As a student of World War II history I have become fascinated with how our Home Front dealt with the shortages and rationing that followed the U.S.s entry into the war. Much of the hoarding and empty shelves of todays Coronavirus crisis seem oddly similar.
WWII Rationing in the U.S. started soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941. Tires were first rationed followed by many things including sugar meats and metals. With COVID-19 it seems the hoarding of toilet paper will go into our history as not only a real issue but a funny joke as well. While rationing during the Second World War was not funny there are similarities between rationing during WWII and now as we fight the Coronavirus.
In January 1942 tires were the first thing to be rationed as the U.S. military needed rubber for war supplies and vehicle tires. Following rubber cars were rationed in February 1942. Few cars were manufactured as factories converted to making war necessities. Just as the Ford Motor Company switched manufacturing capacities during WWII to make B-24 bombers this week Ford announced it will help fight our current battle against the Coronavirus. It will be working with GE Healthcare and 3M to make respirators and ventilators.
By May 1942 sugar was rationed followed by coffee meats fats canned fish cheese and canned milk by 1943. The womens magazines of the day went into overdrive tweaking recipes to help homemakers cope with a short supply of items. Home cooks were creative in how they fed their families. U.S. government messaging told mothers and wives to fight the war on the Home Front by ensuring their families were eating nutritiously.
Rationing worked well for most Americans. Citizens felt they were doing their part to contribute to the war effort and help the boys fighting overseas. While the Office of Price Administration (OPA) oversaw the rationing program local rationing boards helped the program succeed within the communities. However human nature in the 1940s was similar to human nature today. When OPA would announce a new product for rationing Americans would rush to the stores to buy all they could before it was gone. Doesnt this sound familiar for so many products during our current COVID-19 stay-at-home measures? Local grocery stores have empty shelves where pasta meats and sugar used to be endlessly stocked.
As a mother of four today quarantined at home providing nutritious meals is just as important for me as it was for the mothers 75 years ago. I too am being more creative and getting out of my cooking comfort zone.
During WWII sugar was the first food to be rationed. Sugar cane fields in the Philippines were lost to the Japanese and the war. Americans agreed to reduce consumption and the Sugar Book" for rationing sugar was born. It was the only legal way to purchase sugar from the grocery store. Homemakers made do with corn syrup fruits and sweetened condensed milk (although it too was rationed). Adding to the similarities and hardships of todays Home Front are the bare shelves of baking ingredients. I enjoy baking in my downtime and I have a plethora right now! I have come to rationing my own flour sugar and butter so that I can continue to bake during this time of self-isolation.
World War II killed 418500 Americans and 60000000 million worldwide. We hope and pray Coronavirus does not take the lives of too many globally and here at home. While the times are different it has been interesting for me to have personal insight into what my grandparents had to contend with back then. Then as now we want our country to be safe healthy and return to a time of peace and prosperity.
As a student of World War II history I have become fascinated with how our Home Front dealt with the shortages and rationing that followed the U.S.s entry into the war. Much of the hoarding and empty shelves of todays Coronavirus crisis seem oddly similar.
WWII Rationing in the U.S. started soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941. Tires were first rationed followed by many things including sugar meats and metals. With COVID-19 it seems the hoarding of toilet paper will go into our history as not only a real issue but a funny joke as well. While rationing during the Second World War was not funny there are similarities between rationing during WWII and now as we fight the Coronavirus.
In January 1942 tires were the first thing to be rationed as the U.S. military needed rubber for war supplies and vehicle tires. Following rubber cars were rationed in February 1942. Few cars were manufactured as factories converted to making war necessities. Just as the Ford Motor Company switched manufacturing capacities during WWII to make B-24 bombers this week Ford announced it will help fight our current battle against the Coronavirus. It will be working with GE Healthcare and 3M to make respirators and ventilators.
By May 1942 sugar was rationed followed by coffee meats fats canned fish cheese and canned milk by 1943. The womens magazines of the day went into overdrive tweaking recipes to help homemakers cope with a short supply of items. Home cooks were creative in how they fed their families. U.S. government messaging told mothers and wives to fight the war on the Home Front by ensuring their families were eating nutritiously.
Rationing worked well for most Americans. Citizens felt they were doing their part to contribute to the war effort and help the boys fighting overseas. While the Office of Price Administration (OPA) oversaw the rationing program local rationing boards helped the program succeed within the communities. However human nature in the 1940s was similar to human nature today. When OPA would announce a new product for rationing Americans would rush to the stores to buy all they could before it was gone. Doesnt this sound familiar for so many products during our current COVID-19 stay-at-home measures? Local grocery stores have empty shelves where pasta meats and sugar used to be endlessly stocked.
As a mother of four today quarantined at home providing nutritious meals is just as important for me as it was for the mothers 75 years ago. I too am being more creative and getting out of my cooking comfort zone.
During WWII sugar was the first food to be rationed. Sugar cane fields in the Philippines were lost to the Japanese and the war. Americans agreed to reduce consumption and the Sugar Book" for rationing sugar was born. It was the only legal way to purchase sugar from the grocery store. Homemakers made do with corn syrup fruits and sweetened condensed milk (although it too was rationed). Adding to the similarities and hardships of todays Home Front are the bare shelves of baking ingredients. I enjoy baking in my downtime and I have a plethora right now! I have come to rationing my own flour sugar and butter so that I can continue to bake during this time of self-isolation.
World War II killed 418500 Americans and 60000000 million worldwide. We hope and pray Coronavirus does not take the lives of too many globally and here at home. While the times are different it has been interesting for me to have personal insight into what my grandparents had to contend with back then. Then as now we want our country to be safe healthy and return to a time of peace and prosperity.