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Discover the political, economic, and social changes in Texas during and after WWII, with a focus on industrial production, new production methods, home front workers, sacrifices, demobilization, and the impact on minorities. Explore the key events and attitudes during this transformative period in Texas history.
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The Home Front and End of World War II • Essential Questions: • Analyze the political, economic, and social impact of World War 2 upon Texas • Describe the impact of civil rights movements such as American GI Forum • Main Idea: • Texans experienced a lot of economic and social changes in the workplace, civil rights, education, and population before and after the war.
Industrial Production in Texas • World War II depended heavily on tanks, ships, airplanes, gasoline, explosives, and other supplies. • Texas had large supplies of natural gas, water, timber, and sulfur; and supplies 80% of oil needed. • From 1942-1944, Texas industries boomed, resulting in a large population growth.
New Methods of Production • Scientists invented synthetic rubber from petroleum, and chemical plants were built in Texas. • Largest tin smelter in the world built in Texas City • Engineers planned and constructed underground pipelines to carry gases and liquids safely instead of transporting them by tankers.
Home Front Workers • Between 1940-1943 450,000 rural Texans moved to cities to work in wartime factories • There were new opportunities for women, African-Americans and Mexican-Americans • Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) was formed to reduce discrimination in war industries.
Sacrifices at Home and at War • Food items and other important goods were rationed so they could be used in the war effort • Texans contributed to the Red Cross and other organizations that helped soldiers
An Allied Victory • V-E Day: May 9, 1945 “Victory in Europe” • V-J Day: Aug. 15, 1945 “Victory over Japan” • Allied forces entering Germany discovered the horrors of concentration camps where millions of innocent people (mostly Jews) had been killed—this mass murder will become known as the Holocaust.
Demobilization • Airplane and ship plants either closed or began producing consumer goods. • Women who worked in factories generally were fired so that returning servicemen could have their jobs. • Since farming had become mechanized and required fewer workers, most tenant farmers never returned to work on farms.
New Attitudes of Minorities • Many African Americans and Mexican Americans realized the unfairness of fighting and dying for democracy and freedom when many of their civil rights were denied at home. • Many Mexican American veterans joined LULAC, while others formed the American GI Forum of Texas—founded by Hector P. Garcia in 1948.
New Attitudes of Minorities (Continued) • The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) became active during and after the war in the discrimination cases of Smith v. Allwright (1944) and Sweatt v. Painter (1950). • Early civil rights activist Lulu Belle Madison White helped choose the plaintiff, Heman B. Sweatt, for the case.
Texans Return to Civilian Life • After the war, servicemen returned to old jobs or went to college. • 1944 - Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights which helped veterans in various ways (including tuition for college). As a result, the United States economy grew and prospered. • An increase in marriages resulted in the “baby boom” era.
Foreign Affairs • Some U.S. troops stayed to serve in Germany and Japan as armies of occupation. • New threats emerged when the Soviet Union set up Communist dictatorships in several Eastern European nations. • The United States was committed to stopping the spread of Communism and became involved in the Cold War. • 1950 – Korean War • Communist N. Korea invaded S. Korea, a key U.S. ally VS.
