A United Effort

A United Effort. . With the overnight entry of the United States into World War II, it was apparent that despite America’s strength, much work needed to be done to allow the country to be successful in two different portions of the world. The country developed a new priority: everyone was expected to contribute to the war effort. Industry shifted its focus to build armies, while the economy centered on war preparation. As the male population was drafted and enlisted in the military, tradition dictated that women continue to keep families together at home. But the wartime industrial society of 1941 demanded that factories and fields produce as efficiently as they had in peacetime. Furthermore, many of the Allies had already been at war with Axis forces for several years and were near exhaustion. America, and the Sacramento Valley in particular, was called upon to feed and equip much of the Allied world. American productivity stayed high during World War II as more women joined the workforce. , , Inset Image: , Tower Bridge guard patrols Sacramento River, ca. 1940 – from the Sacramento Bee Collection.