The Impact of WWII on Americans

Paper Summary:

This paper is a personal account of how involvement in World War II brought about great economic, social and political changes in the United States. The paper holds that the war period also had a great impact on the personal lives of US citizens. It addresses such issues as the rationing of food and gas, the changing role of women, war propaganda, and the "baby boom" period that followed. The paper argues that people from all over the country went through the same experiences and the fact that they were at war touched everyone. The paper concludes that, despite some of the difficult and drastic changes, it is fortunate that America won the war and returned to being a world power.

From the Paper:

"I live in a small town called Folsom, close to Sacramento and when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened I was at home, having breakfast with my wife, son and daughter. We always listen to the radio while eating, so the radio was on and we heard the awful news right away. I remember we were in shock, unable to even talk to each other. I was thinking that we will enter the war for sure and this taught was extremely troubling, not because I was afraid of another war, but because I was worried that this time my son would go to war. My son, Lucas, was 19 at the time and I was sure that he will not back out of this challenge. Honestly, this was the first thought that went through my mind."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brinkley, David. Washington Goes to War, Knopf, 1988.
• Holsinger, M. Paul (ed.), War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 1999;
• Leff Mark H. "The Politics of Sacrifice on the American Home Front in World War II." Journal of American History 77 ( 1991): 1296-1318;
• Schultz, Stanley, World War II: The impact at home, available at http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture21.html;
• United States home front during World War II, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_home_front_during_World_War_II#Civilian_support_for_war_effort;

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