19. Women and World War II
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Women in World War II, again, entered new fields. They became members of the military, who even faced combat. Took over their families, became correspondents, spies, and code breakers. The war created a time for women to branch out but still many struggled financially or were prevented, from things such as racism, to grow.
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Martha Gellhorn, The New Yorker
Wartime is often regarded as the province of men. But contrary to popular belief, women don’t disappear during war. During World War II, American women’s individual and collective contributions to the war effort, at home and at the front, proved essential to victory.
Let’s get up to speed. After World War I, the US experienced the Roaring Twenties followed by the Great Depression. Then, the world was at war again. Nazi German troops were annexing plenty of nearby land. When they invaded Poland with the help of the Soviets, the old allies of WWI had had enough. Germany’s neighbors quickly fell to the Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg was not a European pastry–but a lighting war strategy that caused much of Europe to fall under occupation.
The US, sheltered by the Atlantic and the Pacific, stayed out of the war despite cries from Europe for support. European nobility Princess Märtha of Sweden even came to live in the states with her children and regularly appealed to her new friends President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, to take up Norway's cause. Anyway, she urged them to provide Norway with war materials, and return her family to their home. But Roosevelt was in a political pickle, and kept the US out of the war.
Meanwhile, women war correspondents reported the situation to the American public. Martha Gellhorn, Josephine Herbst, and Frances Davis were among the women who told the story of the war to an international audience. They faced the discrimination common to women reporters--they were often ignored by the men. Davis observed that, “Somewhere within me there is the cloud of discomfort at being where I am not wanted.” She eventually won over her male colleagues…by smuggling their stories to France in her underwear.
Let’s get up to speed. After World War I, the US experienced the Roaring Twenties followed by the Great Depression. Then, the world was at war again. Nazi German troops were annexing plenty of nearby land. When they invaded Poland with the help of the Soviets, the old allies of WWI had had enough. Germany’s neighbors quickly fell to the Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg was not a European pastry–but a lighting war strategy that caused much of Europe to fall under occupation.
The US, sheltered by the Atlantic and the Pacific, stayed out of the war despite cries from Europe for support. European nobility Princess Märtha of Sweden even came to live in the states with her children and regularly appealed to her new friends President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, to take up Norway's cause. Anyway, she urged them to provide Norway with war materials, and return her family to their home. But Roosevelt was in a political pickle, and kept the US out of the war.
Meanwhile, women war correspondents reported the situation to the American public. Martha Gellhorn, Josephine Herbst, and Frances Davis were among the women who told the story of the war to an international audience. They faced the discrimination common to women reporters--they were often ignored by the men. Davis observed that, “Somewhere within me there is the cloud of discomfort at being where I am not wanted.” She eventually won over her male colleagues…by smuggling their stories to France in her underwear.
Eleanor Roosevelt, Library of Congress
Back to Eleanor Roosevelt–pre-war was privy to immense knowledge about the situation in Europe. In May 1939, more than 900 Jews fled Germany aboard a ship bound for the US, but were turned away and forced to return to Europe, where, tragically, more than 250 were killed by the Nazis. A year later when another ship of Jewish refugees docked in New York, they sent a telegram directly to the First Lady begging for support. Eleanor answered the call, took the Secretary of State to court, and saved the lives of 81 refugees seeking asylum.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s efforts were technically against the political will of the American public, who wanted to limit immigration and stay out of war. But on December 7th, 1941, public opinion changed after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and other Pacific island sites.
Roosevelt had started a column, My Day, to help Americans through the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor Eleanor wrote, “Our people had been killed not suspecting there was an enemy, who attacked in the usual ruthless way which Hitler has prepared us to suspect. None of us can help but regret the choice which Japan has made, but having made it, she has taken on a coalition of enemies she must underestimate; unless she believes we have sadly deteriorated since our first ships sailed into her harbor.”
Eleanor Roosevelt’s efforts were technically against the political will of the American public, who wanted to limit immigration and stay out of war. But on December 7th, 1941, public opinion changed after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and other Pacific island sites.
