WWII on the Homefront

Prior to WWII, women's roles in the work place consisted of nurses, school teachers, and secretaries. And even then, these roles were reserved for single women who needed to help support their families until they were married. Mrs. Roosevelt was a key factor in helping women to gain strength and opprotunities during the war era. Her influence over her husband, and championing of racial and sexual equality were key factors in acceptance of women in many roles, not only in military positions, but in factory jobs and other opprotunities as well. Now, due to the shortage of men at home, women's roles expanded to many other important jobs, including the famed role of Rosie the Riveter, but also to taxi drives, auto mechanics and more. Still others volunteered with the Civil Defense, Red Cross, USO, or helped at one of hundreds of other local organizations collecting scrap metal, knitting socks and sweaters to send to soldiers over seas, growing a victory garden, or tending to neighborhood children so that other women could take local factory jobs. A select few even joined the first ever women's professional baseball league.

In 1940, the average number of people per house hold was 3.67 (during the great depression it was 3.8, and current statistics for 2006 show it to be approx 2.4). A woman's suit was $15, although many women still made their own clothes. A spin-dry washer cost $60, and one month's rent for a 4 bedroom NY apartment was $105. The anual income was approximately $2,000, but between the rationing of stockings, shoes, lipstick, tires, metal, can foods, and fabrics and other materials, many families purchased war bonds, or savings bonds that helped the war effort and could be redeemed after the war with interest.

Due to the number of men overseas, it was quite common for a newly married wife to move in with her husband's family for the duration of the war and help support her new family. War brides didn't just come from Europe, though. Many couples met while a soldier was on leave in another town all over the country. Some of these women waited until after the war was over to return to his home town, while others packed their bags immediately, and found themselves living in a strange town with a strange family, counting the days until the war was over.

Movies were an easy escape in the 1940's and how many people spent their spare time. Cartoons and war news were interspersed between the feature films, so that a person could spend all day at the movie theater. Top box office stars of the 1940's included Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, and Betty Grable, who was also one of America's favorite pin up girls.

Radio, another fixture of life in the 1940's was at it's height, broadcasting everything from childrens cartoons like Superman, Little Orphan Annie, and The Shadow, to news broadcasts. During the 1940's Lux Radio Theater coined the word soap opera, since Lux was a brand of soap. Radio shows were just discovering that women tuned in to the radio in the daytime while doing their housework.

Comic books and magazines were also popular both on the homefront and with the GI's during WWII. Magazines such as LIFE and LOOK featured advertisements for many products that would be available after the war, and asked for consumer support and understanding in the war effort, since almost all American manufacturing efforts had been turned towards making war products. A stocking advertisement, for example, may show a paratrooper "hitting the silk", or a refrigerator advertisement may show a B-17 bomber formation. Even many of the comic book heros went to war. In 1941, the comic book character Wonder Woman appeared on the scene to help battle the Nazis.

For more detailed information on 1940's fashion, slang, and lifestyle information, visit the WWII reenactor's guide.

For more information on life in the 1940's: