USA HISTORY

Throughout WWII, the United States government called for rationing. This meant that Americans had to:

(A) recycle materials such as scrap iron

(B) ** limit their purchases of certain goods, such as gasoline, sugar, and meat

(C) volunteer to join various homeland defense organizations

(D) share their goods and resources with poor people in their communities

Concept note-1: -Supplies such as gasoline, butter, sugar and canned milk were rationed because they needed to be diverted to the war effort. War also disrupted trade, limiting the availability of some goods.

Concept note-2: -Rationing involved setting limits on purchasing certain high-demand items. The government issued a number of “points” to each person, even babies, which had to be turned in along with money to purchase goods made with restricted items.

Concept note-3: -As one poster from the era explained it, people over 12 were allotted 2½ pounds of beef, veal, lamb and pork a week. Kids under 6 got three-quarters of a pound. During the six months that coffee was rationed, the allotment was a meager 1 pound for five weeks for everyone over 15.