The real story behind this war poster

Rosie the riveter is iconic. But what’s the real story behind the poster?
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In this episode of Vox Almanac, Vox’s Phil Edwards explores the story behind the women riveters of World War II.
During World War II, millions of women entered manufacturing and the workforce in general. How did the labor pool change so dramatically, so quickly? And how does it connect to the familiar poster of Rosie the riveter that people still love today?
These riveters came from other industries and outside the workforce, guided with the help of private industry and some government agencies. The US Employment Service helped place men and women at wartime jobs, and the Women’s Bureau and War Manpower Commission helped find and train that labor.
The traditional Rosie the riveter story is not without its omissions: white women benefited most from labor changes, and many of the riveters were already in the labor force before World War II began. But in a significant way, World War II did change work for women around the United States.
Further Reading
Karen Anderson’s Wartime Women (books.google.c...) is the definitive book about Women’s Labor in World War II. It tells the story of the changing labor pool with extensive research into government, corporate, and union records.
FRASER, the Federal Reserve’s Library, is one of the easiest places to find Women’s Bureau records and papers (it’s where the ones in this video were downloaded from).
fraser.stlouis...
Creating Rosie the Riveter by Maureen Honey offers a peek into another aspect of wartime recruitment: propaganda distributed by the government to magazines and newspapers to promote the wartime agenda.
books.google.c...
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com.
Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H

[@AveryTalksAboutStuff]

"Oh, that's swell..." That woman had big, "bless your heart" energy.

[@FauveIsNotFunnyM]

Took the words right outta my mouth..

[@djbis]

haha, true.

[@loriburdick1798]

@@FauveIsNotFunnyM I seedsss¹sddvvv vvvva

[@Sam-oz8pn]

6:48 to 6:58 is the clip

[@mightymistermike]

I got some passive-agressive vibes from her. Reminded me of Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter. So it's more like "Bless your heart... if you do what I tell you to do".

[@haydnwolfie]

This is a nice break from the nonstop covid videos we've been getting 😌 All those videos have been great and informative, but sometimes it's just hard to hear about the same topic so much. Especially one as depressing as the pandemic

[@Belioyt]

Why are you seeking out videos covering covid?

[@beneli7840]

agree...

[@Akidagoat]

@@Belioyt 🤬

[@andresbaron5189]

Haydn Koeller maybe if u stop clicking on them, youtube will give you other options more often

[@Belioyt]

@JAMES FARIA being a subscriber doesn't mean you have to watch all videos or content by the channel.

[@ArtemisPearl]

My grandma was the DJ at an aircraft factory in Detroit. One of my favorire photos is of her inside the booth surrounded by records. She set the mood for the riveters

[@Lovely-sv1ye]

Wow that’s cool!

[@gatishpriyadarshi7926]

Cool

[@allisonsky7230]

That’s superior

[@matthewjay660]

I’m proud of my grandma, a Rosie the Riveter. She made torpedo propellers.

[@docwulff907]

Same, mine on my dad's side built bombs (mines) in a production line.

[@alexie832]

Ooooo! I salute your grandma

[@docwulff907]

@@sneed472 especially with the uncanny feeling when words that are being spoken don't fit the mouth shape and movements *shudders*

[@allisonkniech5680]

You can see both of the women's smiles' falter when asked about leaving their jobs for men. kinds sad.

[@skeletorcavani4046]

Simp

[@bestcity0979]

@@skeletorcavani4046 bruhh

[@ganzorig4143]

@@skeletorcavani4046 bruh respecting women vs being overly pretentious to women is different thing

[@Fia-ps6ur]

Luvsan Dorj Bruh, teenagers normally don’t understand the word when they use it :v

[@officerminiwheats]

That's not necessarily the case. A lot of women kept their jobs after the war especially in technology

[@harshitbansal3413]

Its sad to see how they used them during the war , and make them give up the job once the war ended

[@korneliusheydrich4095]

Not really that surprising too, did you see how they treat the veterans(Even now) when they got home

[@StimParavane]

Yes, because men were putting their lives at risk overseas to protect democracy and freedom. It's sad that people don't appreciate this.

[@myaayed3736]

@@StimParavane people do realise this, he just pointing out how the government only let women work when it's on their own term's and then takes away their jobs when the war was over.

