s teP 1 Patterns of continuity and change over time
and comparison
Review the documents in this chapter and your classroom notes to determine the ways in
which the civil rights of women and minorities developed during wartime. Two documents
present competing views—the advertisement of “Rosie the Riveter” (Doc. 18.8) and the let-
ter home from Carl Murphy (Doc. 18.9). Both women and minorities served the war effort,
but they were treated vastly differently.
This task asks for two comparisons. The first comparison that you make is between two
different groups—women and minorities. The examples above suggest that women made
strides toward equality during the war but that segregation in the armed forces thwarted
equality for African American men, at least until 1948 when the armed forces were desegre-
gated by executive order.steP 2 Comparison and synthesis
The second comparison—of your own choosing—looks at the ways in which both of these
groups (women and minorities) were treated during another wartime period in US history.
Whether you choose the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, or a different war, your compari-
sons double because you also are looking at the ways in which women and minorities were
treated between two different eras.
Synthesis allows you to broaden your comparisons more fully, especially when you con-
sider the thematic ideas of US history. For example, the theme of a national identity focuses
on a long history of oppression of both women and minorities. Thus, how does the eco-
nomic advances of one group (women) compare with the military advances of African Amer-
icans? Looked at another way, how do the expectations of women who conformed to male
work standards compare with the expectations of African Americans who performed military
duties but still experienced segregation from the American mainstream?
At issue with identity are competing terms—progress and acceptance. Synthesizing your
comparisons into a larger theme such as identity provides you with the ideas and language
to develop your response.steP 3 Write your response
TopIC II | War in the name of Democracy? 42119_STA_2012_ch18_405-426.indd 421 17/04/15 10:11 AM