Impact of WWII

588 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of world war two on america

Impact of WWII World War II had a definite impact on the United States. It changed how people lived and how other people were viewed. Not many people realize the treatment of people from our own country during World War II. Three groups of people that were affected were women, African Americans, and Japanese Americans. The lives of these people were changed drastically, whether by having to work, mistreatment because of skin color, or by being blamed for something that was done by a country they were native to. Prior to World War II, employers and the government held that there were jobs appropriate for women and jobs which were inappropriate because women were not capable of fulfilling the tasks involved in such work. As we discussed in class, some women had jobs and some stayed as housewives but women were always dependent on men. The War years gave the opportunity to not only women but to the whole nation to break away from this trend. In my notes it discusses that women really took this chance to prove themselves that they were every bit as capable as men in the traditionally male work place. Unfortunately, there were no long lasting effects on women's status in the work force. Regardless of how competent women had proven themselves during the war in its aftermath they were not wanted in the male related jobs anymore. However, this did prove that women could do perform and gave them confidence. This helped spark a movement that would carry on and ultimately give women more rights. Though World War II somewhat helped women and gave them opportunities, it is hard to say the same for African Americans. African Americans were greatly affected by World War II. Many African Americans served their country with loy... ... middle of paper ... ..."All paper was stripped from packages to prevent illegal messages"(81). Japanese Americans were shown no respect as United States citizens as were women and African Americans. However, as we discussed in class, in 1988 an apology was given to Japanese Americans and $20,000 was given out to some of the Japanese Americans. This was no way an acceptable answer. This time was an embarrassment to this nation. Overall, the United States government made many stupid decisions. The treatment of women, African Americans, and Japanese Americans during World War II is just a small example. The lives of these people were changed drastically, whether by having to work, mistreatment because of skin color, or by being blamed for something that was done by country they were native to. Hopefully this country has learned from its mistakes and history will never repeat itself.

Show More
Related

  • How Did World War II Transform American Society and Government?

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the end of World War II, the United States went through many changes. Most of the changes were for the better, but some had an adverse effect on certain population centers. Many programs, agencies and policies were created to transform American society and government.

    Read More

  • American Homefront During World War II

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American home front during World War II is recalled warmly in popular memory and cultural myth as a time of unprecedented national unity, years in which Americans stuck together in common cause. World War II brought many new ideas and changes to American life. Even though World War II brought no physical destruction to the United States mainland, it did affect American society. Every aspect of American life was altered by U.S. involvement in the war including demographics, the labor force, economics and cultural trends.

    Read More

  • American Minorities during World War II

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    World War II opened up several opportunities for African American men during and after the war. First of all, the blacks were able to join the military, the Navy and the Army Air Corps’ (Reinhardt and Ganzel 1). The African Americans were allowed to join the military because they were needed, but they would be trained separately and put in separate groups then the white men because America was still prejudice. (Reinhardt and Ganzel 1). The same went for the African Americans that joined the Navy, only they were given the menial jobs instead of the huge jobs (Reinhardt and Ganzel 1). African Americans that joined the Army Air Corps’ were also segregated (Reinhardt and Ganzel 1). The Army Air Corps’ African American also known as the Tuskegee Airmen were sent to the blacks university in Tuskegee for their training (Reinhardt and Ganzel 1). They became one of the most well known groups of flyers during World War II th...

    Read More

  • Was World War II A Turning Point For African Americans?

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kersten, Andrew E. "African Americans and World War II." Organization of American Historians Magazine of History. Organization of American Historians, n.d. Web.

    Read More

  • Women In World War I

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    When all the men were across the ocean fighting a war for world peace, the home front soon found itself in a shortage for workers. Before the war, women mostly depended on men for financial support. But with so many gone to battle, women had to go to work to support themselves. With patriotic spirit, women one by one stepped up to do a man's work with little pay, respect or recognition. Labor shortages provided a variety of jobs for women, who became street car conductors, railroad workers, and shipbuilders. Some women took over the farms, monitoring the crops and harvesting and taking care of livestock. Women, who had young children with nobody to help them, did what they could do to help too. They made such things for the soldiers overseas, such as flannel shirts, socks and scarves.

    Read More

  • Women's Employment in the 1940s

    6013 Words  | 13 Pages

    Many factors affected the changes in women’s employment. The change that occurred went through three major phases: the prewar period in the early 1940s, the war years from 1942-1944, and the post war years from around 1945-1949. The labor shortage that occurred as men entered the military propelled a large increase in women’s entrance into employment during the war. Men's return to the civilian workforce at the end of the war caused the sudden drop to prewar levels. The cause of the sudden decline during post war years of women in the paid workforce is unclear. Many questions are left unanswered: What brought women into the war industry, ...

