American History
4/15/2016
Impact of World War 2 on the Social Structure of America
Humanity has been able to master a wide variety of skills, from written and spoken language, to internet and advanced medicine. Getting along however, turned out to be a challenge too difficult to master for many societies as the human history is littered with terrifying wars. Wars have been fought over many things such as; resources, land, principles, and they always brought despair and destruction to all involved, none so much as World War 2. From 1939 to 1945 the world was engrossed in what is widely considered to be the worst conflict in modern history, millions were killed and wounded. It is difficult to imagine, then, how such a horrendous event could bring about positive change in America. Yet, it united an otherwise disembodied nation in the face of a common enemy and served as an equalizer for groups that were facing discrimination such as; women, who have been yearning for a chance for more freedom, African Americans who were eager to prove that they are equal to everyone else, and gave Hispanics and Latinos a chance for equal rights.
Women in America have been battling oppression since the countries inception in 1776. Though the fight continues to this day, World War 2 provided a platform for advancement through vacant jobs that were left by men leaving to fight in the war. It was estimated that 200,000 women answered the nations call and entered the war effort as nurses or other administrative duties, while about 6 million entered the workforce to help build the tools of war1. Though many women jumped at the opportunity to prove their worth in the workplace, some were persuaded with propaganda posters. One such poster read; “I’ve found the job I fit best!” informing women that there is variety of jobs to be had and encourage them to find them2. After the war was won the men started returning home and started reclaiming the jobs that were now...