[@StimParavane]

Hello Hello Convincing women to work long hours for companies that do not care about them in the slightest rather than creating a loving home environment is the best trick the 1% have pulled on ordinary people.

[@harshitbansal3413]

@@StimParavane women can build there own company and still take care of home , my mom is one

[@amouse213]

The most antique thing in this video is seeing people less than 6 feet apart.

[@farida.]

Ikr 😕😭🥺

[@conejitorosada2326]

I guess you're single then

[@ulziiko]

Hurrah for all women who changed the world to become a better place!!

[@officerminiwheats]

And all the Russian men who died to stop nazism. There is an entire missing generation because of that

[@msr_77]

Dr. AteKk I serve the Soviet Union

[@taijufml]

And everyone who died in the war efforts.

[@Bluecsatorna]

@@officerminiwheats Making the word a better place yeah sure, ask all those east-european countries who got surpressed by the soviets who made the ppl fear for their lives

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Always glad to learn about something that was such an iconic part of history. Vox never disappoints.

[@muhammedzulfikhar5929]

Hello again 👋😀

[@salimaa9209]

hello there 'day X of asking fakejake to say i'm fakob jakob' man

[@muhammedzulfikhar5929]

@@salimaa9209 huh?

[@muhammedzulfikhar5929]

Just some guy without a mustache It's a wierd question but , are you Muslim?

[@zzzz44400]

Lol You're everywhere.😂

[@firelioness363]

The woman that posed for that image passed away Roseland Walter has an amazing background...she was nintey five...

[@jasminepascasio3702]

Wasn’t her name Rosalind Palmer

[@ba45f723]

@@jasminepascasio3702 Rosalind Palmer married Henry Glendon Walter Jr and became Rosalind Walter

[@paidinbluess]

N.W.A. ☠️☠️☠️

[@KrebsLovesFiesh]

It is bait. Don't engage.

[@saram5964]

rosalind p walter was the first rosie the riveter but she wasn’t the one who posed for the photo. naomi parker fraley was the women in the photo

[@briannabarrera7231]

And they didn’t expect the whole house to be clean and dinner served when they came home

[@StimParavane]

Take responsibility for your home environment.

[@longlivethechief2373]

Yeah cos their husbands were being slaughtered in the killing fields of Europe

[@franksalo3466]

I work at a shipyard that's been around for about 130 years. During WW2 they had thousands of women working here. They were sending a destroyer down the river every 17 days at its height. We have a lot of women working today. Doing about every job that the men do. I've worked with many women at the shipyard over the last 32 years, and most of them have a better work ethic then us men.

[@VelikaSrbija-bw1zo]

Women belong in a household.This video right here shows how all familly values are destroyed nowadays.

[@uzaidgurjee4798]

Simp

[@franksalo3466]

@@uzaidgurjee4798 no equal

[@thetohoapologist4240]

​@@VelikaSrbija-bw1zodoes the 1918 stand for when you were born?

[@thomasmartin5169]

1940's: "women can do the same work as men just as well" Men: *pikachu face*

[@linkven9196]

Simp

[@linkven9196]

@Lord Farquaad Well-said brother.

[@siriusrainbow]

@Lord Farquaad Except women did do the same work as men and were still paid less. Since men are physically stronger biologically, it only means that women worked even harder to replace men at their jobs. Did you even watch the video?

[@Kaebuki]

Lord Farquaad That’s only on average though... there are plenty of women that are equal or stronger than men too. And besides, just because a man is usually stronger biologically, doesn’t mean women should be denied work or be paid less than a man in the same position.

[@spinflux]

Lord Farquaad Because it’s highly illegal not to. Also, doesn’t explain why women doing the same amount of work for the same amount of hours and getting the same amount of product output are still paid less than men.

[@sugarthedextrosity]

this is ludicrously interesting

[@sugarthedextrosity]

i absolutely agree, they're so entertaining, and very professional

[@maddieking4015]

Riveting, some might say

[@sugarthedextrosity]

@@maddieking4015 you freaking genius

[@alexfido2935]

@@maddieking4015 HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY JOKE

[@DementedWorks]

My grandmother was a riveter during the war. She was tiny, so they had her in the tighter spaces. Well, one day, something spooked her and for some reason or another she swelled up so she was unable to get out of the space she was working in. They had to cut the side out of the plane area she was in to get out. My mother never did tell me why my grandmother had the reaction to being scared that she did.

[@imisstoronto3121]

This reminds me of a short series I saw on PBS called The Bletchley Circle. Women in the UK who were extremely bright and mathematical were hired as code breakers during the war, and when the war ended they were forced to leave these jobs and either do something clerical or domestic and they were bored out of their skulls. It was really interesting. I urge women to watch it.

[@MnMsandOreos]

What a riveting video! (I’ll see myself out)

[@ni.ko3869]

i felt my stomach turning inside out reading that

[@MnMsandOreos]

ni.ko386 what can I say, I go for the low hanging fruit

[@jacobklein2658]

If you ever go to the Bay Area, there’s a Rosie the Riveter museum associated with the National Parks Service (it’s like a National Site or something) in Richmond, Ca near a shipyard. It’s really interesting

[@heartcomedy5]

Wow very RIVETING!!!

[@diamondsngunns88]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🤗

[@alexie832]

Haha! Good one

[@Ritaaw1]

Such a sad thing they had to separately write they’re looking for women. I’m guessing this was because women didn’t feel included when there was job offers in the paper

[@Ritaaw1]

Ansuz Laguz Fehu in Finland children grow up to be good people even when women are not stay at home moms.

[@0IIIIII]

It was a recruitment effort

[@Kosiahswag1]

Finland was advanced for the time

[@Ritaaw1]

bruhman420 and still is

[@Kosiahswag1]

@@Ritaaw1 true

[@rahulmandava9029]

I just watch vox for how good the quality and music of the video is

[@julianna8404]

the number of times "women" was mentioned in this video... *chef's kiss*

[@MegaBen1012]

Don't forget to vote.

[@hectorvega621]

Voting Green Party here.

[@ricardobarahona3939]

Hector Vega Lucky that you have a green candidate in your area.

[@mochithepooh5368]

It's really amazing how back then we can band together really quickly when facing a common threat. Now we are stuck in meaningless debate.

[@Munchausenification]

You are comparing war to what exactly?

[@flytrapYTP]

Debate isn't meaningless. I'd rather not have a literal world war forcing us to band together.

[@mochithepooh5368]

@@Munchausenification To this pandemic. We are going to get through this, but the question is how much we will pay, it depends how united we are.

[@C_medina_]

This was white America, times are different

[@flytrapYTP]

@@C_medina_ grandpa, no...

[@Lovely-sv1ye]

Thank you Vox for such wonderful content. You’re a real gem.

[@BeyondYourDoorstep]

Didn't know there was so much behind that poster. Absolutely intriguing.

[@Moodboard39]

me either

[@asterixky]

If only this sense of national unity were to happen during the Pandemic War.

[@WanderTheNomad]

It's cause there's no visible enemy. People can't focus their frustrations on anything.

[@mlc4495]

I genuinely believe that if WWII was fought today the US would have surrendered within six months. Republicans and Conservatives are an enemy within.

[@COLMECTIGAMINGANDMORE]

@@mlc4495 you are exactly what op is talking about

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

If you think of it the other way, women comprise 100% of the “labour” force

[@flytrapYTP]

@@CroMagnon42 I actually went into labor to give birth to myself.

[@Kosiahswag1]

This is big brain joke

[@hardpliers]

I literally wrote an essay on this. Vox one year later - boom!

[@TiagoVoltaire]

Where? I want to read your essay.

[@leerobertson585]

Boris Schnaiderman same! I’d love to read ur essay.

[@veno38]

Why am I watching this at 6am More importantly, *WHY AM I AWAKE AT 6AM*

[@obamaslastname3500]

Vox: Uploads Spammers: Hippety hoppety your comments are now my property

[@tonyhussey3610]

Ging Ging your

[@marinstinic5206]

whats happening? can anybody explain

[@ermland732]

its your

[@axxnecrolyte]

Ging Ging it is “you are”.

[@obamaslastname3500]

axxnecrolyte thanks I edited it

[@hereholdthiswillya]

My grandmother was a Rosie riveter

[@Adrischa]

Those colored photos look very badass

[@IndelibleHD]

Women workers in WW2. The hidden hero's.

[@riverdeep399]

Got ABL, but you won't like what you see.

[@Munchausenification]

Sure, they did what they could. Everyone did - even the smallest child was helping the war effort

[@quinn5109]

I have her on my swim cap with the caption "we can swim it"

[@edgychico9311]

Rosie the riveter : "We can do it!" Shia Labeouf : *"JUST DO IT!!!"*

[@acs197]

I'm consistently impressed by your videos. Well done.

