" Rosie the Riveter ", is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military.
As in World War I, women played a vital part In this country's success in World War II. But as with World War I,
Women working in an airplane factory during World War II.
women at the end of World War II, found that the advances they had made were greatly reduced when the soldiers from fighting abroad. At the end of World War II those women who had found after note employment from the normal for women, lost their jobs. The returning soldiers had to be found jobs and many wanted society to return to normal. Therefore by 1939, many young girls found employment in domestic service - 2 million of them, just as had happened in 1914. Wages were still only 25% a week. When women found employment in the Civil Service in teaching and in medicine they had to leave when they got married. Between the wars they had got full voting equality with men when in 1928 a law was passed which stated that any person over the age of 21 could vote - male and female. The war once gave women the opportunity to show what they could do. Young mothers with young children were evacuated from the cities considered to be in danger. In all 3.5 million children were evacuated though many went with a teacher. Many women decided that they would work in a factory. they worked in all manne of production ranging from making ammunition to uniforms to aeroplanes. The hours they worked were long and some women had to move to where the factories were. Those who moved away were paid were paid more.
WAVES training in Norman, OK.
Although they were not permitted to take part in combat, American women filled a variety of vital roles in the military. Their service helped make more men available for fighting. For example 10,000 women joined the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency service, or WAVES. This was a navy program in which women did necessary clerical work that would otherwise have to be performed by men. Some 1,00 women joined the Woman Air force Service pilots, WASP. They tested and delivered aircraft. Nearly 40 WASPs gave their lives serving the country. By far the largest women's unit was the Women's Army Corps, or WAC, in which 150.000 women served. At the start of the war, the unit was known as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, or WAAC. It's members worked with, but were not part of the army. The WAACs repaired equipment, and required equipment, worked as
We Can't Win Without Them: "Women in the War: We Can't Win Without Them" World War II poster.
electricians, and performed many other jobs. By 1943 demand for their services was so great that the army created the WACs were full-fledged members of the army. 350,000 women served in the U.S. Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. At the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and women's groups, and impressed by the British use of women in service, General George Marshall supported the idea of introducing a women's service branch into the Army. When the war began, defense contractors warned the selective service system that the nation did not have enough workers to meet both it's military and its industrial needs. They were wrong. By 1944, despite the draft, nearly 18 million workers were laboring in war industries, three times as many as in 1941. More than 6 million of the new workers were women. At first, war industries feared that most woman lacked the necessary stamina for factory work and were reluctant to hire them. Once woman proved they could operate welding torches or riveting guns as well as men, employers could not hire enough of them - especially since women earned only about 60% as much as men doing the same jobs. Defense plants also hired more than 2 million minority workers during the war years. Like women. minorities faced strong prejudice at first. Before the war 75% of defense contractors simply refused to hire African Americans, while another15% employed them only in menial jobs.
WOMEN IN WORLD WAR II
As in World War I, women played a vital part In this country's success in World War II. But as with World War I,
Although they were not permitted to take part in combat, American women filled a variety of vital roles in the military. Their service helped make more men available for fighting. For example 10,000 women joined the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency service, or WAVES. This was a navy program in which women did necessary clerical work that would otherwise have to be performed by men. Some 1,00 women joined the Woman Air force Service pilots, WASP. They tested and delivered aircraft. Nearly 40 WASPs gave their lives serving the country. By far the largest women's unit was the Women's Army Corps, or WAC, in which 150.000 women served. At the start of the war, the unit was known as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, or WAAC. It's members worked with, but were not part of the army. The WAACs repaired equipment, and required equipment, worked as
Works Cited
Danzer, Gerald. The Americans. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. 565-567. Print.
Ayers, Edward. American Anthem. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. 407-410. Print.
“American Women in World War II .” 2013. The History Channel website. Nov 17 2013, 7:27 http://www.history.com/topics/american-women-in-world-war-ii.
"History Learning Site." Women in World War Two. © 2000-2013 HistoryLearningSite.co.uk. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/women_WW2.htm>.