On the Farm Front: The Women's Land Army in World War II - Rilegato

Carpenter, Stephanie A.

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0875803148 ISBN 13: 9780875803142

Casa editrice: Northern Illinois Univ Pr, 2003

Riassunto

Rosie the Riveter is an icon for women's industrial contribution to World War II, but history has largely overlooked the three million women who served on America's agricultural front. The Women's Land Army sent volunteers to farms, canneries, and dairies across the country, accounting for the majority of wartime agricultural labor. On the Farm Front tells for the first time the remarkable story of these women who worked to ensure both "Freedom from Want" at home and victory abroad.

Formed in 1943 as part of the Emergency Farm Labor Program, the WLA placed its workers in areas where American farmers urgently needed assistance. Many farmers in even the most desperate areas, however, initially opposed women working their land. Rural administrators in the Midwest and the South yielded to necessity and employed several hundred thousand women as farm laborers by the end of the war, but those in the Great Plains and eastern Rocky Mountains remained hesitant, suffering serious agricultural and financial losses as a consequence.

Carpenter reveals for the first time how the WLA revolutionized the national view of farming. By accepting all available women as agricultural workers, farmers abandoned traditional labor and stereotypical social practices. When the WLA officially disbanded in 1945, many of its women chose to remain in their agricultural jobs rather than return to a full-time home life or prewar employment.

On the Farm Front illuminates the Women's Land Army's unique contribution to prosperity and victory, showing how this landmark organization changed the role of women in American society.

Su questo libro

L'autore:

Stephanie A. Carpenter is professor of history at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of numerous articles on agricultural and women’s history.

Product Description:

Rosie the Riveter has become an icon for working women's contributions to World War II, but more than three million women also labored on America's agricultural front. The Women's Land Army - consisting largely of urban homemakers, office and industrial workers, and students - put women to work caring for livestock; laboring in dairies and canneries; and planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops. Accounting for the majority of wartime farm labor, these remarkable women helped to ensure both "Freedom from Want" at home and victory abroad. In 1943 the government formed the Women's Land Army as part of the Emergency Farm Labor Program, placing its workers in areas where American farmers urgently needed assistance. Many farmers in even the most desperate areas, however, initially opposed women working their land. Rural administrators in the Midwest and the South yielded to necessity and employed several hundred thousand women as farm laborers by the end of the war, but those in the Great Plains and eastern Rocky Mountains remained hesitant, suffering serious agricultural and financial losses as a consequence. Placing agricultural work in the larger context of twentieth-century women's labor history, Carpenter shows how the WLA changed the national view of farming. By accepting all available women as agricultural workers, farmers abandoned traditional labor and stereotypical social practices. When the WLA officially disbanded in 1945, many members remained in their agricultural jobs rather than return to a full-time home life or their prewar employment. Shedding new light on women who responded to the call of their country, On the Farm Front for the first time illuminates the Women's Land Army's unique contribution to prosperity and victory, and to changing women's role in American society.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Northern Illinois Univ Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0875803148
• ISBN 13: 9780875803142
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 241