Women in World War 2

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Recommended: Opportunities for women in World War 1

“We can do it!” is what the famous Rosie the Riveter poster exclaimed. Rosie the Riveter was the icon of American women helping with the war effort. It was 1941 and the United States finally entered World War II. Most propaganda of the United States encouraged average women to join the workforce and help with the war efforts. With men fighting abroad, it was only necessary for women to start working and leave there normal lives of being a housewife. The War Department emphasized that with women working hard their sons, brothers, and husbands would return quicker (Women at War). Women became employed, volunteered, helped with the armed forces, and became nurses. Without women, the United States would if not been able to win the war. In 1940, a year before the US joined World War II, a draft was placed for all men between the ages of 21 and 36. In 1942, when the United States entered the war, the draft became larger with men between the ages of 18 to 37 becoming eligible (United States imposes the draft). With men being drafted to go to war, they had to leave their families and there jobs. People were still needed to work in stores and especially in factories that were now being used to create war equipment. Most women before the war stayed at home and didn’t work but with the war things were changing for them. Women needed to work. By the middle of the 1940s, the amount of women working increased from 25 percent to 36 percent (The U.S. Home Front During World War II). One out of every four married women worked by 1945 (Rosie the Riveter). Many women began working in factories making war equipment. In 1943, more than 310,00 women worked in the aircraft industry. That was sixty-five percent of the total workforce (American Women in ... ... middle of paper ... ...org/history.aspx “The United Service Organization was Charted.” America’s Story from America’s Library website. Jan 4 2014, 3:54 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_uso_4.html “Rosie the Riveter.” 2014. The History Channel website. Jan 5 2014, 4:48 http://www.history.com/topics/rosie-the-riveter. “Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II.” 2007. National Women’s History Museum website. Jan 5 2014, 4:59 http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/17.htm “Our History.” 2014. American Red Cross website. Jan 5 2014, 5:05 http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history “Women at War.” The National WWII Museum website. Jan 5 2014, 5:20 http:// www.nationalww2museum.org/see-hear/collections/focus-on/women-at- war.html# “Women in the Military - WWII.” Minnesota History Center website. Jan 7 2014, 8:08 http://libguides.mnhs.org/wwii_women

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