The New Deal & World War II
- Explain how the New Deal reshaped the role of the federal government
- Analyze the causes and consequences of U.S. entry into World War II
- Describe how the war transformed American society and its global position
The New Deal’s three Rs
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal attacked the Depression through Relief, Recovery, and Reform. Relief programs (the CCC, WPA) put people to work; recovery efforts tried to restart industry and agriculture; and lasting reforms reshaped the system. Its crown jewel, Social Security (1935), created old-age pensions and unemployment insurance. The New Deal did not end the Depression — full recovery came with the war — but it permanently expanded the federal government’s responsibility for economic security and forged a liberal Democratic coalition that dominated politics for decades.
From isolation to global war
Through the 1930s, Neutrality Acts reflected strong isolationism, but as fascism spread, FDR edged toward aiding the Allies — notably through Lend-Lease (1941). The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, ended the debate and brought the U.S. fully into World War II. Fighting a two-front war against Germany and Japan, the U.S. became the "arsenal of democracy," its immense industrial output proving decisive to Allied victory in 1945.
The war transforms America
World War II reshaped the nation. Wartime production finally ended the Depression and created full employment; women ("Rosie the Riveter") and African Americans entered defense work in large numbers. But the war also brought injustice, above all the internment of Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066, upheld in Korematsu v. United States. Victory left the U.S. an economic and military superpower, holder of the atomic bomb, and reluctant leader of the postwar world — setting the stage for the Cold War.
Briefly explain ONE way World War II transformed American society on the home front.
- 1.Choose a specific change: the massive demand for war production drew women into industrial jobs.
- 2.Describe the shift: symbolized by "Rosie the Riveter," millions of women took factory jobs previously held by men.
- 3.State the significance: this expanded women’s economic roles and challenged traditional expectations, even if many left the workforce after the war.
The New Deal’s most significant long-term impact on American government was that it
A frequent DBQ theme: World War II, not the New Deal, finally ended the Depression by generating full employment. Yet the New Deal’s legacy is the expanded, activist federal government. Distinguishing the two shows the causation graders look for.
The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, upheld in Korematsu v. United States, best illustrates
Answer the 2 checkpoints as you read.
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