In 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to his third term as President of the United States. He was the first to do so in all the days since our Republic was formed and for good reason. The programs he put in place, the "3 R's," as historians would call it, provided relief for the unemployed and poor, recovery of the economy back to normal levels, and reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression he helped the Nation work it's way out of.
When FDR took office for his third term in 1941 it appeared that his promised "New Deal" continued to improve the quality of the American People's lives. Then came the disaster of World War II.
On December 07, 1941 the Japanese Navy launched a devastating air attack on the U.S. Navy base on our then territory of Hawaii. Following the Declaration of War on Japan on December 8, 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. Congress responded, formally declaring a state of war with Germany in a Joint Resolution on December 11, 1941
The United States home front during World War II supported the war effort in many ways, including a wide range of volunteer efforts and submitting to government-managed rationing and price controls. There was a general feeling of agreement that the sacrifices were for the national good during the war.
The War had a profound impact on the Home Front. With over ten million men going off to war, the type of work women did and the volume at which they did it was dramatically changed. Five million women entered the workforce between 1940-1945. The gap in the labor force created by departing soldiers meant opportunities for women.
Military spending that began in 1940 to bolster the defense effort gave the nation's economy the boost it needed, and millions of unemployed Americans returned to work to make the weapons of war needed to protect the United States.