The History Behind the We Can Do It Poster

LESSON PLANS for this episode:
www.history4humans.com/produc...
The real Rosie the Riveter, Namoi Parker Fraley, tens of thousands of other Rosies, and the lives of women during World War II is explored in this story-lecture. Who was Rosie the Riveter really? Generally she was tens of thousands of women whose lives were transformed by WWII as they took on war jobs in defense plants, but the real Rosie the Riveter was Naomi Parker Fraley. But for seven decades she was not given credit for most likely being the woman who inspired Miller's "We Can Do It" poster.
WWII on the homefront impacted everyone and women's lives were totally transformed. On the WWII homefront, women planted victory gardens, conserved resources, contributed to scrap metal drives, had food and goods rationed, and helped to finance the war by buying liberty bonds.
Like all History For Humans episodes, this teaches students in a way they understand and actually learn- through story and with visual supports for diverse learners.
For teachers and homeschool parents, I have resources that go with this lesson that include interactive notesheets, a quick quiz, and an extension lesson that is a 'stations activity' with 4 awesome exploration tasks for students. They read about "Black Rosies" to learn how African American women experienced the war, read about "Women in Uniform," analyze propaganda posters, and a fun rationing activity where they have to ration money and coupons to purchase groceries for a family for a week. Engagement guaranteed! Answer keys for everything!

[@Silksh]

Please keep posting🙏 there are a lot of history stuffs I need to know.

[@historyforhumans905]

Thanks! I will :)

[@annlang9632]

Great Lesson Mr. Lewer.......Thanks again for your History 4 Humans......and keep those "dad jokes" going........love it

[@daniellewer131]

Thanks so much! Got many more Dad jokes up my sleeve! :)

[@gregburns5638]

Thanks for your wonderful video! My mother, Stella, became a "Rosie" in February, 1942 at the "Chance Vought Aircraft" factory in Stratford, Connecticut. She worked 10 hours per day, 6 days per week, for a "whopping" 65 CENT$ PER HOUR. Worked up to $1.35 by VJ Day. YA-HOO... 🤔 😮 😡

[@historyforhumans905]

Thats amazing- way to go Stella. Thanks for sharing :)

[@Sterlingmerritt]

The "We Can Do It" poster, often celebrated as an icon of female empowerment, warrants critical examination as a tool of manipulative propaganda, especially when considering the context of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation's activities during World War II. Encouraging Compliance and Productivity: The poster aimed to ensure workers put in their best efforts without questioning their tasks, serving as a form of psychological manipulation to maintain high output and efficiency. Minimizing Resistance: By fostering a sense of empowerment and patriotism, the poster likely aimed to minimize resistance to challenging or hazardous work, including tasks involving potentially dangerous materials such as radioactive substances. Masking Risks: The motivational messaging could have served to mask the potential risks associated with the work, such as radiation exposure. By focusing on the positive aspects of the work, the company might have downplayed or ignored the real dangers that workers faced. Aligning with Wartime Propaganda: The poster was part of a broader effort coordinated with wartime propaganda to encourage civilian contributions to the war effort, often by idealizing and glamorizing industrial work, thus subtly influencing the perception of the work's risks. Working with Radioactive Materials: Westinghouse Electric Corporation's involvement in nuclear power development during World War II means that workers, including women, were potentially exposed to radioactive materials. Roles involving the production of nuclear components and fuel processing carried inherent risks. Addressing Labor Shortages: With men serving in the military, women were needed to fill critical roles in the workforce. The poster aimed to persuade women to take on these roles, including those that were previously male-dominated and potentially more hazardous, without hesitation or fear. While the "We Can Do It" poster has become an iconic symbol of female empowerment, its original context and purpose were rooted in the practical, and potentially manipulative, needs of the time. It was designed to maintain high compliance and productivity among the workforce, which were crucial for meeting wartime production goals.

[@alonsomichel5077]

Bad decision