[@SergioSanchez-tu4zy]

I did a research paper on this. The research was very interesting and informative

[@matiilup]

Let's talk about those women whom returned to their conventional housewives roles once the war was over. And how evident it was that women could do the same work men does.

[@FauveIsNotFunnyM]

It's been evident for centuries but the whole patriarchal way of living has always made women be treated less equal than men when they can do the same job just as well if not better, all the while handling other personal responsibilities like children or housework. It was kinda sad, really

[@rasanfi4066]

@@FauveIsNotFunnyM no man or woman can do both all the work and take care of children adequately. Women just happen to be at home because they nurse and I'd the centre of attention for the child then the man went on to work. Then stereotypes started but not bad as you think it is

[@Kosiahswag1]

@@FauveIsNotFunnyM don't think about the past think about the future

[@Mike-lu1pt]

Sure, women can do the same work as men, but why would you choose working for a corporation over taking care of your house and family?

[@DominicGo]

wait, is this a reupload? I could’ve have sworn vox made a video about this already (deja vu much)

[@PatheticTV]

Same，what was it??

[@EliStettner]

SAME!

[@RainierKine]

Rosie the Riveter may have been mythologized but myth becomes aspiration, aspiration becomes reality.

[@jholotanbest2688]

I find it super fascinating how so many countries' economy was harvested for one singular purpose in both WW's. Also, it is interesting how this is almost impossible to happen ever again on a scale like then.

[@jholotanbest2688]

​@Lord Farquaad Well we have had no direct conflicts between nuclear powers and it seems very likely that conflict as large as ww3 would escalate into a nuclear one. And of course in a nuclear conflict there is no need of the economy because it is over in couple of days.

[@Kaebuki]

jholotan best True dat. There are unfortunately some good things to nuclear weapons if someone else has them; wish we hadn’t made them though.

[@cie-urbex]

I’m watching this to see if it would be ok to use this in a KZbin video

[@DangerDave-e7u]

Thank you, Women.

[@vminshi]

*The woman: without her, man is nothing.* That's a fact.

[@shibuthomas2745]

The woman:Without her man, is nothing And that’s a fact

[@aubinmoraes3887]

woman, without man is wo :P

[@vminshi]

@@shibuthomas2745 = delusional 😂

[@vminshi]

@@aubinmoraes3887 you can't complete a basic sentence and used an old emoji. You need to go back to school buddy.

[@aubinmoraes3887]

@@vminshi you do realise it was a joke, right?

[@KissTheGreat]

I wonder if any of them found it funny that the war MANpower commission had a WOMEN’s advisory committee.

[@Luke..luke..luke..]

Your content is always too quality. Love this chan

[@thewickedmatt8082]

Such powerful women

[@ElliotCoulling]

This video was riveting! Yes I am ashamed but someone had to say it.

[@peytongonavy]

You're not the only one

[@stefannikola]

Some of those photographs have very dramatic lighting. The photos look more like art than just a way to document women workers.

[@Danyel615]

They casually forgot to mention that they never notified the model for the poster that they would make a poster out of her. Also, ironically, she quit her job *one week* after being hired because she was a musician and didn't want have rough hands (!)

[@Sharkyktc001]

There are a few women proposed to be 'Rosie'. The one you're talking about is Geraldine Hoff. In her obituary in the NYT, it states she quit after a few weeks because she was afraid of damaging her hands in a metal presser. The woman proven more recently to be Rosie is Naomi Parker-Fraley, who worked at Alameda naval air base as a machinist.

[@vibacar93]

Really a great documentary 👏

[@lauragg9121]

2:40 out of topic but this man right here looks very handsome

[@ervicito77]

This was quite a riveting story.

[@BenBrawn]

This was riveting as always

[@grinixic]

Thank you my guy, I’m currently doing a test about ww2 and this is useful

[@wesleyrm76]

Anyone else notice they highlighted Lillian Gilbreth, who has also had a Vox episode? Nice easter egg.

[@jocelinelvir4360]

Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter made headlines in the Saturday Even Post cover before the famous “We Can Do It” poster. Reasons why this J. Howard Miller’s poster was controversial was because it wasn’t confrontational. Meant this poster played it safe in that matter women were expected to tend to household duties right after. Hence this Rosie has more favored. Whilst Rockwell’s Rosie was unconventional. Portrays a masculine woman rather a feminine woman.

