Social developments Flashcards
What did the War Production Board (WPB) direct industries that had overproduced cars etc in the 1920s?
To start producing weapons, vehicles and other equipment for the armed forces
What was government expenditure in 1941 and 1944?
1941 - $20 billion
1944- $97.2 billion
How did money change for ordinary Americans during wartime?
- taxed more
- wages increased
- bought war bonds
When did Japan attack Pearl Harbor prompting the USA to declare war (ending isolationism)?
December 1941
What did WW2 prompt questions about segregation in America?
If fighting for freedom against racist Germany why was segregation acceptable in USA
How many African Americans joined or were conscripted (forced to fight) in the afield forces?
About 1 milliom
How did being stationed in Britain affect African American troops?
Allowed to go into pubs, restaurants and dances with white people (no segregation shocked some white Americans from the southern states)
By 1944, how many African Americans were working in factories producing war materials?
About 2 million (many migrating from the south to the more industrialised north)
Again African Americans saw racial segregation was not the norm
What did NAACP stand for and what happened to membership during WW2?
- National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (campaigning for equal rights)
- memembership rose from 50,000 to 500,000
What did membership of the NAACP increase?
African Americans had:-
Worked alongside white people during the war (playing a significant role)
Experienced less segregation (in north and Britain) and wanted equal rights
How many aircraft workers were women?
One in three
How many women were working in munitions and electronics industries?
One in two
In a government survey, what percentage of American plant managers said women were better workers?
60% ( women were getting better wages and were reluctant to go back to their pre-war life)
What does WACs and WAVES stand for?
Women’s Army Corps (WACs)
Women Accepted for Volunter Emergency Service (WAVES navy)
What percentage of married women worked in 1945 and would their lives stay the same after war?
50%
Returning soldiers expected wives to return to the home (traditional domestic role to be resumed)- this would create tensions between the sexes in the future
