WW2: U.S. Home Front
Reading Primary Sources
Excerpts from the Annual Message to Congress delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1942.
1.What is FDR's strategy to win the war?
John T. Mullin, responsible for introducing the tape recorder to America, writes to a friend, Jack.
5. How does this letter describe American Industrial cities?
WW2 in the U.P. of Michigan:
--Largest was Camp Raco with over 267 Nazi POWs ---Close to Sault Ste. Marie
War Production Board
Ford Motor Company– Converted their automotive plants to build war goods
James F. Brynes
War Mobilization Board:
Henry J. Kaiser
Built “Liberty Ships” merchant/transport ships
“Cost-Plus” System
Robert Woodruff
Employment During WW2
John L. Lewis
Wildcat Strikes
Revenue Act of 1942
War Bond:
Reading Primary Sources
Excerpts from the Annual Message to Congress delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1942.
1.What is FDR's strategy to win the war?
- Overwhelm the enemy with U.S. production of war goods
- Supply our army and the army of our allies
- People are migrating to cities to work in factories that deal with the production of war goods
- Population is increasing in cities
- Many new arrivals are going out west ---- Establishing major cities (e.g. Los Angeles)
- No, people are employed at this time
- Yes, people cannot buy many consumer goods
- Factories, big and small, are retooling their machines to produces goods for the war effort
- Because people have extra income but do not have the market to buy consumer goods, people could buy limited goods
- People paid off debts
- People bought war bonds
John T. Mullin, responsible for introducing the tape recorder to America, writes to a friend, Jack.
5. How does this letter describe American Industrial cities?
- Mullin describes the more cosmopolitan, (multiracial/cultural presence), population in San Francisco
- Mullin describes the various new arrivals to the city, people who migrated to the city from around the country
- Mullin describes the rise in population of San Francisco. (The internal Migration in the U.S. During World War II)
WW2 in the U.P. of Michigan:
- In 1944, at the peak of the war, 103 natural ore mines were operating in Minnesota and another 43 in Michigan.
- Nazi POWs were sent to UP of Michigan
--Largest was Camp Raco with over 267 Nazi POWs ---Close to Sault Ste. Marie
War Production Board
- Directed the conversion of peacetime industries to making war goods
Ford Motor Company– Converted their automotive plants to build war goods
- Ex: B-24 Bombers @ Willow Run Factory --- Largest Factory in the world in Ann Arbor, Michigan
James F. Brynes
- Head the Office of War Mobilization, through which he had such broad authority that he was called the “assistant president.”
- FDR focused on the war abroad
War Mobilization Board:
- Superagency used to centralize gov’t agencies dealing with war productions,
- Deal with:
- labor questions
- scarce resources
Henry J. Kaiser
- Father of Modern American Ship Building
Built “Liberty Ships” merchant/transport ships
- Carry Men and/or supplies
- Mass Produced Ships
- Used Welds opposed to Rivets
- Created an efficient system (prefab) ---- Assemble the large finished pieces
- Build a ship in 4 Days
“Cost-Plus” System
- Military contract that guaranteed businesses a profit by paying for
- Cost of work + Percentage of Costs as Profits
Robert Woodruff
- President of Coca-Cola Company
- He made the soda “pop” an international company
- Where the U.S. Troops went Coca-Cola Went
Employment During WW2
- Union Membership Rose
- Employment at -2% but no consumer goods available
John L. Lewis
- President of Labor Union of Coal Miners
- Called for strikes on 4 occasions in 1943 for coalfield workers to increase their wages
- 500,000 workers walked off the job
- Just in comparison the U.P’s Population is 311,000
- Most serious strike during the war
Wildcat Strikes
- Strike organized by the workers but NOT by the Union
Revenue Act of 1942
- Introducing the income tax
- Helped the Gov’t meet the Need for Revenue
War Bond:
- Savings Bond used to finance the war
- Deficit Spending
- Deficit Spending adds to the Federal Debt