Roosevelt had started a column, My Day, to help Americans through the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor Eleanor wrote, “Our people had been killed not suspecting there was an enemy, who attacked in the usual ruthless way which Hitler has prepared us to suspect. None of us can help but regret the choice which Japan has made, but having made it, she has taken on a coalition of enemies she must underestimate; unless she believes we have sadly deteriorated since our first ships sailed into her harbor.”
Rosie the Riveter, Library of Congress
Women had long been laboring outside the home in “gendered” jobs. As war production increased and men volunteered or were drafted into the military, factories needed women workers to shift industries and fill positions making tanks, jeeps, planes, and munitions. The symbol of “Rosie the Riveter” came to represent the woman who left the domestic sphere to support the war effort. Rosie was even the subject of a popular song in 1942.
Rosie was often portrayed as white, but in reality, a lot of Rosies were poor women of color. In fact 40 percent of Black women in America were already in the workforce, compared to only 25 percent of white women. Sidenote: Women of color made less than white women, who then made less than men. In wartime Black women finally had opportunities for new types of jobs with better pay. For most white women, the war inspired them to leave their traditional home life to learn new skills, do their patriotic duty, and earn a paycheck. Rosie the Riveter became a feminist symbol of women’s competence, independence, and disrupting traditional gender roles.
Let’s hone in on a few specific women of the time. Hortense Johnson, a Black Rosie wrote, “Of course I’m vital to victory, just as millions of men and women who are fighting to save America’s chances for Democracy, even if they never shoulder a gun… I am an inspector in a war plant… When we approve them they are ready to be… headaches for Hitler or Hirohito.”
Or let’s check out Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman ever to hold a cabinet position. Perkins was instrumental in encouraging major manufacturers to hire women in defense industries. She importantly expressed the hope that the advances made by women in the workforce would continue after the war.
Rosie was often portrayed as white, but in reality, a lot of Rosies were poor women of color. In fact 40 percent of Black women in America were already in the workforce, compared to only 25 percent of white women. Sidenote: Women of color made less than white women, who then made less than men. In wartime Black women finally had opportunities for new types of jobs with better pay. For most white women, the war inspired them to leave their traditional home life to learn new skills, do their patriotic duty, and earn a paycheck. Rosie the Riveter became a feminist symbol of women’s competence, independence, and disrupting traditional gender roles.
Let’s hone in on a few specific women of the time. Hortense Johnson, a Black Rosie wrote, “Of course I’m vital to victory, just as millions of men and women who are fighting to save America’s chances for Democracy, even if they never shoulder a gun… I am an inspector in a war plant… When we approve them they are ready to be… headaches for Hitler or Hirohito.”
Or let’s check out Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman ever to hold a cabinet position. Perkins was instrumental in encouraging major manufacturers to hire women in defense industries. She importantly expressed the hope that the advances made by women in the workforce would continue after the war.
Japanese American children at an internment camp in California, Library of Congress
Now for some truly terrible history. After Pearl Harbor, more than 110,000 people of Japanese descent were removed from their homes and forced to live in internment camps in remote areas of the United States. Executive Order 9066 was a response to fears on the west coast that Japanese Americans, even those who were born in the United States, maintained a primary allegiance to Japan. Very dark time for Japanese Americans and immigrants. In the camps, women got to work. They served as teachers, nurses, and organizers who did everything in their power to establish supportive communities. Their roles were domestic and maternal, but they were essential to the survival of the deportees.
Sadly, most Americans were essentially blind to the hypocrisy of fighting for democracy while fellow Americans were in camps. They went on with war life. Besides joining the job force, American women learned new skills and assumed typically “male” roles in society. They learned to drive, manage household finances, did home repairs, and in New Orleans even became street car “conductresses.” Women wrote letters to men serving overseas to provide glimpses of home. They grew victory gardens to feed their families, as basic necessities such as gasoline, coffee, sugar, butter, rubber, and canned milk were rationed. Women even gave up wearing silk stockings because that valuable fabric was used to manufacture parachutes. The slogan “Use it up-Wear it out-Make it do-or Do without” inspired creative solutions to the challenge of wartime shortages.
