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During World War II, American women filled the jobs that the departing soldiers were forced to leave. Without their labor, America’s economy as well as the war effort would have completely shut down. Not only did women fill factory jobs making weapons and supplies for the war, but also became professionals. It was the first chance that women got to truly experience the workplace and see what they could actually accomplish without having to depend on their husbands.
After the war ended however, women experienced pressure from many different areas to return to their domestic responsibilities. Returning veterans, the media, and the government all pointed to the fact that the workplace was for the men, while women were most at home in the kitchen. The commencement of the Cold War only helped to change American ideology and women’s roles.
In this essay, the author will argue that the Cold War directly affected American ideology and women’s roles in several aspects, from legislation to situational-comedies on television. The author will examine cultural trends of the time and how domestic values were instilled in the public by the media, as well as governmental legislation passed during the Cold War era. The author will also examine what “the Home” promised to the American family during the uncertainty of the Cold War and the “curse of Communism.”
On March 1, 147, President Truman addressed Congress in a joint-session and stated what Ambrose calls, “a single sentence that defined American policy for the next generation and beyond.” Truman announced, “I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure” (Ambrose page 8). The Truman Doctrine vowed support for any country that embraced democracy and refused communism. President Truman, after being warned by Vandenburg and other Congressional leaders, knew that only by scaring the American public about the peril of the communism was there any chance of support for containment (Ambrose page 8). By portraying communists as a vulgar barbarian horde conquering everything in their path, Truman was able to convince America that threat of communism war real and imminent. Not only did this philosophy permeate through legislation, it had a strong impact in every facet of American life.
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After Truman’s announcement, Americans were made to believe that anything Soviet or communist was inherently evil. On February , 150 a Wisconsin junior senator named Joseph McCarthy made a speech in West Virginia claiming to have 57 cases of “individuals [in the State Department] who would appear to be either…members or certainly loyal to the Communist party, but who are nevertheless helping to shape our foreign policy” (Ambrose, page 108). This claim shocked the nation; there were communists in the United States government, and if they were able to gain access to the government, they could invade every aspect of American life. There was broad support from the public for McCarthy and although the majority would not defend him, McCarthy impressed upon everyone, whether consciously or not, that a new era had arrived. With the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) being made a permanent standing committee, America would begin a Pro-America campaign that would usher in the Cold War. With J. Edgar Hoover in the FBI keeping tabs on many Americans and with the power of the Smith Act (140), anyone could be prosecuted who even advocated communism (Chafe, page 7). This meant that people needed to be wary of what they said and with whom they associated with.
After McCarthy made his claims, Americans tried to do the opposite of what they believed a communist would do. Instead of not spending money on luxuries like a Soviet, Americans would buy new suburban houses and cars. While a communist would want to be part of the collective, Americans wanted to be individuals, with a distinct personality and tastes. This affected women in a strong way. After the end of World War II and the return of the veterans, most women left the factories and coveralls for the kitchen and aprons. Although many women who felt strongly about the women’s liberation movement continued to work in male-dominated fields, the majority returned to their homes to take care of the domestic responsibilities that became synonymous with American Housewife.
During this time college newspapers were printing the “horror stories” of coeds who were not engaged by their senior year while other magazines showed pictures of the “typical American woman,” like her home, children, garden, etc. Experts also expressed their opinion of the normal female. Psychiatrist Helene Deutsch wrote, “If a woman followed the path of ‘normal femininity’ she accepted her distinctive sexuality, repressed her masculine strivings, and related to the outside world through identification with her husband and children” (Chafe, page 14). Popular television shows and movies of the time also reflected these beliefs. After McCarthyism pervaded Hollywood and many entertainment-businesspeople were blacklisted, every show that involved a family portrayed the “classical” American family; the husband worked during the day while the wife cooked the meals, cleaned the house, and took care of the kids. As May writes, “Heroines who gave up their career for marriage were perceived favorably, while those who combined a career and family were condemned as poor wives and mothers” (May, page 6).
During this time, the notion of “the American Home” and its offerings was strong throughout the American public. The American home represented security and love to millions of families, and was strongly defended. May states, “Where… a man could still feel powerful and prove his manhood without risking the loss of security…in a home where he held the authority, with a wife who would remain subordinate.” No matter what happened to them during their day or whatever was occurring in the world, a man knew that as soon as he stepped through his front door, he was in charge. His wife looked to him as her “knight in shining armor,” and was a hero to his children. The wife knew that she should have the house cleaned and dinner ready for him when he arrived, since that was her part in the relationship. A common fear of the time was that if they did not perform their duties, as they knew they should, their mates might stray from the “straight-and-narrow” towards the path to communism. Women believed it was their fault if their husband became unfaithful (May page, 6). Most men and women believed in this idea. Less than 10 percent thought it was unnecessary for women to be dependent on their husband (May, page 88). During this time, both men and women were also looked upon suspiciously if they were not married by their mid-twenties. By becoming married and living in “the American Home,” they were able to show there was nothing un-American about them. Those who did not participate in the typical vision of Americanism were risking “being perceived as perverted, immoral, unpatriotic, and pathological” (May page, 6.), all dangerous terms in the Cold War Era. This was backed by “scientific” evidence from such institutions as the Massachusetts Society for Social Health. Their findings stated that women who left the confines of home for sexual promiscuity and challenged traditional roles “led to a weakening of the nation’s moral fiber at a time when the country had to be strong” (May, page ).
Women during this time also were not expected to bother with knowledge of politics or international affairs; to do so would seem “manly” and would violate the social norms of the time. Americans believed that communist women were big, sexually ambiguous factory workers who were very active in the trade unions and political discussions. This image of communism helped shaped American social ethics and beliefs. Many American housewives in turn went to the beauty parlor to accentuate their femininity, did not bother to read newspapers or talk about politics and current events, nor did they interest themselves in many activities outside of the PTA or church groups. To do so would label them as a strong and independent woman, which is what a communist was supposed to be.
The fear of nuclear attack was constant reminder of the ongoing Cold War. At any time, the United States could be bombed and the country needed to be ready. Many Americans constructed bomb shelters to protect their families, while schoolchildren and office workers were drilled in what to do in the event of an attack. Many communities also created emergency plans in case of a nuclear attack. They delegated responsibilities to both men and women, but even the threat of nuclear annihilation did not change the roles of the sexes. Men were responsible for fire fighting, rescue work, and construction; women were to care for the children and the injured, as well as to feed the community (May, page 106).
The Cold War was a time of great strain and pressure on the American public, even if they did not seem to show it. People were judged not on their accomplishments, but on how American they were. Any indication of anti-Americanism would label one as a communist and he or she would be subsequently ostracized by the community and possibly arrested. The fear of communism is what shaped American life during the Cold War. Women were made to believe that by not wanting marriage and a domestic life, they were unpatriotic and
Un-American. Women bought into this belief by separating themselves from the news and politics, and focusing on their families. They sought to distinguish themselves from the female masses through beauty products and consumerism, which is the opposite of what their communist sisters wanted. In that respect, one can argue that Communism and the Soviet Union changed American life more during the Cold War than Americans changed themselves.
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