A shortage of white male workers led to active recruitment, by the United States Government and American businesses, to war industry jobs. Initially white middle class women were recruited, followed by minority men, and finally minority women. Integration of women and minorities into the workforce was initially met with resistance, however, the new opportunities for women and minorities “cracked open” the door to equal rights and would have profound impacts on the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements during the following decades. During World War II six million women served in non-traditional jobs in the defense industries. These women later came to be known as ‘Rosies”, based upon a popular song from 1943 entitled, “Rosie the Riveter”, about a women building planes during the war.