Sadly, most Americans were essentially blind to the hypocrisy of fighting for democracy while fellow Americans were in camps. They went on with war life. Besides joining the job force, American women learned new skills and assumed typically “male” roles in society. They learned to drive, manage household finances, did home repairs, and in New Orleans even became street car “conductresses.” Women wrote letters to men serving overseas to provide glimpses of home. They grew victory gardens to feed their families, as basic necessities such as gasoline, coffee, sugar, butter, rubber, and canned milk were rationed. Women even gave up wearing silk stockings because that valuable fabric was used to manufacture parachutes. The slogan “Use it up-Wear it out-Make it do-or Do without” inspired creative solutions to the challenge of wartime shortages.
All American Girls Professional Baseball League, Library of Congress
With the departure of many Major League Baseball players for the front lines, Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley organized the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The League began play in 1943 with four teams. It expanded to ten teams and nearly six hundred players in its twelve-year tenure. The women played to enthusiastic crowds throughout the Midwest. Although the women were professional athletes, they were expected to maintain a “feminine” image that included dress uniforms, making it difficult to slide into a base while maintaining one’s modesty or avoiding scraped legs. Despite poor pay and long bus travel, the “girls” provided popular entertainment. They saw their job as a positive aspect of the war effort and laid the groundwork for women's sports and Title IX of the future.
But women weren’t just serving on the home and job fronts. No. Nearly three million women volunteered with the Red Cross in the US and abroad. They delivered packages of needed supplies to civilians in Europe as early as 1939, established a blood donor service that provided plasma for wounded soldiers, and even drove ambulances.
But women weren’t just serving on the home and job fronts. No. Nearly three million women volunteered with the Red Cross in the US and abroad. They delivered packages of needed supplies to civilians in Europe as early as 1939, established a blood donor service that provided plasma for wounded soldiers, and even drove ambulances.
Friedman, PBS
More than any war before, women were mobilized in the combat effort. One of the first ways they were used were as code breakers. Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892–1980) cracked hundreds of ciphers during her career as America’s first female cryptanalyst. She was well known for her service in WWI and busting smugglers during Prohibition. Though she and her husband both worked as contractors in intelligence, she earned half her husband’s pay for the same work. After Pearl Harbor the Navy took over Friedman’s unit and demoted her.
Lucky for all of us, the sexism and setbacks did not stop Friedman. She and her team used analog methods (that means pen and paper) to break three separate Enigma machine codes. One year after Pearl Harbor, her team had cracked every one of the Nazi’s new codes. In March of 1942, she made an amazing discovery. She decoded messages that indicated the Nazis had located the Queen Mary carrying 8,000 soldiers off the coast of Brazil, and they were preparing to sink it. Friedman’s decoding success allowed the Queen Mary to evade German submarines and sail to safety.
Besides Friedman, 10,000 American women codebreakers managed the conveyor belt of wartime communications and intercepts from the Axis Powers. They were pulled from schools as teachers, found in colleges as math majors, or discovered through newspaper advertisements for crossword puzzles. It was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for codebreaking! Their work was instrumental in winning key naval battles and gunning down the plane of Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of Pearl Harbor. They embodied patriotism and hard attitudes.
Historian Liza Mundy claims, "The recruitment of these American women—and the fact that women were behind some of the most significant individual code-breaking triumphs of the war—was one of the best-kept secrets of the conflict.”
Lucky for all of us, the sexism and setbacks did not stop Friedman. She and her team used analog methods (that means pen and paper) to break three separate Enigma machine codes. One year after Pearl Harbor, her team had cracked every one of the Nazi’s new codes. In March of 1942, she made an amazing discovery. She decoded messages that indicated the Nazis had located the Queen Mary carrying 8,000 soldiers off the coast of Brazil, and they were preparing to sink it. Friedman’s decoding success allowed the Queen Mary to evade German submarines and sail to safety.
Besides Friedman, 10,000 American women codebreakers managed the conveyor belt of wartime communications and intercepts from the Axis Powers. They were pulled from schools as teachers, found in colleges as math majors, or discovered through newspaper advertisements for crossword puzzles. It was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for codebreaking! Their work was instrumental in winning key naval battles and gunning down the plane of Isoroku Yamamoto, the architect of Pearl Harbor. They embodied patriotism and hard attitudes.
