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 they were doing their part to help in the war effort.

How did rationing at home help our soldiers fighting abroad?

Rationing during WWII was rarely due to product shortages. Instead, rationing was put in place to ensure that everyone could get their fair share of food and supplies, and more importantly, rationing was essential to ensure our troops received the proper amount of food and supplies to continue fighting for our country.

Photo by Robert Linder on Unsplash

Rationing was put in place so that everyone at home could get their fair share of food and supplies while ensuring our troops received the food and supplies they needed to continue fighting. While rationing during WWII was rarely due to product shortages, it was done to prevent shortages from happening.

Coffee

This popular caffeinated drink was a necessity to keep the troops going when they felt they could not continue anymore. Production of coffee was not a problem, but the high demand for it was overwhelming, and it was just not possible with shipping restrictions to provide the amount needed. Civilians were allowed a pound of coffee over a five-week period, which produced less than a cup of coffee a day. Some civilians found that they could stretch their coffee ration by using fewer grounds and percolating it for an extended period of time to give it a more pungent taste. This coffee came to be known as "Roosevelt Coffee."

Sugar

The Philippines was a significant source of sugar for the United States, so when the Japanese conquered the Philippines we lost our ability to get the same amount of sugar from the Philippines that we had been receiving. In addition, shipments from Hawaii and Central and South America were also cut by 50 percent since using cargo ships for military purposes was more important than shipping goods. This cut sugar resources by one third, which was why sugar was the first item to be rationed.

Fats and Oils

Saving butter and bacon drippings and leftover cooking oil was a necessity for the war effort. In fact, it was one of the most important things those at home did to help with the war effort. That is because oil and grease dripping were used to create glycerin, which in turn was used to produce explosives!

Rubber

Rubber was needed for soldiers' boots, as well, as the tires on military vehicles. That made rationing rubber a necessity and left civilians with the task of constantly repairing their tires and shoes.

Canned Goods

Canned goods were rationed for two reasons. One reason was that canned goods were easy to transport and had a long shelf life making them the perfect option to feed the troops. The second reason was that metal had to be conserved as much as possible to make ships, vehicles, weapons, protective gear, and other items the troops needed.

Chocolate!

I think it is safe to say that chocolate has always been a favorite treat. However, it also served as a morale booster during the war. Since chocolate contains caffeine and sugar, it provided the soldiers with the energy boost they needed, which made chocolate yet another item added to the ration list.

Victory Gardens

Agricultural production and cultivation were doing quite well during the beginning of the war. As the war continued and more men had to leave their home fronts, the responsibilities at home turned to the women. Thus, in 1943 an emergency program was created called the Women's Land Army of America (WLAA), later known as the Women's Land Army (WLA). Close to 2.5 million women were a part of the program. However, agricultural and cultivation responsibilities were not left solely to the (WAL). Victory Gardens became incredibly popular amongst families. It was an affordable way to help feed not only their own family but those around them.