Ch.35 – Origins of World War II EQ: Could World War II have been prevented? 35.1 – Coach Schroeder reads introduction 34. 2 – Write down all 3 problems and choose 1 solution per problem to copy. (I’m writing all 3, personally) 35.3-8 – Paste your pictures in your notebook like it described on the handout. Then write the opportunities and hardships. Section 2 – On the Front Side of a sheet of paper. Fill in the boxes you create on a page in your IAN. Copy the PROBLEM. (YOU ONLY HAVE TO COPY ONE bullet per problem, but I’m WRITING ALL BULLETS, SO I GET SMARTER!) Problem: The economy needed to be converted from consumer production to military production. • The government created a new agency (the War Production Board) to manage the conversion and to mobilize businesses behind the war effort. • Various industries switched from producing consumer goods to producing military weapons and machinery. • The National War Labor Board settled labor disputes before they disrupted the production of war goods. Problem: The government needed large amounts of money to fight the war. • The Revenue Act of 1942 increased individual and corporate income tax rates and more than tripled the number of individuals required to pay income tax. • To make tax collection easier, Congress devised a system of withholding a certain amount from every paycheck and sending it directly to the government. • The government borrowed money from banks and other financial institutions. • The government issued war savings bonds to raise cash from the American people. Problem: Inflation and overconsumption threatened the economy. • The Office of Price Administration (OPA) created price controls, which curbed inflation by placing restrictions on the prices charged for goods. • The OPA rationed basic consumer products. • Americans formed car pools or rode bicycles to work, recycled goods, and planted victory gardens. Section 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Need at least 2 bullets per box, UNLESS there is ONLY 1 bullet, then just 1. (but I’m WRITING ALL BULLETS, SO I GET SMARTER!) OPPORTUNITIES Group HARDSHIPS Joining the military enabled Americans to show their Basic training was tough, and GIs followed a strict routine. patriotism. On the battlefield, GIs were confronted with extreme danger and By joining the military, immigrants and minorities had a the fact that they could die at any moment. chance to show that they were truly American. GIs suffered from boredom and homesickness and could only GIs developed strong bonds of friendship. communicate with family members by letter. GIs gained a new sense of pride and a greater Many GIs were mentally or physically wounded by their appreciation for American ideals, like liberty. experience. Japanese American men fought in the 442nd Division, After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were which won more medals than any other unit of its size in regarded as suspicious and possibly being more loyal to Japan American history. than to America. Japanese nationals were declared “enemy aliens” and had to register with the government, carry special identification cards, and turn in all firearms, cameras, and shortwave radios. After Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps throughout the western United States. Evacuees had just a few weeks to sell their homes and possessions before being interned. Internment camps were bleak, crowded, and guarded with machine guns and barbed wire. Many women worked in jobs typically held by men. Women often faced hostility on the job. Tough, physical labor increased the self-confidence, African American women faced additional racial hostility. independence, and income of women. Women’s wages were not equal to men’s wages. Labor unions did The army, navy, and coast guard established auxiliary not support women workers. branches for women. Women worked “double shifts,” spending a full day at work and Many military women moved beyond clerical work and then another full day completing domestic duties. became truck drivers, mechanics, radio operators, air traffic controllers, or pilots. As the war progressed, African Americans were able to Racism was still a powerful force in American society. become military officers and engage in combat. Early in the war, the marines and army air corps refused to take The army air corps established its first black combat unit, African American soldiers. the Tuskegee Airmen. At first, African Americans were relegated to menial and A. Philip Randolph’s threat to lead a massive march in noncombat roles. Washington, D.C., led to the opening of the defense The army made African Americans serve in segregated units. industry to all Americans. African Americans faced housing shortages and racial Many African Americans moved to industrial cities for discrimination in industrial cities. better-paying jobs and to escape legalized segregation in Race riots broke out in many cities across the country. the South. Serving in the armed forces transformed the lives of Jewish Americans knew that millions of Jews were being many Jewish American GIs. imprisoned and murdered in Europe, and they could do nothing Jewish American GIs saw new places and expanded their to stop it. knowledge of unfamiliar cultures. Many Jews had Jewish relatives and friends in Europe but felt helpless to save them. Pleas by Jewish Americans to change immigration laws to allow refugees into the United States were ignored. Jewish American GIs often felt the sting of prejudice in the military. Joining the military provided Mexican Americans a Mexican Americans faced discrimination in their daily lives. chance to prove their loyalty to the United States. Tensions between Mexican Americans and navy servicemen led Many Mexican American soldiers received military to the Zoot Suit Riots, which resulted in the attacks on hundreds awards. of pachucos. Thousands of Mexican Americans left rural communities The Los Angeles police did little to stop the servicemen and, and took jobs in industrial centers. instead, arrested Mexican Americans and hauled them off to jail. The Bracero Program enabled Mexican citizens to come to the United States to work. .