[@johnny-zz8wf]

what music did vox use? they are very good. I can't find any music vox used with the names "bicycle joy", "le menuisier", etc.

[@aeebeecee3737]

great video

[@1.4142]

Very riveting story!

[@JediMik]

thanks for Lend Lease

[@emmadavis8546]

Wow! Like your reel!!

[@arguspanoptes9510]

Genuinely riveting

[@yoda3850]

Why did you pick to highlight WAVES (a reservist group) rather than WAACS (A Permanent Military Group)?

[@shellyusa1802]

Wow thx for sharing dear 👍👍❤️❤️

[@fredrikhammarstrom5678]

Can you do a video about the Congo? Love your videos.

[@Danielevans2]

I just realized that Riveting is the act of welding a rivet (nail) into metal

[@ali_tafa006]

Bwuh I was interested in this cause this was a poster in my English classroom 😂

[@NicWalker627]

This is great. Women are invaluable to wartime services. Now do a video explaining how Trump is not a wartime president and needs to get out.

[@amanofmanynames8751]

Thanks to the Wonder Woman homage for introducing me to her

[@RitualCat]

These women were so cool!

[@nethascotx24]

This is quite a riveting story

[@kuromikendall]

doctor: “you have 8 minutes and 31 seconds left to live” me:

[@longslonz4982]

Those days when americans thought they will and they can but today american think they are when they aren't.

[@sarahledig1216]

Amazing

[@iamkapilkalra]

Awesome music!

[@Hi-if7ht]

Finally something that’s not about Covid

[@s.mothale1326]

Vox! You should make a video on Monoblock chairs !

[@manooxi327]

pretty sure neo did one I think, it''s the same format too vox did one on the weddings chair if i remember

[@Belioyt]

@@manooxi327 yes Neo did. I love that you are also a Neo fan and a Vox fan, just shows the audience is the same

[@s.mothale1326]

I'm a Neo fan too I ,saw he's video it's really good ,that's why I asked Vox to do it . Didn't even know what the chair was called till Neo did it 😂

[@manooxi327]

@@Belioyt we're attracted to quality content 😉

[@Sexynes]

Heroes we neglect to mention in our history textbooks and media. They rose to the occasion when we needed them most

[@alypixar4690]

Great video

[@hugsnotdrugsjr.3003]

Good video.

[@soy6505]

So glad to see a video thats not about corona

[@Moonlight-x5z]

Very nice

[@AstralBlitzLive]

Interesting

[@riverdeep399]

Are you _another_ bot??

[@AstralBlitzLive]

@@riverdeep399 A verified music channel a bot? Um no I'm a human being. 😅

[@AstralBlitzLive]

I just wanted to get a comment in as soon as possible lol.

[@Hermes_Agoraeus]

@@AstralBlitzLive Interesting...

[@elonwhatever]

That was a RIVETing story

[@Fpvpilot928]

Yay! A "normal" video again!

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

That story was... riveting. 😬

[@LaMarco0]

"The most disrespected person in America, is the Black Woman. The most un-protected person in America is the Black Woman. The most neglected person in America, is the Black Woman" - Malcolm X

[@maman89]

Thats a great photograph 3:15

[@SgtHamster]

This is... well...... riveting.

[@HelgaCavoli]

Then after war.. forget about this "job" thing.

[@samthesomniator]

Worlds Wars are incredible important for womens emanzipation.

[@jonah3451]

Love this

[@manooxi327]

tnx

[@arthurcage6073]

These women pulled America of that time.

[@lisandroblasco8932]

Fantastic

[@willardSpirit]

Then: "We Can Do It" Today's motto: "I Take No Responsibility At All" 😑

[@noname-zp1yh]

Ok boomer

[@Ran-taro]

@@noname-zp1yh ok milenial

[@chrisp3470]

Don’t agree with the way they said it, but that job was occupied by a soldier who risked his life, which Ik prob only like 90% and not 100% of the jobs given back were to soldiers, the soldiers did atleast mostly get back their jobs back, so that way u don’t have soldiers begging on the street

[@siddhant7666]

To all the lakhs of viewers who are going to watch this.....I am 707th viewer.....I know you don't care....it's okkk... 😊🤗