Effect of World War II on Industries - Essay Example

What effect did World War II have on the nation's industries, and how did the war revolutionize the U.S. economy both immediately and in the long term?RatnaHistory and Political ScienceInstructor Name24 August 2012World War II killed over 50 million people worldwide, with the U.S. suffering its own loss in Pearl Harbor. But, the nation emerged as an economic superpower only after the war. The three major factors which influenced the U.S. economy immediately after the war were the resurrection from the great depression, women's empowerment, and the explosion of the consumer goods market.

The pre-war period was the era of the great depression. The U.S. government managed to come out of this severe economic crisis by selling goods and arms to both parties involved in the war until Pearl Harbor. Women came out to work in masses. Nearly 19 million women were employed in various jobs in 1944. Most of the money the women earned went to savings, improving the economy of the country preposterously. 1 When the soldiers started to return home after the war, the families were eager to spend on happy reunions.

Also, thousands of men returning from the battlefield needed employment. This led to a massive increase in the consumer products market. There were just 8 shopping malls in the U.S. by the end of the war, which increased to over 3500 by 1960. The Eisenhower era2 which prevented another catastrophic atomic war boosted the growth of several industries which transformed into huge corporate companies in the later part of the century. ii The rapid emergence of the equality in rights propaganda in the post war period led to the framing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most revolutionary legislative piece in U.S. history. It eliminated all racial, ethnic, and gender-based discrimination in the working area, making the country a haven for labor rights.