Nawel Girma

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HUSH 3 Quarter DBQ
3/7/2010

The effects of World War II and the Great Depression both altered American society greatly, but,

because of the more important and lasting effects of World War II, American society was transformed and

bettered be it at home or nationwide. There were many different aspects of American society that were

greatly changed because of World War II, such as unemployment, our economy, women and the African

Americans, and even federal aspects. World War II was greatly responsible for completely turning the

statement of, “the United States, a country who is filled with unemployed civilians, and very poor cities”

during the Great Depression, to, “the United States of America, a strong prosperous country with a

booming economy, virtually no unemployed civilians, with a strong democratic government who cares

about the welfare of their nation.”

To begin, unemployment rates were at our nation’s all time low during the Great Depression.

According to Document B, during the Great Depression, our nation’s unemployment rate before the Stock

Market Crash of October 29, 1929, was between1 and 2 million, but, after the crash, between the years of

1929 and 1933, our nation endured one of the worst journeys in history. Our unemployment r ate climbed

to a few less than 12 million in 1933. The Great Depression took a heavy toll on the American society and

no other force but the force of World War II would have and could have been able to turn our country back

around. World War II virtually eliminated unemployment, sending to unemployment rate back down to

about 1 million in 1942, according to Document B. World War II united blacks, whites, and women to join

together for a common cause, and that was to support the United States in their war efforts in Europe and

in East Asia.

Next, the effects of World War II also greatly affected American Society by changing women’s

roles and status in our society. Year after year, the United States was changing slowly into a more

feminine accepting country. Women during the early 1900’s took traditional roles in the home, or some of

them took nurturing jobs, such as teaching. World War II took women out of their traditional roles and put

them in what some might say to be traditional male roles. World War II called for all industries to convert

to a “War State of Mind”. If you made clothing, your company would start to make Military uniforms. If you

made cars, your company would start manufacturing Army vehicles or even planes. The mindset of
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HUSH 3 Quarter DBQ
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Americans changed heavily and American Women were not the one’s sitting on the sideline this time.

One character, the strong looking inspirational figure, Rosie the Riveter, is quoted saying “We Can Do It!,

according to Document H. Rosie the Riveter was a symbol of women who already were in the workforce,

and also a inspirational figure to women who were on the fence about abandoning their home and joining

the workforce. World War II united American civilians as one whole body, and that body, being male and

female, did not only consist of Caucasian Americans.

Following the previous statement, African Americans in the United States during World War II

played just as an important part in shaping the American society that we have today as any other person

imaginable. Today, we live in a free country, a country in which a qualified Caucasian male would not

receive a job over an exactly same qualified African American male. There are no ethnic cleansing laws in

our amazing country, and you are free to be who you want to be in the United States of America. Today

would not be today if it weren’t for the African Americans during World War II. Racial barriers were broken

as far as working together at a company, as well as working in the same military unit. There are many

African Americans to put the blame on for this, but not bad blame, a good one. A. Philip Randolph played

a very key role in breaking these color barriers. As said in Document I while proposing a march on

Washington, “Our aim then must not be to defeat Nazism, fascism, and militarism on the battlefield, but to

win the peace, for democracy, for freedom and the Brotherhood of Man without regard to his

pigmentation, land of his birth or the God of his fathers.” Randolph wanted to unite African Americans

and keep their hopes alive for one day, there may be a nation where, “we live in a free country, a country

in which a qualified Caucasian male would not receive a job over an exactly same qualified African

American male,” as stated at the beginning of my paragraph. World War II significantly changed American

society by adding African Americans into the picture of the United States of America, and because of

efforts of those such as A. Philip Randolph, others opinions, just like Harry S Truman’s, changed on

African Americans as we have documented, such as the integration of the Armed Forces.

However, one major effect, which was the effect that the Federal Government made, was not

cause by World War II. The Great Depression was the sole provider of room for our Federal Government

to step into American’s lives. Different Acts and Corporations were developed to try and aid American
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HUSH 3 Quarter DBQ
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civilians in their time of need during the Great Depression, acts such as the Wagner Act, the Social

Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Emergency Banking Act, and the Security and Exchange

Act which formed the Security and Exchange Commission which is still around regulating the Stock

Market today. Also, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was formed to insure bank deposits. The

Federal Government immensely stepped up into Americans’ lives and as Franklin D. Roosevelt said

himself in Document A during his very famous First Inaugural Address of 1933, “I am convinced that you

will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.” Roosevelt wanted himself and the Federal

Government to try and see eye to eye with American civilians.

Because of the more important and lasting effects of World War II, American society was

transformed and bettered at home and nationwide. World War II was not solely responsible for

transforming the American society, but was about over 75% responsible for it. The Great Depression was

only responsible for getting the US Government involved with the civilians of the US, but other than that, it

completely destroyed our economy and nation. World War II turned our nation around and made our

nation what we are today, being a fully integrated nation, men, women, and blacks, and being a nation in

which our Federal Government actually cares about what is going on in our lives. Because of World War

II, the United States was changed to the United States of America, a very strong and very prosperous

nation with a booming economy, virtually no unemployed civilians, and with a strong democratic

government in which the people’s voices are heard and where the government actually does care about

the welfare of their nation.