Gendering the Nation Online Museum Exhibit
Created by the class of HIST 465 (Topics in Women's History) 2015-16
Queens University, Canada
American Women during World War II:
From Home Front to Forefront
Prior to World War II, American women were expected to fulfill domestic roles as wives and mothers, seldom venturing outside of home duties. Relegated to the private sphere and socially subordinated to their male counterparts, most women did not have the opportunity to gain public experience in politics, education, or the labour force. In keeping with traditional gender designation, occupations, as well as political and military roles, were reserved for men. With the arrival of the second Great War, however, perceptions of gender roles were dramatically altered. The lack of available men and the need to mobilize the entire population in support of a common effort resulted in the immersion of women into the traditionally male-dominated public sphere.
With their husbands at war, women could no longer privately serve as wives and mothers to their own families. Rather, they had to adopt the role as caretakers to the entire nation, as well as the troops abroad. Uniforms had to be made, ammunition produced, modes of transportation tended to, and soldiers cared for. Thus, as their husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons fought for their nation on the battlefields, these American women struggled to ensure they were adequately equipped and cared for through their work in factories, offices, and hospitals both at home and an ocean away. Though they were not on the front lines, these particular women adopted the jobs and tasks of their male counterparts in order to sustain society, while continuing to provide steadfast support for the families that were left behind. History continues to be witness to their profound contributions in many spheres, as evidenced herein.
Women in Industry
Industrial occupation, prior to the Second World War, had long since been considered man’s work. Women were needed to tend to domestic tasks and even those who did have jobs outside of the home were limited to gender-suitable duties. With the onset of the war, however, America's men left their jobs at home to take up arms on the front lines. Yet, while the war raged on overseas, production in America could not stop; rather, it was needed more than ever before. This increased demand required workers to generate the supply and, with the male labour force severely depleted, employers turned to those they had previously deemed incapable: women. For women, this ability to produce wartime necessities and free men from industrial positions to fight for their country was their call to arms. Working in textile lines, steel production plants, and munitions factories, among many other occupations, women proved themselves not only enthusiastic and eager to learn, but also remarkably proficient at their new duties. Though they were previously thought of as inferior, during World War II, women became the backbone of the effort. Without their involvement and skill, the uniforms, vehicles, and weapons that contributed to the Allied victory would never have made it to the front lines.
3 Girls Run Arsenal Cranes as War Share’
Prior to World War II, a woman’s primary job was in the home, but there were those who were employed in the public sector. These female jobs, however, were only those considered gender appropriate, meaning they were comparatively simple and required minimal strength. Much like the three women described in the article clipping (left), they would occupy positions book-binding, with cosmetics companies, or acting as hostesses. That all changed when they were called to take on the industrial jobs vacated by men who had been deployed to the front lines. At the outbreak of the Second Great War, these three women—Mrs. Virginia Miola, Mrs. Neta Paul, and Ms. Frances Shugzda—found themselves operating 10-ton cranes hauling gun barrels and metals at the Watertown Arsenal. Each of these women had a family member fighting for their country’s freedom overseas, yet their contribution as the “women behind the men behind the guns” was equally vital. Without women such as these, who shouldered jobs they would have been seen as incapable of in the pre-war era, the machine which supported the battles overseas would have collapsed.
Citation: Purcell, Joseph. “3 Girls Run Arsenal Cranes as War Share.” Boston Daily Record. October 20, 1942. From The National Archives at Boston. http://www.archives.gov/boston/exhibits/homefront/4.01-10-scrapbook.pdf#page=1.
‘Hie From Altar to War Jobs’
Beyond expanding employment opportunities for women, the greater independence and exposure to the public sphere offered by the rising need for workers during World War II encouraged defiance of feminine stereotypes. Though they acknowledged the life significance of their recent marriages, Alice Barnes and Virginia Brown placed their wartime employment ahead of their newfound domestic positions, postponing their respective honeymoons until after America’s expected victory. Barnes, who operated a machine that bored holes into large anti-aircraft guns, and Brown, who measured the outside diameter of gun barrels, were both adamant that they were first dedicating their attention to the war and that they, too, were fighting alongside their soldiers. What was a honeymoon in comparison with the Allied drive to defeat the Axis powers? It could be enjoyed when freedom was won by the strength of all contributors.
