A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : The American Aerospace Industry in World War II U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission: History of Flight This webpage gives a brief and helpful overview of the huge growth in American industry, especially the aerospace industry, during World War II. (Secondary source material with embedded hyperlinked primary source material). The teacher can provide students with the following quote from the summary: "The U.S. aircraft industry experienced huge growth during World War II. Moreover, its achievements, some claim, were as important to Allied victory as the military successes on the battlefield. American industry was fortunate in that it could operate without threat of air bombardment or other military damage to factories and without shortages of critical materials. And the industry used those advantages fully. The statistics are remarkable. During 1939-1945, the industry became the largest single industry in the world and rose from 41st place to first among industries in the United States. From 1939, when fewer than 6,000 planes a year were being produced, the industry doubled production in 1940 and doubled it again in 1941 and 1942. In the first half of 1941, it produced 7,433 aircraft, more than had been produced in all of 1940. From January 1, 1940, until V-J Day on August 14, 1945, more than 300,000 military aircraft were produced for the U.S. military and the Allies-with almost 275,000 after Pearl Harbor. In the peak production month of March 1944, more than 9,000 aircraft came off the assembly lines." The teacher can then ask: a) What does this say about the changing technology of warfare? b) How do airplanes make a war different? Compare warfare in the Civil War, WWII and the recent War in Iraq. c) What does this mean in terms of being a dominant world power today? After the students read the summary, they can pick three statistics about the Aerospace industry, which they think represent the rapid mobilization of military resources. They can then create a graph to represent each statistic and write a caption for each graph explaining its significance.

The American Aerospace Industry in World War II
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission: History of Flight

Description: This webpage gives a brief and helpful overview of the huge growth in American industry, especially the aerospace industry, during World War II. (Secondary source material with embedded hyperlinked primary source material).

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

The teacher can provide students with the following quote from the summary: "The U.S. aircraft industry experienced huge growth during World War II. Moreover, its achievements, some claim, were as important to Allied victory as the military successes on the battlefield. American industry was fortunate in that it could operate without threat of air bombardment or other military damage to factories and without shortages of critical materials. And the industry used those advantages fully. The statistics are remarkable. During 1939-1945, the industry became the largest single industry in the world and rose from 41st place to first among industries in the United States. From 1939, when fewer than 6,000 planes a year were being produced, the industry doubled production in 1940 and doubled it again in 1941 and 1942. In the first half of 1941, it produced 7,433 aircraft, more than had been produced in all of 1940. From January 1, 1940, until V-J Day on August 14, 1945, more than 300,000 military aircraft were produced for the U.S. military and the Allies-with almost 275,000 after Pearl Harbor. In the peak production month of March 1944, more than 9,000 aircraft came off the assembly lines." The teacher can then ask: a) What does this say about the changing technology of warfare? b) How do airplanes make a war different? Compare warfare in the Civil War, WWII and the recent War in Iraq. c) What does this mean in terms of being a dominant world power today?

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

After the students read the summary, they can pick three statistics about the Aerospace industry, which they think represent the rapid mobilization of military resources. They can then create a graph to represent each statistic and write a caption for each graph explaining its significance.