportunity and Adjustment

Time of Opportunity for many Americans

After WWII, U.S emerged as a dominant and economic world power.

Economic Gains and Population Shifts

Unemployment fell to 1.2 percent

Weekly paychecks rose 35% during the war.

Farmers prospered and income tripled

Over 6 million women entered the work force in more challenging work with better pay

More families moved especially to where there were defense jobs

Social Adjustments

Families were usually headed by single mothers causing children to be taken care of by neighbors or relatives

New families created. Marriage licenses went up by about 300% in Seattle alone.

GI Bill- bill passed for returning servicemen to help adjust to new life. Provided education, training and federal loans to help buy houses.

Discrimination and Reaction

African Americans moved out of the south in record numbers.

Faced discrimination everywhere

Racial Riots-Detroit 25 blacks dead and 9

whites over rumors

Zoot Suits

1943-Los Angeles Type of dress worn by

Mexican Americans as a form of rebellion

Sailors reported they had been attacked by Mexican Americans wearing Zoot Suits

Led to 2 nights of violence in which many innocent civilians were beaten.

Bracero Program

During WWII, there was an emergence of need for skilled laborers

A partnership between Mexico and U.S. led to the Bracero program.

Thousands of Mexicans left their homeland for a period of time to work in the fields, then they would return home.

However many were continually harassed and discriminated against.

Native Americans

Navajo Code TalkersImpossible for Japanese to break.Used to describe Native Americans who

served in the USMCPrimary job was the transmission of secret

messages. Code talkers transmitted these messages over military telephone or radio.

Used codes built upon their native languages. Oral, not written language.

Rationing

Rationing was used to maintain supply of essential products to the war effort.

Food quantity is allocated

Gasoline has restrictions

Luxuries are limited

Victory Gardens

Used to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort.

A civil “morale” booster

War Bonds

Debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war.

Affordable for all citizens