New
New
Year 11
AQA

World War Two and US society

I can explain how the Second World War affected American society.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

World War Two and US society

I can explain how the Second World War affected American society.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Censorship and rationing were introduced in the USA during WWII.
  2. Seven million women entered the American workforce between 1940 and 1945.
  3. The types of work completed by women became more varied.
  4. African Americans gained new opportunities for employment during the war.
  5. African Americans continued to face discrimination both in the military and on the home front.

Keywords

  • Home front - the non-military people of a country at war and their activities in support of the war effort are described as the home front

  • Censorship - censorship is the act of preventing certain information from being seen or made available to the public

  • Rationing - rationing is a system of limiting the amount of something that each person is allowed to have

  • Riveter - a riveter is a person whose job involves joining pieces of metal together. This was a common job in shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing

  • Segregated - groups of people are segregated if they are separated from one another. In the USA, people were often segregated based on their race

Common misconception

Improved working opportunities for women and African Americans represented an end to discrimination against them.

African Americans and women continued to face discrimination in the workplace. Women entered 'male' jobs but were paid less than men and many employers still hired disproportionately low numbers of African Americans.

Share C.L.R James' view of WWII. Ask students: (1) what was CLR James' attitude towards the war and why did he feel like this? (2) does CLR James' opinion appear to have been commonly shared? How can you tell?
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
The process of supplying yourself or others with new weapons to rebuild military strength is called .
Correct Answer: rearmament , Rearmament
Q2.
Which acts were passed by Congress in August 1935 and May 1937?
Lend Lease
Cash and Carry
Correct answer: Neutrality
Q3.
What happened to the output of US industry during World War Two?
Correct answer: It rose significantly.
It stayed the same.
It decreased.
Q4.
What happened to the rate of unemployment in the USA during WW2?
It increased.
Correct answer: It decreased.
It stayed the same.
Q5.
Which US president broadcasted a fireside chat in which he referred to the USA as the “great arsenal of democracy”?
Hoover
Correct answer: Roosevelt
Truman
Q6.
When did the USA officially enter WW2?
Correct answer: December 1941
March 1941
November 1939

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words with their definitions.
Correct Answer:home front,he efforts of the the non-military people of a country at war t

he efforts of the the non-military people of a country at war t

Correct Answer:rationing,system limiting the amount of something that each person can have

system limiting the amount of something that each person can have

Correct Answer:segregated,the separation of groups of people from each other

the separation of groups of people from each other

Q2.
is the act of preventing certain information from being seen or made available to the public
Correct Answer: Censorship, censorship
Q3.
How many women joined the US armed forces during the war?
around 350 000
around 150 000
fewer than 1 000
Q4.
From which of the following jobs were women in the armed forces excluded from during WW2?
Correct answer: active combat
mechanical engineering
operating switchboards
nursing
Q5.
Which of the statements is most accurate in describing the situation for African Americans during WW2?
African Americans were not allowed to serve in the armed forces.
Correct answer: African Americans joined the armed forces but served in segregated units.
African Americans joined the armed forces and served in mixed units.
Q6.
Which of the statements is best describes the Double V Campaign?
The campaign called for democracy and freedom abroad.
The campaign called for democracy and freedom at home.
Correct answer: It called for democracy and freedom abroad and for African Americans at home.

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