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Comment: reviewed by: dana porter

Whitney Roberts Ms. Caruso ENGL 1103 15 February 2012 Life on the Home Front During World War II Americas involvement in World War II radically changed the life of every citizen in the country. The United States entered World War II on December 8, 1941 and from that point on, every American put their normal routine on hold until the end of the war. At first thought, World War II brings to mind the fighting that took place in Europe, Japan, and at sea and the brave soldiers who fought for democracy; however, the American home front had its own soldiers with their own form of courage. The soldiers of the home front were the men, women, and children who watched for enemy planes on the horizon and did all they could to make sure their boys overseas had everything they needed to defeat the enemy and return home. Life on the home front involved women joining the workforce to replace the men off at war, the governments use of propaganda to promote their war efforts, programs that implemented rationing, salvaging, and war bonds, the production of armaments for the military, and changes that affected life after the war. All of these aspects of life on the American home front changed the lives of every citizen for the duration of the war and even after. Women played a significant role in the success of the war effort on the home front. The most profound effect women had was their entrance into the workforce. At the beginning of the war, many women still faced much skepticism and discrimination when applying for jobs, but as the war grew on and the demand for workers rose, so did the number of women entering the workforce. Replacing the millions of men who went off to war, 6 million women entered the
Comment: WC. Adding men instead of boys will make the paper flow better I think.

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workforce. Before the war, most women were only able to work as secretaries or fill other office positions. World War II enabled women to obtain jobs that were once held only by men. They became chemists, electricians, welders, riveters, farmers, streetcar operators, police officers, and statisticians, just to name a few. Women chose to join the workforce for a variety of reasons. They felt it was their duty to their country and the men who were fighting to help in the war effort, it enabled many women to provide a good income for their families, and it enabled many to people to rebound from the effects of the Great Depression. Josephine von Miklos quit her job as a fashion designer to work in a munitions factory because she wanted to pitch in and fight, too (Colman 45). Women were able to prove their capability of performing in hard working, high risk jobs, a statement that would carry on after the war. During World War II, the government used propaganda to endorse the war effort. Posters, songs, movies, and radio shows were used to advertise Americas war time programs. Rosie the Riveter became as famous symbol of womanpower during the war. Posters of Rosie the Riveter covered the streets to encourage women to join the workforce. The song, Rosie the Riveter, could be heard everywhere beckoning women into war factories. Popular songs, often written at the request of the government, promoted everything from salvage drives and war bonds to victory gardens and civil defense. Catchy tunes were written with titles such as Get Out and Dig, Dig, Dig (Your Victory Garden), Junk Aint Junk No More (Save and Salvage), Get Aboard the Band Wagon, Shhh! Its a Military Secret, When the Air Raid Siren Sounds, and Remember Pearl Harbor. Kate Smiths rousing rendition of Irving Berlins song God Bless America became an unofficial national anthem (Colman 14). Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo was a popular movie shown in theaters that depicted soldiers in the Air Force and attack on Japan. Posters promoting car-pooling in an effort to save gas, carried the caption, when you ride
Comment: Maybe you should only put 2 or 3 examples, it seems like too much here. Also, show what message the government was trying to get across with these types of propaganda and how the public was receiving them.

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alone you ride with Hitler. Other posters advertised war bonds as a way to keep Nazi and Japanese hands off mothers and their children. Propaganda was an important tool used by the government to endorse its efforts, amplify patriotism, and create cheer and hope for all U.S. citizens. Rationing, salvaging, and war bonds became a fact of life for Americans living on the home front throughout World War II. Rationing was used to revert food and gas to the fighting soldiers. The public resisted the broadening scope of food rationing... To successfully limit civilian consumption of as many food staples as encompassed in the 1943 rationing orders, the challenge of the government was to persuade Americans accustomed to a free market economy to give up the right of individual choices for the common good (Mei-Ling 55). Everyday items such as beans, sugar, coffee, shoes, and foil were rationed. Women, once again, played an important role in the success of rationing. As homemakers, they controlled what their family ate. Throughout the war years, womens pages coached their readers on new approaches to food preparation inspired by rationing as well as new attitudes toward food consumption marked by patriotism (Mei-Ling 57). Americans were also urged to save as much as they could. Scrap metal, rubber, panty hoes, and waste fat from cooking could all be salvaged. Communities would run drives to collect as many aluminum cans as they could. The government even asked citizens to save and wear their old clothes as long as possible in order to save fabric for parachutes and uniforms. War bonds were also greatly advertised by the government. Through buying war bonds, citizens were able to lend the government money to pay for the war. The government promised that the war bonds Americans bought at $18.75 wound be worth $25 in five years. Clowns at the Barnum and Bailey Circus, movie stars, comedians, and politicians pushed war bonds. There were bond booths at movie theaters and grocery stores. People regularly used part

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of each paycheck to buy bonds (Colman 13). Rationing, salvaging, and buying war bonds were a significant way that everyday citizens were able to contribute to the war effort.
Comment: I think you did a good job. Your paper seems to be very well organized so far. The only thing I would say to do is add information about the people living during that time and more of their point of view instead of just facts.