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“[This] World War II cartoon shows National War Labor Board (NWLB) members Wayne L. Morse and William H. Davis preparing to eat an enormous piece of pie, labeled ‘Coal Dispute’ [...] The NWLB was established in 1942 to settle labor disputes in the war industries” (Library Of Congress)

See the photo here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016678552/

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While some groups like the America First Committee were against the United States joining World War II, others embraced the idea. The Committee to Defend America by Aiding Allies was one such group. They advocated that the United States help the United Kingdom through military means after attacks from the Axis powers could eventually harm them. Above is just an excerpt from a pamphlet on the Committee consisting of the actions they wanted the government to take and why. 

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The Lend-Lease Act: “An Act Further to Promote the Defense of the United States, and for Other Purposes.”  March 11, 1941

Series: Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789 - 2011. Record Group 11: General Records of the United States Government, 1778 - 2006

Facing severe shortages in the fight against Nazi Germany, Great Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill appealed to President Franklin Roosevelt to find a way for the United States to continue to aid Britain. Introduced with the patriotic bill number “1776” on January 10, 1941, Congress passed this act following two months of debate and it was signed by President Roosevelt on March 11, 1941. The “Lend-Lease” act met Great Britain’s deep need for supplies yet allowed the United States to prepare for war while remaining officially neutral.

See also the letters between Churchill and Roosevelt, the product of their 6-year correspondence, relating both Churchill’s often dire view of the war, and Roosevelt’s attempts to aid Britain within the constraints of U.S. neutrality.

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Isolationist Robert E. Wood on the Oct. 6, 1941, cover of TIME

As World War II began, the United States was divided on whether or not to join the Allies. From this stemmed many organizations for both sides of the argument. One such organization was the America First Committee and one of it’s leaders, Robert E. Wood, is depicted on the front cover for a Time magazine prior to the war. 

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With racial discrimination on the rise, many like A. Philip Randolph took action. Aimed at getting better treatment in the force work, specifically in the working industries, Randolph and other African Americans led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925. This image depicts several Pullman Porters, all of which belonged to the Brotherhood and worked hard to achieve equality which the American Federation of Labor, nor the most of the government gave to them at the time.

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"Not a single living soul left in Hiroshima" — France Soir (a French newspaper)

While it took American newspapers months to finally start reporting on the humanitarian damage at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, international newspapers were much faster. This report by a French newspaper, published only three days after the bombing on Hiroshima, describes the damage done to the city.

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Urban centres like San Francisco became a hub for gays as Americans migrated towards cities during the war. Though most gays remained silent, a relatively open wartime atmosphere and an increase in migration led to the development of vibrant gay communities in major cities. These cities would eventually become the centre of the gay rights movement during the sixties and seventies.

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Webster Hall, located in New York City, was a nightclub and a hub for counter-culture during the 1930′s. Drag queens, gays, artists, and gypsies among others gathered here anually for the Greenwich Village Ball. Because of the vents it held and the people it welcomed, Webster Hall was nicknamed“the devil’s playhouse.”

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The September 6, 1939 edition of “The Daily Olympian” (first photo) reports on the devastation in Poland following the blitzkrieg and invasion of Poland on September 1 of the same year.

The article by the “Sunday World-Herald” on September 10, 1939 describes the success of the Nazis against Poland while predicting future attacks by the Germans on France and Great Britain. This prediction would prove accurate as France surrendered less than a year later on June 17, 1940, and Great Britain became one of the main Allied forces.

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Part of an opinion piece from the October 8, 1938 edition of “Greensboro Daily News,” this article analyzes the effects of modern aerial technology on warfare and innocent civilians. The article’s claim that the “Blitzkrieg [...] is no longer tenable” is proved wrong, as less than a year later, the blitzkrieg on Poland started World War II.

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LA’s Zoot Suit riots

The zoot suit was a popular style of dress among Black and Latino youths during WWII. With ballooned pants that tapered at the ankle, oversized jackets, and a broad-rimmed hat, zoot suits were a way for these marginalized groups to express autonomy. Mainstream society, however, viewed zoot culture as rebellious and aggressive. In June of 1943, violence escalated in Los Angeles when white servicemen scoured the city attacking zoot suiters. The targets were predominately Mexican Americans, but African Americans and Filipino Americans were also attacked. For several days, servicemen dragged nonwhite youths into the streets where they beat them and stripped them of their zoot suits. Police often aided the attackers or arrested the Latino victims. The Zoot Suit Riots lasted for days and sparked racial violence across WWII America.

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cartoon characters in zoot-suits