Citation: Purcell, Joseph. “Hie From Altar to War Jobs.” Boston Daily Record. October 23, 1942. From The National Archives at Boston. http://www.archives.gov/boston/exhibits/homefront/4.01-10-scrapbook.pdf#page=1
Training Women for War Productions’ Video:
The call for women to join the war effort during World War II was heard around the nation when encouraged by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. There was a realization, however, that these women would be entering generally unfamiliar territory and, thus, would require training. The First Lady praised the National Youth Administration (NYA) as a leader in this movement when, at the outbreak of war, the NYA shifted its focus from providing youth programs to concentrating on training young women. Not only did women participate in traditionally feminine areas, such as sewing, nursing, and clerical work, but they were also exposed to the male sphere of ammunition and weapons manufacturing. This targeted instruction allowed women to skillfully assume industrial employment positions, freeing their male counterparts to join those on the front lines. Through training, women proved their capability in various realms and furthered their contribution to victory and peace.
Eleanor Roosevelt, “Training Women for War Productions,” National Youth Administration, 8:44, National Archives, September 5, 2013,
One material was more crucial to World War II than all else: steel. Used to manufacture tanks, artillery, ships, and planes, steel was undoubtedly the “backbone of the war.” Previously processed and manufactured at every stage by men, steel became critical to ensure survival and triumph on the fields of battle, and the continuity of production required women to take over where men had dominated. Unaccustomed to the intensity of this industry, these wives, mothers, and daughters wholly transformed into ‘women of steel,’ immersing themselves in all areas of fabrication, including fine-tuning, metallurgical control, welding, shipbuilding, and associated carpentry. This work, however, was not a chore for women. They expressed great pleasure and satisfaction in their jobs, both for their contribution to the war effort, as well as the excitement and sense of self-worth gained through the challenging endeavours. Where once they would have been shunned, they proved themselves integral to the engine of war.
“Women of Steel 1943,” Office of War Information video, 10:02, National Archives, August 20, 2013, https://archive.org/details/WomenOfSteel.
Hands-On Women
The most common images of women at work during World War II depict employment in factories or large-scale production plants, yet their work extended beyond the assembly line. With both men and women called to active duty overseas, multiple home front industries had to contend with a reduced workforce. Thus, the women who remained in America were urged to fill a less obvious void in rural communities and as recruits in volunteer organizations. It was these women, above all, who bore the greatest responsibility, as they equally aided Americans overseas as well as at home. Those who answered the plea for help on farms or in hospitals were not only ensuring food and care for the soldiers, but were also maintaining home-front land, industry, and citizens. Without these women, the victorious soldiers would have returned to an America that was far less prosperous, healthy, and well kept than the one they left behind.
'Women at Work’ Propaganda Poster
As women were very limited in their contributions outside of the domestic sphere pre-World War II, propaganda posters were a crucial means by which to spark their initial involvement in the nation’s fight for freedom. These posters informed women of ways in which they could fulfill the call to action, portraying them in a variety of roles, all of which stood to serve a common goal. This particular piece, illustrated by Vernon Grant and published in 1944, pushed women completely outside of their gender roles, as it showed them performing labour-intensive, male-oriented tasks, including riveting and the maintenance of transportation vehicles. The year of its publishing was also significant in that, as a consequence of wartime necessity, 1944 was the year that women had the capacity to earn a higher income in industrial jobs than in typical positions such as waitressing or beauty parlour employment. Not only were women involved participants in the world’s freedom, but they were also laying the groundwork for their own expanded possibilities.
Citation: Grant, Vernon. Women—There’s work to be done and a war to be won…Now! 1944. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97515648/.
Woman at Agricultural School:
With a great majority of America’s men serving on the front lines, women were a vital contributing force in both industrial urban centres and agricultural communities during World War II. Many farmers were hesitant to hire women, especially those from cities, as they feared these untrained workers would be a hindrance. Due to the severity of labour shortages, however, most had no choice. Farmers quickly learned that their new female employees were eager and willing, making them admirable assets. In order to expand farming opportunities, some universities and state colleges set up agricultural training courses for women. Women in these programs learned everything from sheep shearing and cotton chopping and to tractor driving (as seen to the right) and equipment operation. Beyond the war, these skills allowed women to assume farming as a full-time occupation under the title of “farmerettes.”