Historian Liza Mundy claims, "The recruitment of these American women—and the fact that women were behind some of the most significant individual code-breaking triumphs of the war—was one of the best-kept secrets of the conflict.”
WASPS, NPR
Women code breakers and their unbelievable value to the war effort opened the doors for women across the armed forces. First, Edith Nourse Rogers pressed Congress to create the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, nicknamed the WACs in 1942. Women rushed to enlist and be of service. More than 300,000 women volunteered.
Women led many clerical tasks, rigged parachutes, and maintained aircraft and military vehicles. The symbol of the WACs was Pallas Athena, the ancient goddess of industries of peace and arts of war. She was also the goddess of storms and battle.
Shortly after WACs got rolling, the Navy began recruiting women into their own brace–the WAVES.
Marine Corps and Coast Guard had a Women’s Reserve, and the budding civilian airforce added a branch of Women Airforce Service Pilots (or WASPS) in 1947. They flew B-26 and B-29 planes on pre-combat flights.
Women led many clerical tasks, rigged parachutes, and maintained aircraft and military vehicles. The symbol of the WACs was Pallas Athena, the ancient goddess of industries of peace and arts of war. She was also the goddess of storms and battle.
Shortly after WACs got rolling, the Navy began recruiting women into their own brace–the WAVES.
Marine Corps and Coast Guard had a Women’s Reserve, and the budding civilian airforce added a branch of Women Airforce Service Pilots (or WASPS) in 1947. They flew B-26 and B-29 planes on pre-combat flights.
Virginia Hall, ABOTA
But while the gender barrier was opening, the racial barrier persisted. Black women in these branches were often relegated to low-skill assignments or segregated entirely. Tina Hill an aircraft worker said, “I could see where they made a difference in placing you in certain jobs… all the negroes went to Department 17 because there was nothing but shooting and bucketing rivets… I just didn’t like it… [Negroes] fought hand, tooth, and nail to get in[to better work]... they were educated, but they started them off as janitors… they had to start fighting all over again to get off that broom and get something decent.” Worse, if Black women challenged their treatment, they were sometimes court martialed. The brewing hypocrisy of patriotism and racism is part of what led to the Civil Rights Movement following the war.
Some women possessed exceptional skills that were, frankly, exploited for the war effort. Virginia Hall was an American woman who lost her leg to gangrene in a hunting accident. She was fluent in French, having studied abroad and determined to be of service…but she was relegated to a desk. Defiantly, she volunteered to drive ambulances for the French army on the front line during the Nazi invasion of 1940. When France fell, she offered her services to the British in London. While the Allies were not keen on employing women, months of trying to infiltrate the Nazis with spies had failed. Ironically, Prime Minister Winston Churchill branded his emerging spy network as “ungentlemanly” warfare. Very ironic, Churchill–because it was women who were staffing the “ungentlemanly” warfare. Hall was recruited by Vera Atkins, a British intelligence officer keen on getting women into France. She knew since France fell, the countryside was mostly female, so a male spy would stick out!
Hall was dropped into France to operate a radio and pass messages back to the Allies. She helped the British land planes and supply the French resistance in preparation for D-Day. When American boys landed… there would be an armed and ready French population waiting to help. Hall emerged as a dauntless guerrilla leader. She blew up bridges and attacked German convoys.
She was rewarded by becoming the only civilian woman of the war to be decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for “extraordinary heroism.” CIA officers continue–to this day–to use her techniques developed in France.
Some women possessed exceptional skills that were, frankly, exploited for the war effort. Virginia Hall was an American woman who lost her leg to gangrene in a hunting accident. She was fluent in French, having studied abroad and determined to be of service…but she was relegated to a desk. Defiantly, she volunteered to drive ambulances for the French army on the front line during the Nazi invasion of 1940. When France fell, she offered her services to the British in London. While the Allies were not keen on employing women, months of trying to infiltrate the Nazis with spies had failed. Ironically, Prime Minister Winston Churchill branded his emerging spy network as “ungentlemanly” warfare. Very ironic, Churchill–because it was women who were staffing the “ungentlemanly” warfare. Hall was recruited by Vera Atkins, a British intelligence officer keen on getting women into France. She knew since France fell, the countryside was mostly female, so a male spy would stick out!
