Rosie the Riveter and the Advertising Campaign

World War II required the United States to fight various battles. Soldiers fought the battles in Europe and Japan, but there were also many battles that were fought back home. One of the biggest problems that the US encountered at the beginning of the war was obtaining the various equipment that was necessary to fight the war. To supply the troops with everything they needed, the many different manufacturers in the US had to increase their production. That may sound simple enough, but it actually required several different things. Raw materials were needed, but people who could turn the raw materials into finished products were also necessary. Because most of the men in the country were off serving in the armed forces, there was a shortage of people left behind to do the work back home. There were not enough able men left in the States to operate the manufacturing plants, so another source of labor had to be found. During the era of World War II, women were not generally part of the workforce in the United States. Instead, they were homemakers that took care of the homes and raised the families. As the workforce shortage became a significant issue, the notion that being housewives and mothers was not nearly as important as supplying the armies became apparent. The women needed to enter the workforce, and someone had to convince them that it was the right thing to do. Rosie the Riveter was Born

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Here is a real “Rosie” working on a Vultee A-31 Vengeance dive bomber in Tennessee in 1943. Cultural icon “Rosie the Riveter” has reminded women that "We can do it!" since World War II. The solution came in the form of an imaginary figure called “Rosie the Riveter.” She was the image of a woman who was going to work in the place of a man, but Rosie was not a real person. She was an idea that advertisers had dreamed up, and the campaign that was built around her was designed to convince women it was their patriotic duty to go to work for the various manufacturing plants that were supplying the war effort. The advertising campaign worked in many ways, including playing on women’s sensibilities by telling them if they did not work in the factories, soldiers would not have what they needed to fight, the war would last longer, and more young men would needlessly die. It also tried to convince women that they were stronger than they realized and more than capable of doing the jobs. The campaign used posters, radio, and word of mouth to work. It worked extremely well as millions of women staffed the factories and built what was needed to win the war. After the war ended, Rosie did not just disappear. Women had realized that—not only could they do the same work as men—but that they also enjoyed the sense of independence that doing the work provided for them. Instead of reverting to homemakers when the men returned home, women continued to work and thus, Rosie lived on. Rosie has become an icon that is still admired and remembered by both men and women, even though the ideals that she stands for have evolved over time.

1. According to Passage 1, why was Rosie the Riveter created?

A.) to produce more manufacturing plants

B.) to convince women to work outside the home

C.) to generate funding through advertising campaigns

D.) to ensure men had an icon to thank for the supplies they received