December 7 Th 1941

1. December 7Th 1941

2. A Costly Prosperity • The entrance of the United States in the war had an enormous impact on the economy of South Carolina, as well as the rest of the nation. The effects were felt by every demographic of society. It was a time of great prosperity and of great sacrifice.

3. Revitalizing the Economy • Every aspect of South Carolina’s economy was impacted by the war. • Due to the increased demand for cotton and other produce, the state’s agriculture , saw its wages more than double.

4. Textile mills increased their labor force and production in order to keep up with war-time production goals. The mills operated in three shifts around the clock. • Military bases throughout the state employed thousands of civilians.

5. The Charleston Navy Yard produced more than three hundred medium and small sized vessels and repaired numerous others. • As many as seventy-two thousand workers found employment in defense-related firms. (Edgar et. al 1998, 513)

6. Reinventing the Roles of Men and Woman • As the war progressed, more than 180,000 South Carolinians, including 2,500 women, joined the armed services. • Many people, particularly African-Americans, left the state and moved north in search of greater opportunities.

7. All of these things created a drastic reduction in rural South Carolina’s labor force. In order to supply the needed workers, farmers employed more women and children in the fields.

8. Although urban populations increased, the war-time demands for production made it necessary for industries to employ women to perform jobs once held by men alone. A woman’s place was no longer to be just in the home. (Edgar 1998, 513-515)

9. Labor shortages not only created opportunities for women, they also created opportunities for African-Americans. • In spite of long held prejudices, necessity forced Charleston industries to accept more African-American workers.

10. The percentage of African-Americans working in Charleston’s defense industries increased from about 14 percent in 1936 to about 36 percent in 1942. (Hamer 2005, 88)(Horne 2006, 503)

11. Over a million African-Americans were drafted or volunteered for military service.

12. Rationing and Recycling • At the home front, life was characterized by war bonds, collections for relief agencies, rationing and numerous recycling drives.

13. . Items important to the war effort, such as, gasoline, lard, tires, as well as food items like coffee, tea, and sugar were rationed.

14. Money was collected for the National War Fund, a relief agency providing entertainment for the troops, food, clothing, and medical aid for war torn countries and war prisoners. • Recycling drives for cooking oil, rubber, paper, and various metals were common.

15. The war brought prosperity to South Carolina, but it didn’t come without sacrifice. South Carolina had over 5000 fatal casualties during the war. The sacrifices made by these brave men and women makes all the other sacrifices pale in comparison. Thousands more were wounded and maimed.

16. Edgar, Walter. South Carolina A History. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 1998. • Hamer, Fritz P. Charleston Reborn, Charleston, S.C.: The History Press, 2005.