Hall was dropped into France to operate a radio and pass messages back to the Allies. She helped the British land planes and supply the French resistance in preparation for D-Day. When American boys landed… there would be an armed and ready French population waiting to help. Hall emerged as a dauntless guerrilla leader. She blew up bridges and attacked German convoys.
She was rewarded by becoming the only civilian woman of the war to be decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross for “extraordinary heroism.” CIA officers continue–to this day–to use her techniques developed in France.
Martha Gelhorn, WWII
When Americans finally landed on mainland Europe on June 6, 1944, no women were allowed. However, Martha Gelhorn, a journalist, stowed away on a ship because all the male journalists were going and she was not going to be excluded. Her account of D-Day is raw and was widely read. Nevertheless, she was found out and sent back to Britain to sit in military prison for defying sexist orders. Gelhorn escaped and flew to Italy to cover the remainder of the war.
Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the nation about D-Day saying, “ The best way in which we can help is by doing our jobs here better than ever before, no matter what these jobs may be.”
It would take a year for the Allies to take Berlin. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union would get there first, with soldiers raping and pillaging German cities as they went.
Let’s talk about the iconic women scientists back in the states who helped win the war for the Allies. Leona Woods Marshall worked on Enrico Fermi’s Manhattan Project team that created a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago. Think of how complicated it was to make. Her contributions were overlooked when Fermi received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, but another woman scientist, Maria Goepert Mayer, did earn a Nobel prize for her work in nuclear physics. Both women’s work was key to the development of the atomic bomb.
Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the nation about D-Day saying, “ The best way in which we can help is by doing our jobs here better than ever before, no matter what these jobs may be.”
It would take a year for the Allies to take Berlin. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union would get there first, with soldiers raping and pillaging German cities as they went.
Let’s talk about the iconic women scientists back in the states who helped win the war for the Allies. Leona Woods Marshall worked on Enrico Fermi’s Manhattan Project team that created a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago. Think of how complicated it was to make. Her contributions were overlooked when Fermi received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, but another woman scientist, Maria Goepert Mayer, did earn a Nobel prize for her work in nuclear physics. Both women’s work was key to the development of the atomic bomb.
Atomic Heritage Foundation
Here’s one of personal favorite anecdotes–Lilli Hornig was a Harvard chemist recruited with her fellow scientist husband to work at the Los Alamos site in New Mexico. But when she arrived and met with the site’s officials, they asked how fast she could type. She clapped back, “I don’t type.” She proved the haters wrong by later working in plutonium chemistry.
Many women who worked at the Y-12 Electromagnetic Separation Plant had no idea of the critical nature of their work. The “Girls of Atomic City” operated uranium separation machines to create the U-235 isotope that fueled atomic devices. Women who came to these top secret sites as wives and children of scientists had no idea what their spouses did for work, but did the work that kept these sites functioning.
When the the first atomic weapon was successfully detonated–known as the Trinity Test–Lilli Hornig remarked, “We thought in our innocence … if we petitioned hard enough, they may do a demonstration test… But of course the military made the decision well before... [that] they were going to use it no matter what.”
While the introduction of atomic warfare is a deeply complicated part of American history, on August 6 and 9th the first atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively ended the war in Japan. And the women involved–for better or worse–were part of that history.
Conclusion: In the wake of the Axis forces surrendering, the United States maintained a military presence in Japan to support rehabilitation efforts. The war was over, but the Cold War was beginning. Many women stayed on to help finish the job. As men returned from wartime service there was pressure on women to give up their high-paying war jobs and go back to their lower paid, often segregated work– and that was not cool, becoming the catalyst for the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements that shortly followed. From efforts at home, in the job force, overseas in the military, in the science lab, to even on the baseball field–American women made extensive and important contributions to the United States’ in the Second World War.
By the end of this era, so much remained in question. Would the progress made by women in this time remain into the post-war period? How would the mistreatment of people of color impact the post-war years and what role would those women play in transforming American society? Would the new options for women in the military and the workforce remain? Or would WWII be like other wars when women returned to more traditionally feminine roles? And finally, were women invisible? Absolutely not.
