Sixth Grade
Worksheets
The Important Role of Women During World War II
When World War II first started in Europe in 1939, the United States was not involved. The country was still suffering from the Great Depression. Many people could not find jobs. People who had jobs worked fewer hours. Many received lower wages. The U.S. had its own problems. Most people wanted the U.S. to stay out of the war.
As terrible as the war was, it helped the U.S. economy. The United States helped make supplies for the war. This opened up more jobs. The U.S. built airplanes and ships for the war. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States started fighting in the war. This meant that even more war supplies were needed. This was a problem because many of the country's men were heading out to fight in the war. It didn't take long for people to see that there weren't enough workers to fill all of the jobs. The troops needed those supplies! The government thought of a radical solution.
The solution was to have women work in the factories. At first, this was an unpopular solution. For years, because of the Great Depression, jobs were scarce. It was believed that women should not have jobs outside the home. They saw it as taking a job away from a man who needed the money to support his family. Women who did have jobs before the war worked in jobs that men viewed as being "women's work." They worked as waitresses, seamstresses, or secretaries. People also believed that a woman's place was in the home. It was important for a woman to be home to care for her children, to keep the home clean, and to keep food on the family's table.
