What impact did American involvement in World War II have on women and minorities? At the start of the war, millions of factory jobs became vacant due to the need for soldiers in the army. A significant majority of American men went to fight in the war, which gave women and minorities the opportunity to fill the labor gap. Mexican Americans and black Americans migrated from the South to Northern cities to meet manufacturing needs, while nearly 6 million women left their homes to work in factories. Some black men even fought in the war, although they remained somewhat separated from their white counterparts. Iconic figures like "Rosie the Riveter" and slogans like "Double V" encouraged women and minorities to take jobs to contribute to the war effort, while fighting for equality. Women now had a permanent place in the workforce, and many black soldiers were getting the respect they deserved for fighting in the war. What impact did the nation's participation in World War II have on the U.S. economy in the short term? What about the lasting economic consequences of the war? In the short term, the start of the war pulled the United States out of the Great Depression. Although Roosevelt's New Deal programs had some effect on the economy, in reality they did not solve the Great Depression. The immediate demand for factory labor, however, put millions of previously unemployed Americans to work. Now that Americans were earning a salary, they could reinvest their earnings into the economy in the form of consumer spending. Entering the war also had many long-term economic consequences. After the war, many Americans had saved more money and therefore wanted to spend that money on material goods. This new demand for consumer goods changes radically...... middle of paper ...... and allows him to run for a fourth term. For one thing, it was the first time in U.S. history that a president served more than two terms, let alone three. This particular issue wasn't really a problem though, because he had already broken precedent with his third term, so his fourth term wasn't necessarily groundbreaking. But there was another problem: his age. It was no secret that Roosevelt was getting older, and the added stress of the war meant that he may not be able to serve effectively for the entirety of his fourth term. This gave added importance to his vice president, Harry Truman. Truman was appointed with Roosevelt's blessing after gaining national attention for serving on a congressional committee investigating wasteful war spending. Just months into Roosevelt's fourth term, he died and Truman assumed the role of president..