Louisiana During World War II Politics and Society, 1939-1945
- List Price: $66.95
- Binding: Hardcover
- Publisher: Louisiana State Univ Pr
- Publish date: 07/01/1999
The World War II era, Sanson shows, was a particularly important time in Louisiana's colorful political history. The gubernatorial victories of anti-Longites Sam Jones in 1940 and Jimmie Davis in 1944 reflected the wrath that greedy Longite politicians had incurred from the voters and heralded a changing of the guard in the statehouse. This created a system of active bifactional politics that lasted until 1960. The war transformed the states economy, as agricultural mechanization accelerated to compensate for a shortage of labor and industries increased production to meet wartime demands. Louisiana's educational system modified its curriculum in response to the war, providing technical training and sponsoring scrap-metal collections and war-stamp sales drives.
Sanson closely examines the war's effect on the everyday lives of Louisianians, showing how shortages, rationing, war bond and stamp sales, and scrap drives provided a sense of personal participation in the titanic effort against the Axis powers. He also points out that, while most found their lives limited by war, two groups -- African Americans and women -- enjoyed increased opportunities as they moved out of traditional low-paying jobs and into more lucrative positions vacated by whitemales who had departed for the service.
By examining World War II's impact on the state level, this work provides a wide-ranging yet intimate look at how the war was brought home to the people of the Bayou State, filling a critical void in the annals of Louisiana history.
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