Pennsylvania Homefront:
During World War II, nearly 1 million men and women enlisted and served in the armed forces. This enlistment, as with many US states, heavily impacted the homefront and workforce, and so many more civilians stepped up in other ways to provide for the war effort. Pennsylvania was the leading producer of resources such as coal and steel, with manufacturing factories across the state.
The above image is a map of Elk County, the county in which Charles Rippon resided. The Army Air Corps Museum currently recognizes 18 members who were enlisted in world war two from this county, however it is likely that this number is really exponentially higher, considering that Rippon's name is also not included in the list. Elk County was known for its abundance in Elk population, hence the name, and it is estimated that the elk population peaked during the world war two period with the large vacancy of hunters. Elk county was also generally a quieter region outside of the big steel mills of South Eastern PA.
This photograph is of the Bethlehem Steel Mill in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The steel mill was one of PA's leading producers of steel throughout the state, which assisted in the production of war materials, as well as the employment of thousands of new workers, many of whom were women.
The new waves of change sweeping throughout the nation also affected many minority and historically marginalized groups. One of these groups was women. The above photograph is of the Philadelphia Women's Suffrage Association which was organized during world war 2. Pennsylvania was home to many Suffragettes, including Lucretia Mott and Florence Kelley.
The image to the left is of a world war two airfield located in Pennsylvania. Prior to the creation of the Air Force, the Air Corps was an installation of the US Army. The Pennsylvania bases were used primarily to train USAAF Pilots. After the war, some of these bases were made commercial, some destroyed, and others continued their use as military bases into the Cold War.
Farming and agriculture was a major industry in Pennsylvania from its founding, and agriculture remains a major PA industry to date. During World War 2 however, much of the farming industry in Pennsylvania was vacated as many farmers either enlisted, or sought industrial jobs in the cities. What was left of crops were often shipped off to the front lines. As a result many Americans had to ration or grow their own vegetables, creating the trend of "victory gardens"
Create Your Own Website With Webador