ROSIE the riveter

Rosie the Riveter was an American hero born in 1942 as America began to join the war effort. While more and more men were being deployed overseas, American factories needed more workers to help keep up with the demands of the war. Working-class women became in high demand for factory jobs and jobs that were previously male-dominated. To help support the war effort, companies produced propaganda, patriotically portraying women as a major part of the war while remaining home in America. Rosie was originally portrayed by American artist J. Howard Miller in 1942 in an image reading “We Can Do It!”. In 1943 the song “Rosie the Riveter” was released by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb. Following the release of the song, a new artwork emerged depicting a woman in a red bandana with a lunchbox labeled “Rosie”. The name Rosie the Riveter stuck and became a staple of American war propaganda. Rosie became a hero of the female workforce and a symbol of how people could support their troops from American soil.

Ultimately, the war changed the American way of life for women. It became more common to learn to manage the finances and keep their own house while writing letters back to their husbands overseas. Meanwhile, many of the Axis powers chose not to allow women into their forces. Hitler continued to push that women should remain home and be good, fertile, wives and mothers, even viewing America as degenerate for needing to put their women to work. Nearly 350,000 American women served the war both at home and overseas repairing airplanes, operating radios, driving trucks, nursing, and any other job that could free up more soldiers. Today, some believe that without the help of our women, we would’ve never won the war. Rosie remains a symbol of equal rights in the workforce and a patriotic inspiration to America.