How Did World War 2 Change Life For American Women

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Recommended: Impact of World War II

Helena Wood
November 2017
Mrs.Costello
UP Honors US History A

How World War 2 Changed Life for American Women:
In 1939 World War 2 started. World War 2 was a power struggle between the Axis powers and the Allies. The Axis was made up of Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allies were made up of Great Britain, France, the United States of America, Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, India, and many more. The Soviet Union started with the
Axis powers and eventually switched to the Allies. The war itself involved over 30 countries. World War 2 led to the collapse of Nazi Germany, the fall of both the
Japanese and the Italian Empires, the Disbandment of the League of Nations (LON), the creation of the UN (United Nation), changing of home life, Woman …show more content…

WW2 took place on September 1st, 1939 and ended on
September 2nd, 1945. It lasted 6 years and one day. World War 2 had many long lasting effects. Before the war, women were stay at home moms, and caretakers of the home, whereas the men were the ‘breadwinners’. During the course of the war, home life changed for U.S woman. Many women started working in factories, and taking over predominantly male jobs, because the men were all at war. The war strongly affected home life for everyone in the world. American men were drafted to go to war, and American woman had to step in where the men would have otherwise been working. It gave American woman a chance to finally prove themselves.
World War 2 relinquished a lot of control to woman, specifically woman in America. World War 2 was a game changer for American women, it gave women a chance to get jobs, forever changing the American workforce, gave them the opportunity to serve in the military, and it raised morale for woman.
With the men gone to war, the woman had to step up and take jobs in the office, and the factories. “Before the great World Wars, the role of women in western countries was usually to be kept at home. All of the jobs that were available to men were …show more content…

Some women tried to start traditional career paths like those of men; taking this route in the workforce was rarely seen.” (“A Change in Gender
Roles”). It was the first time in US history that this occurred, up until this point most women stayed at home as house wifes. “Patriotism did influence women to go work because they did not want to see the Allied powers fall. Half of the jobs that needed to be filled were taken over by minorities and lower-class women who had already been in different workforce areas. These women usually were just given pay raises at different companies that wanted them more. Married mothers eventually had to help out even if they had children.” (“A Change in Gender Roles”). Woman joining the workforce changed the

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