Many women who worked at the Y-12 Electromagnetic Separation Plant had no idea of the critical nature of their work. The “Girls of Atomic City” operated uranium separation machines to create the U-235 isotope that fueled atomic devices. Women who came to these top secret sites as wives and children of scientists had no idea what their spouses did for work, but did the work that kept these sites functioning.
When the the first atomic weapon was successfully detonated–known as the Trinity Test–Lilli Hornig remarked, “We thought in our innocence … if we petitioned hard enough, they may do a demonstration test… But of course the military made the decision well before... [that] they were going to use it no matter what.”
While the introduction of atomic warfare is a deeply complicated part of American history, on August 6 and 9th the first atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively ended the war in Japan. And the women involved–for better or worse–were part of that history.
Conclusion: In the wake of the Axis forces surrendering, the United States maintained a military presence in Japan to support rehabilitation efforts. The war was over, but the Cold War was beginning. Many women stayed on to help finish the job. As men returned from wartime service there was pressure on women to give up their high-paying war jobs and go back to their lower paid, often segregated work– and that was not cool, becoming the catalyst for the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements that shortly followed. From efforts at home, in the job force, overseas in the military, in the science lab, to even on the baseball field–American women made extensive and important contributions to the United States’ in the Second World War.
By the end of this era, so much remained in question. Would the progress made by women in this time remain into the post-war period? How would the mistreatment of people of color impact the post-war years and what role would those women play in transforming American society? Would the new options for women in the military and the workforce remain? Or would WWII be like other wars when women returned to more traditionally feminine roles? And finally, were women invisible? Absolutely not.
Draw your own conclusions
Library of Congress
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What were the human sacrifices on D-Day?
D-Day was the largest sea to land invasion in world history. It cost thousands their lives. In this inquiry, students examine primary source accounts from three women who were witness to the events of that day: Martha Gelhorn, Marie Louise Osmont, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Martha Gelhorn's full book is linked here, and Marie Louise Osmont's full diary is linked here. 
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Library of Congress
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Did women help win WWII?
Women's role in WWII is define, but did they truly help win WWII? This inquiry uses primary sources of women who had active roles in WWII and let's students decide on if would helped win the war or not.
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Library of Congress
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Do American women deserve more credit for the Manhattan Project?
When picturing the team working on the Manhattan project women may not be the first people to come to mind. This lesson plan uses female primary sources and leads students on an inquiry to help them come to a conclusion on if the women who helped during the Manhattan project deserves more credit.
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Library of Congress
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Who were the real Rosie the Riveters?
In this inquiry, students bust the myth about women's work in WWII. Women were not new to work, middle class white women were. Rosies were often NOT white, they were women of color.
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Lesson Plans from Other Organizations
- The National Women's History Museum has lesson plans on women's history.
- The Guilder Lehrman Institute for American History has lesson plans on women's history.
- The NY Historical Society has articles and classroom activities for teaching women's history.
- Unladylike 2020, in partnership with PBS, has primary sources to explore with students and outstanding videos on women from the Progressive era.
- The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media has produced recommendations for teaching women's history with primary sources and provided a collection of sources for world history. Check them out!
- The Stanford History Education Group has a number of lesson plans about women in World History.
Period Specific Lesson Plans from Other Organizations
- Rosie the Rivetter
- Clio: Rosie the Riveter is one of the most iconic images from World War II. She represents women who took on industrial work for the duration of the war. Students will look at poster art to examine how women on the home front were represented as patriotic workers during World War II. They will learn about one of the most extraordinary propaganda campaigns in American history.
