Rationing Research Paper

Between American soldiers and civilians, the estimated death toll during World War 2 (WWII) reaches an outstanding 418,500 ("By the Numbers: World-Wide Deaths"). The success of American Soldiers on the battlefront required the efforts of each citizen back on American soil. In order to supply war efforts, the United States government began to place restrictions on items that were in high demand on the battlefront. This practice became known as rationing, and soon Americans knew all too well the sacrifices that came with surviving a war. How did rationing affect everyday life of those on the home front during WWII? Rationing affected Americans by creating a variance from the norms that citizens were previously accustomed to, setting new expectations as to the role woman should assume, fashioning a shared frustration among Americans, and even the creation of what is

In 1945, the United States and allies went on to successfully defeat Nazi Germany and Japan. In the end, the efforts made by the United States government to supply the necessary items for American soldiers paid off. The rationing programs did in fact have impacts on every single American, regardless of their location. By rallying the citizens to work together, the government was actually triumphant in implementing the first ever rationing programs in the United States. From a historical standpoint, this is the first and last time that these programs were actually used in the United States. How did rationing affect everyday life of those on the home front during WWII? Rationing affected Americans by creating a variance from the norms that citizens were previously accustomed to, setting new expectations as to the role woman should assume, fashioning a shared frustration among Americans, and even the creation of what is known as the black market. Americans, although frustrated, avidly united together to support the country to a remarkable