    Read More

  • World War II and American Racism

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States was a divided nation at the time of World War II. Divided by race and racism. This Division had been much greater in the past with the institution of slavery. As the years went by the those beliefs did deteriorate slowly, but they were still present during the years of World War II. This division was lived out in two forms, legislation and social behavior. The legislation came in the form of the “Jim Crow” laws. The belief that some people were naturally superior and others inferior, scientific racism, was the accepted belief of the time These cultural traits were waning. After World War II ended they would decline even more rapidly.

    Read More

  • Social, Political and Economic Effects of WWI

    2176 Words  | 5 Pages

    Social, Political and Economic Effects of WWI. Everywhere in the world heard the sound of things breaking." Advanced European societies could not support long wars or so many thought prior to World War I. They were right in the way.

    Read More

  • Inequality for African Americans

    1853 Words  | 4 Pages

    Prior to World War I there was much social, economic, and political inequality for African Americans. This made it difficult for African Americans to accept their own ethnicity and integrate with the rest of American society. By the end of World War II however African Americans had made great strides towards reaching complete equality, developing their culture, securing basic rights, and incorporating into American society.

    Read More

  • Abandoning Ideals: America's Mistreatment of Japanese-Americans

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    Though Americans have done their best to uphold the ideals and promises that this country was founded upon, there have been times when these principles were abandoned. Throughout America’s history, Jefferson’s ideals have been violated. “Succumbing to bad advice and popular opinion, President Roosevelt signed an executive order in February 1942 ordering the relocation of all Americans of Japanese ancestry to concentration camps in the interior of the United States.” During this time, Japanese-Americans were stripped of their rights, forcing them out of their homes and treating them horribly in ‘concentration camps.’ Despite many of these Japanese-Americans posing no threat or possibility of allegiance to Japan they were ostracized; treated

    Read More

  • African Americans In Japanese Internment Camps

    279 Words  | 1 Pages

    The problem with Japanese American treatment during World War II was harsh and cruel but was approved of at the time. The japanese descendants were taken from their homes and businesses because the government had passed a law that said the Japanese Americans had to move inland to safe camps that were ready for them. The truth was that the government and the military was scared of the Japanese Americans going to fight with the japanese. Some may of wanted to go peacefully but others did not want to leave everything behind, there were protests from the Japanese Americans, that are listed in multiple documents, in which they wanted to stay by the coast. The government had made it sound as if the movement was like a wonderful vacation where everything was taken care of and the living conditions were amazing but the conditions were actually rough and cruel but everyone thought the government was treating them kindly.

    Read More

  • The Inferior Race

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout America’s history, there have been numerous incidents of unnecessary incrimination of certain races, perhaps most evidently the internment of Japanese-Americans between World War I and World War II. Not only did public opinions shift towards illogical discrimination of the foreigners, degrading propaganda, discriminating laws, and segregation/separation began taking over the nation. Mainly due to the idea of national safety, irrational fear of the Japanese quickly arose and the government saw internment as a reasonable response, which only led to the Americans feeling superior to the so-called “inferior creatures.” During the gap between the World Wars, the American population took drastic measures in order to make it clear that they are superior to the Japanese and the United States truly is their country.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Bomb The Color Line: The War Against Jim Crow

    524 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many of the African American soldiers wanted to offer their skills in the war but they could not because of their skin color they had to often have kitchen duty, cleaning beds, and

    Read More

  • Essay: How World War II Changed America

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    World War II changed the world as a whole, but in this essay I am going to talk about how it changed America. After the war, many groups and organizations were created. The United Nations was born on October 24, 1945. This was a group meant to keep peace between nations. Tensions were still high between the United States and the Soviet Union after the war. Nevertheless, things were booming like never before here in our home country. With equal rights for women and African Americans, economic growth, and anti- war organizations became pro- war after Pearl Harbor. These are the ways I am going to discuss to you how World War Two changed our great country.

    Read More

  • The Lack of Women's role in society in the 1950s

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    During America’s involvement in World War Two, which spanned from 1941 until 1945, many men went off to fight overseas. This left a gap in the defense plants that built wartime materials, such as tanks and other machines for battle. As a result, women began to enter the workforce at astonishing rates, filling the roles left behind by the men. As stated by Cynthia Harrison, “By March of [1944], almost one-third of all women over the age of fourteen were in the labor force, and the numbers of women in industry had increased almost 500 percent. For the first time in history, women were in the exact same place as their male counterparts had been, even working the same jobs. The women were not dependent upon men, as the men were overseas and far from influence upon their wives.

    Read More

More about Impact of WWII

Open Document