- Gilder Lehrman: Although often understated, the social, economic, and political contributions of American women have all had profound effects on the course of this nation. For evidence of this, one needs to look no further than the many roles that women have played during wartime. From the Revolutionary War's "Molly Pitcher" to the thousands of women serving the United States military today, women have not only had a direct impact on the conflicts of their times but have also successfully transformed such experiences into opportunities for future generations. Never was this more apparent than during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, more than 200,000 women served in the United States military, while over six million flooded the American workforce. Furthermore, countless women—single and married—supported the Allied war effort through activities like civic campaigning and rationing. Many American students are aware that women played a role in the Second World War. Unfortunately this knowledge is often limited only to images of "Rosie the Riveter" and the wives and mothers left to manage households on their own. This lesson is designed to introduce and promote an interest in the many essential roles that women carried out during World War II and how they did so with great success. The driving force of this lesson is a student project entitled "The Faces of War" (see both Activity Three and the Extension Activity of this lesson for further details).
- Women in the Service:
- Edcitement: In this lesson, students will explore the contributions of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. They will examine portrayals of women in World War II posters (and newsreels) and compare and contrast them with personal recollections of the WASPs. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of the WASP program, which enhanced careers for women in aviation. Students can also explore the EDSITEment Learning Lab collection "Breaking Barriers: Race, Gender, and the U.S. Military" to learn more about the contributions of women to multiple U.S. war efforts.
- Eleanor Roosevelt:
- Gilder Lehrman: Students will be asked to read and analyze primary and secondary sources about Eleanor Roosevelt and the work she did to support social justice issues both in the United States and around the world. They will look at the role of first lady and see how Mrs. Roosevelt expanded that role to influence the political, social, and economic issues of the twentieth century. Students will increase their literacy skills as outlined in the Common Core Standards as they explore the social justice actions taken by Eleanor Roosevelt, which at times changed the course of world events.
- Edcitement: This lesson asks students to explore the various roles that Eleanor Roosevelt took on, among them: First Lady, political activist for civil rights, newspaper columnist and author, and representative to the United Nations. Students will read and analyze materials written by and about Eleanor Roosevelt to understand the changing roles of women in politics. They will look at Eleanor Roosevelt's role during and after the New Deal as well as examine the lives and works of influential women who were part of her political network. They will also examine the contributions of women in Roosevelt's network who played critical roles in shaping and administering New Deal policies.
- National Womens History Museum: The purpose of this lesson is to learn about Eleanor Roosevelt as an agent of social change as the First Lady of the United States and later as a representative to the United Nations. Moreover, students will learn how Mrs. Roosevelt used her position as the First Lady to become a champion of human rights which extended after her time in the White House. Students will read primary sources to better understand the legacy of Mrs. Roosevelt.
Bibliography
Collins, Gail, America's Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines. New York, William Morrow, 2003.
DuBois, Ellen Carol, 1947-. Through Women's Eyes : an American History with Documents. Boston :Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005.Indians Editors. “NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN.” Indians. N.D. http://indians.org/articles/Native-american-women.html.
Ware, Susan. American Women’s History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
DuBois, Ellen Carol, 1947-. Through Women's Eyes : an American History with Documents. Boston :Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005.Indians Editors. “NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN.” Indians. N.D. http://indians.org/articles/Native-american-women.html.
Ware, Susan. American Women’s History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Primary AUTHOR: |
Jacqui Nelson and
Dr. Barbara Tischler |
Primary ReviewerS: |
Kelsie Brook Eckert and Dr. Tanya Roth
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Consulting TeamKelsie Brook Eckert, Project Director
Coordinator of Social Studies Education at Plymouth State University Dr. Barbara Tischler, Consultant Professor of History Hunter College and Columbia University Dr. Alicia Gutierrez-Romine, Consultant Assistant Professor of History at La Sierra University Jacqui Nelson, Consultant Teaching Lecturer of Military History at Plymouth State University Dr. Deanna Beachley Professor of History and Women's Studies at College of Southern Nevada |
EditorsAlice Stanley
ReviewersColonial
Dr. Margaret Huettl Hannah Dutton Dr. John Krueckeberg 19th Century Dr. Rebecca Noel Michelle Stonis, MA Annabelle L. Blevins Pifer, MA Cony Marquez, PhD Candidate 20th Century Dr. Tanya Roth Dr. Jessica Frazier Mary Bezbatchenko, MA |
Remedial Herstory Editors. "19. WOMEN AND WORLD WAR II." The Remedial Herstory Project. November 20, 2022. www.remedialherstory.com.