Citation: Agricultural Schools. Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II. From: National Women’s History Museum. https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/15.htm.
American National Red Cross Volunteer Special Services Certificate:
The Red Cross is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading civilian aid agencies. During World War II, this was no exception. Upwards of 100,000 women were members of the American Red Cross Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Corps over the course of the war. These women each contributed a minimum of 150 hours a year providing assistance to overburdened nurses in 2500 hospitals, both civilian and military, across the United States. In receiving their Volunteer Special Services Certificates, women were individually recognized as essential contributors to the war effort by the American National Red Cross and its most prominent executives. They were as much a part of saving lives as those in every other area of service.
Citation: American National Red Cross Volunteer Special Services Certificate. Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II. November 1942. From: National Women’s History Museum. https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/15.htm.
Female Faces of the Second World War
While no contribution to America’s effort in World War II was of lesser value, there were some individuals who offered particularly remarkable contributions. Out of necessity, this war offered women the opportunity to fill previously male-occupied positions and truly rise to prominence in their respective fields. With fewer limitations, numerous women proved themselves equally, if not more, capable then their male predecessors. In some instances, these women assumed a dominant position for the first time, asserting control over production, employment, training, and discovery. Though women would have undoubtedly broken the bonds of domesticity, the war expedited their entrance into male-dominated spheres and allowed certain women to emerge as the faces of what could be. As such, this poured the foundation upon which the rise and success of women in all fields was built.
Elda “Andy” Anderson:
Prior to World War II, the most comprehensive education received by the majority of women was of a domestic nature. Even those who did pursue greater education often did not have the opportunity to practically apply their expertise. Once the war broke out, the well-educated minds of men accompanied their bodies to the battlefield, creating an opening for women to enter higher-level positions, particularly in the realm of science. One such woman was Elda “Andy” Anderson, who held a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in atomic spectroscopy. In 1943, she became a member of the Manhattan Project, which was responsible for the production of the first nuclear weapons, including the atomic bomb. The recognition Anderson gained for her contribution to the war effort allowed her to remain prominent in the previously male-dominated scientific field. She went on to become the first Chief of Education and Training in the Health Physics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Tennessee), where she cemented herself as a pioneer in radiation protection.
Citation: Elda “Andy” Anderson. Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II. From: National Women’s History Museum. https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/15.htm
Olive Ann Beech
Known as the First Lady of Aviation, Olive Ann Beech assumed the leadership position of her husband’s Beech Aircraft Company when he fell ill not long before America’s entry into the Second World War. With war on the horizon, Beech took over at a time when it was necessary for the company to expand its production and convert a few of its models for military use. Not only did Beech arrange for the loans necessary for this expansion, but she was also in charge of overseeing the employment and training of 14,000 workers who manufactured over 7400 military aircrafts. Ninety per cent of United States military pilots and navigators—most of whom were male—trained on the Beechcraft Model 18, the production of which was due in large part to Olive Ann Beech. As a result of her contribution to aviation and the American war effort, Beech became the first woman to receive the National Aeronautic Association’s Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy.
Citation: Olive Ann Beech. Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II. From: National Women’s History Museum. https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/15.htm
Rose Will Monroe
Generations are aware of the iconic World War II figure, ‘Rosie the Riveter,” but few have ever heard of Rose Will Monroe. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Monroe, a widow, moved from rural Kentucky to the more prosperous urban centre of Ypsilanti, Michigan, with her two children. She had hoped to fulfill the call to arms as a transport aircraft pilot, however, she was passed over for this role due to her status as a single mother. Thus, instead of flying planes, Monroe assumed a job assembling them, becoming a real life Rosie the Riveter. This coincidence did not go unnoticed. In 1944, actor Walter Pidgeon recruited her to appear as the iconic figure in government films promoting war bonds. Thus, this real-life riveter named Rose became the face of the World War II women’s movement, inspiring those of her gender to discharge their national duty.
Citation: Rose Will Monroe. Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II. From: National Women’s History Museum. https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/15.htm