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Quiz for American Voices:
Women in the Wartime Workplace

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1. What impact did the war have on Evelyn Gotzion’s work life?

It did not change her work life.

It brought her into the workforce for the first time.

It led her to become a union leader.

It increased her workday and expanded her skills.

Correct. The answer is d. Gotzion started working at Rayovac in 1935. According to her recollections, Gotzion worked a ten-hour day in order to meet heavy production demands during the war. She and her coworkers rotated jobs on the assembly line in order to ease the physical and mental demands of the ten-hour day.

Incorrect. The answer is d. Gotzion started working at Rayovac in 1935. According to her recollections, Gotzion worked a ten-hour day in order to meet heavy production demands during the war. She and her coworkers rotated jobs on the assembly line in order to ease the physical and mental demands of the ten-hour day.

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2. What reason does Donna Jean Harvey give for why she went to work in the defense industry in 1941?

She wanted to step out of a conventionally feminine role.

She needed to support herself and her family.

She wanted to contribute to the war effort.

She did not have anything else to do with her time.

Correct. The answer is c. Harvey reported, “Labor force was critical at that time so I went to United Modification Plant and learned how to rivet,” which implies that she went to work in order to strengthen the labor force and the war effort. She also said, “My mother decided after a while that she too would like to do something in some little way to help. So she applied for maintenance [in the factory].” This statement reinforces the notion that she and her mother joined the factory workforce in an effort to aid in the war.

Incorrect. The answer is c. Harvey reported, “Labor force was critical at that time so I went to United Modification Plant and learned how to rivet,” which implies that she went to work in order to strengthen the labor force and the war effort. She also said, “My mother decided after a while that she too would like to do something in some little way to help. So she applied for maintenance [in the factory].” This statement reinforces the notion that she and her mother joined the factory workforce in an effort to aid in the war.

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3. According to Harvey’s memories, which of the following institutions provided critical support to her as a working mother during the war years?

Government programs

Family

Church

Labor unions

Correct. The answer is b. Harvey stated that there were no unions at the time and no babysitting services. Her family provided critical support to her by providing her and her son with living space and child care.

Incorrect. The answer is b. Harvey stated that there were no unions at the time and no babysitting services. Her family provided critical support to her by providing her and her son with living space and child care.

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4. What does Harvey’s recollection suggest about how her wartime experiences changed her?

She gained new perspectives that were both positive and negative.

She learned that, as a woman, she enjoyed “men’s work.”

She forged new social connections with her coworkers.

She suffered terribly and acquired lasting scars.

Correct. The answer is a. Harvey recalled that she “got educated in more ways than [she] ever expected,” that she regarded the war with “a conglomerate of mixed emotions,” and that her “life took on a totally new perspective” the longer she worked.

Incorrect. The answer is a. Harvey recalled that she “got educated in more ways than [she] ever expected,” that she regarded the war with “a conglomerate of mixed emotions,” and that her “life took on a totally new perspective” the longer she worked.

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5. According to Hill, what was the effect of the war on the lives of African Americans?

African American workers faced increased discrimination in the workplace.

The increased industrial output required by the war led to more diverse work opportunities for African American workers.

The war enabled African American workers to organize.

African Americans suffered more wartime deprivations than other groups.

Correct. The answer is b. Hill’s account speaks to the opening up of job opportunities for African Americans. Quoting her sister, she notes, “Hitler was the one that got us out of the white folks’ kitchen.”

Incorrect. The answer is b. Hill’s account speaks to the opening up of job opportunities for African Americans. Quoting her sister, she notes, “Hitler was the one that got us out of the white folks’ kitchen.”

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6. Which of the following factors would most likely lead a historian to express reservations about the facts conveyed in these sources?

The subjects’ gender

The subjects’ class

The retrospective nature of the stories

The pro-labor proclivities of the subjects

Correct. The answer is c. These two women were interviewed about their wartime experiences decades after they had taken place. Historians would likely recognize that they were probably telling the stories differently than they might have if they had been interviewed in the 1940s.

Incorrect. The answer is c. These two women were interviewed about their wartime experiences decades after they had taken place. Historians would likely recognize that they were probably telling the stories differently than they might have if they had been interviewed in the 1940s.

Quiz for American Voices:Women in the Wartime Workplace

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Quiz for American Voices:
Women in the Wartime Workplace