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• The attack on Pearl Harbor reversed US isolationism.
• World War Two was now seen as an essential struggle for national survival.
• America’s military, resources, citizens and economy were all mobilised for the war effort.
• The scale of the war required an unprecedented national effort and had a huge impact on American society and the economy.

Economic recovery

The war ultimately solved many of America’s economic problems. The country was not invaded, occupied or attacked by air during the war. There were some shortages and rationing but the overall standard of living improved. The economy grew as production increased to meet the needs of the war.

In January 1942, the War Production Board was created to convert industries from peacetime work to meet the demands of war. During this time:

• unemployment greatly decreased between 1940 and 1943
• manufacturing output almost doubled to meet the needs of the armed forces and lend-lease shipments to Britain and the Soviet Union
• agriculture recovered as food production rose by almost a third to supply food for the military
• traditional industries, such as coal, iron and steel, were boosted by the war demand
• aircraft production accelerated throughout 1944
• the automobile industry stopped car production and focused on tanks, trucks and military jeeps

The experiences of women during the war

• The war provided employment opportunities for women. The number of women at work increased during the war. By 1943 women made up roughly a third of the workforce.
• Women were employed to do jobs from which they had traditionally been excluded. For example, in shipbuilding, they now had jobs as mechanics and riveters.
• However, women were paid less to do the same jobs as men.
• Women also served in the armed forces. Over 150,000 women served in non-combatant roles in the Women’s Army Corps and the United States Naval Women’s Reserve, known as the WAVES.
• Just over 1,000 young women joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots. They flew military aircraft from factories to military bases across the country.

The experiences of African Americans during the war

• More than 1 million African Americans found work in the industrial centres in cities of the North and West.
• Many earned higher wages than they had during peacetime, but still less than their white counterparts. They were commonly restricted to menial jobs and often denied the opportunity to acquire new skills.
• Asa Phillip Randolph, the leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters trade union, threated to hold a march on Washington, DC, of 50,000 people to protest against racial discrimination. Roosevelt responded to this with Executive Order 8802, which forbade discrimination in defence industries and created the Fair Employment Practices Committee. However, the order lacked enforcement powers and was often ignored, especially in the South.
• The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) campaigned against discrimination by joining the Double V campaign, which demanded “victory abroad and at home”.
• Over 1 million African Americans fought in the war. However, discrimination and racial segregation continued across the US military.