CHICAGO METRO HISTORY FAIR 2013 SUMMARY STATEMENT FORM
Title World War II and its impact on Chicago Women Student name(s) Dominik Lazowskileja Project Category: Group Individual
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Exhibit
Performance
Documentary
Website
This project uses the 2013 National History Day theme, Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events
1. THESIS STATEMENT
Present the projects argument or interpretation in two sentences. If you are using the NHD theme, you might want to make it evident in your thesis statement.
World War II was a major milestone for women around the world. The war gave women an opportunity to prove themselves while at the same time help serve their country. All this was achieved through their entrance into the job force.
2. SUMMARY OF PROJECT
Briefly explain your project and its conclusion. Include: How and why did change happen and what was the impact? Why is it historically significant? What historical meaning or importance can we learn from your findings?
On the morning of December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor took place in Hawaii, sending the U.S into war. The U.S entering World War II threw women into the workforce and they took advantage of it by advancing a level in society. The way women moved up is through the demand of product for war. Factories began to produce much more goods for the war, such as steel, air plane motors, etc. As the demand for products increased, so did the need for more workers and since most men were being called to war, factories turned to women. Once women started to work, they slowly began to prove themselves as capable as men. Many women started to become the bread winners of their family, which means they were the ones who brought in income to support the family. The importance from World War II is, social and political changes it brought for women. Women began to be the subject of more and more government campaigns.
3. Required for projects using the National History Day theme only.
Explain how this project integrates the NHD theme Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events into its argument.
World War II was a turning point because it set off a chain of events that changed womens social statues. The U.S government launched a propaganda campaign to get women into factory job, while the War Manpower Commission bettered womens wages, conditions, and rights in the workforce in order to keep women from leaving and to get more women to join. The War was the final stepping stone for women to really burn their place into the workforce.
4. PROCESS A What historical question did you start off withand how did it change once you began doing your research?
My original research question was, How did World War 2 impact Chicago? Once my research began, I found much information on how Chicagos industry was 2nd biggest in the U.S during the time the war was occurring. Further research in Chicagos industry revealed that women played a big role by being the main worker at that time, so I started to look into women and World War II which ended up being a huge part of the war. This is how I switched my question.
B What kinds of sources did you use as evidence to develop your argument (for example, letters, photographs, government documents, interviews, etc.)?
Legal documents, old articles, interviews with women who worked at the time of the war, social acts, and 2nd hand articles of how women were impacted are the majority of my sources. A song of a fictional woman created to prompt women to join the work force is one of my unique sources, and some pictures from special archives which pertain to how Chicagos industry and women.
C Select one piece of evidence that you used and explain how it influenced your argument.
A social act from the education Branch and office of Public Programs, National Archives is which was created by the War Manpower Commission that helped stop discrimination against women. This is one online article I have visited which helped influence my argument by showing my how the government began to work for womens rights in the work force, which was rare at the time due to women being seen as unequals to men.
D List libraries (other than school), museums, and other institutions that you visited to do your research.
Places Ive visited other than my school to do research on my topic include 3 different special archives and one library. The Chicago Harold Washington Library and special archive, University of Chicago special archive and lastly Chicago history museum special archives, these are the main three outside sources Ive visited. Each contained different information on how women were impacted by the war. UIC contained information on the Chicago Womans City club, and how it began to change gear into war, while the Chicago history museum had first had propaganda posters that were used in Chicago to persuade women to enter the workforce.