The United States enters World War II

1. The United States enters World War II 8th Grade Social Studies

2. Why did the U.S. enter World War II? • On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. • Over 2,400 Americans died. Many of those who died were on battleships that sank almost immediately • America officially declared war on Japan the next day.

3. How did North Carolina contribute to the war effort? • After the United States declared war, more than 350,000 North Carolinians signed up to fight in the war. 7,000 of those who signed up were women. • North Carolinians were among the toughest in the military. One soldier said “with them around, it’s impossible to whine when the going gets tough.”

4. How did the war escalate in Europe? • In the summer of 1942, the German army made its presence felt in the Soviet Union and parts of North Africa • The German army was helped by the oil fields in Eastern Europe; this helped them fuel their tanks, planes, and submarines, making them an even stronger military force.

5. What took place off the U.S. Coast? • Germany controlled the Atlantic Ocean with a powerful submarine fleet. • Their main goal was to intercept ships that were carrying supplies to Britain and the Soviet Union. • Some of the fighting took place right off the coast of North Carolina • Onlookers recall seeing fires and ships burning, and bodies would wash ashore the following morning.

6. How was life on the home front? • In America, the war was part of EVERYONE’S life. • Goods were “rationed”, which meant people could only buy a certain amount of things at a time. • Examples: Sugar, gasoline, rubber, and shoes were in short supply. People needed to present “ration stamps” if they wanted to buy them. • More than 7,000 North Carolinians died in World War II.

7. How did the war impact the economy? • The war spurred economic growth in America. The government collected more taxes, which created more jobs for the war effort, such as in factories that manufactured war supplies. • The war effort nearly completely ended the depression.

8. How did the war end in Europe? • In Europe, the United States successfully took over Normandy, France on June 6, 1944 . This was the beginning of the end of Hitler’s reign of terror. The beach landing at Normandy is known as “D-Day”.

9. How did the war end in Asia? • After claiming victory over Germany and Italy, the U.S. ordered the surrender of Japan and threatened “Prompt and utter destruction.” • Japan refused to surrender, so the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

10. Atomic Bomb photos

11. Assignment • After writing your summary, get with a partner. Your assignment is to put yourself in the shoes of a military family member in World War II. You have the opportunity to write a family member serving in the war a letter. What would you tell them? What would you ask about their experience?