World War II Rationing
The Start of Rationing In WWII On January 30, 1942, less than two months after Pearl Harbor was tragically bombed on December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt signed the Emergency Price Control Act, a law created to give the Office of Price Administration (OPA) the ability to decide what to ration and how to ration. In May of 1942, rationing booklets were distributed to everyone, including children. The booklets contained coupons needed to purchase most necessities and everyday items. Red coupons were for foods such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and more. Blue coupons were used for processed foods such as canned and bottled goods, sugar, and coffee. In addition, there were separate coupons for items such as cars, gasoline, tires, rubber, bicycles, typewriters, stoves, kerosene, solid fuels, and even shoes. Everyone received a certain amount of points for the month and they used them according to their needs and wants. Although rationing was challenging, Americans were proud to know that the...
