Jessica Bednarcik History 380 Ferrell Project 1 Use the self-descriptions and views of the world to explain what Americans expected in the years after the war On December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, pushing the United States in to World War II. Everyday life for Americans for the next four years was suddenly changed. After the War, many Americans had their own different expectation of what was to come. During the war many women had to serve in the war helping out while the men were off fighting. Women found jobs as electricians, welders and riveters in defense plants. Once the war was over some women didn’t want to go back to their house keeping jobs, and wanted to compete with men for their jobs once they returned. The attitude toward women in the working field changed dramatically at the end of the war. Also when they returned to home, many people wanted a better way of living since they were now earning enough money and they moved out to the suburbs in newly built homes. Also with the rise in the economy after the war, many families started having children because there were jobs and they were hopeful of the future. People everywhere wanted to have a family for the “security” after the long difficult years of war. Other than positive expectations and changes after WWII for Americans, many soldiers coming back expected to go back to their life just like it was before they left for the war. In many cases that wasn’t the case. Many soldiers experienced post dramatic stress once returning home and trouble finding employment. Another negative effect that came when the war ended was involving women’s rights. During the war women gained a lot of independence, and when the men returned a lot of it was returned to the men. This had a huge effect on the gender relationships among Americans, eventually leading into women’s rights movements later on. Also with the girls seeing their mothers working and helping during the war, which was considered typical male roles, started to develop less traditional female roles. As for African Americans, the war offered an opportunity to get out of their typical cycle and join the military. However, just like the rest of America in the 1940s, the military was also segregated. After the war, many African American soldiers expected to not have to return home. Instead they decided to move to the city and look for similar work to what they learned in the military. (422 Words) Works Cited "“Continued Employment after the War?”: The Women’s Bureau Studies Postwar Plans of Women Workers." History Matters. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7027/>. Grimke, F.J. “Address of Welcome to the Men Who Have Returned from the Battlefront.” A Documentary History of the Negro. 1977. 6 March 2004 <http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2660/GRIMKE.HTM>