December 7, 1941, “a day which shall live in infamy forever” brought the United States into World War II with the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Americans were split about whether or not to join in the war, which started in 1939 in Europe when Hitler invaded Poland. Entering World War II brought changes to the lives of all Americans, both those who served in the armed forces and those who helped the war effort at home. All Americans were expected to sacrifice for the common good, and these sacrifices became the norm. Rationing food and supplies was one of those sacrifices.

The war demanded basic supplies like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber, but these supplies were also needed by civilians for consumer goods. Furthermore, the war disrupted trade. For example, the Japanese Imperial Army controlled Indonesia, which created a rubber shortage. The government needed to conserve supplies and prevent price gouging and hoarding. In Executive Order 8875, Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration (OPA) in 1941 which would later be signed into law by Congress on January 30, 1942 through the Emergency Price Control Act. Food rationing began in Spring of 1942. Over the course of the war, the following items were rationed at different times:

Foods: meat, dairy, coffee, dried fruits, jam, jelly, lard, shortening, oil
Materials: nylon, silk, shoes, automobiles, gasoline, fuel oil, coal, firewood, rubber, paper

Rationing was one way in which Americans contributed to the war effort. Rationing means that there were limits set on purchasing high-demand items. The government gave “points” to every American- even babies. The OPA determined the number of points needed for goods based upon availability and demand, and they raised and lowered the points required for items. These points needed to be turned in along with money to purchase goods made with restricted items. Points came in stamp books beginning in May 1942. The books had red points and blue points in them. Red points were used for meat, fish, and dairy. Every person received 64 red points per month. Blue points were used for canned or bottled foods. Every person got 48 blue points per month. Volunteers handed out the ration books and explained the system, though it seems according to polling from the 40s that most Americans were quite confused about how the system worked. There were 5600 rationing boards by the end of the war and over 100,000 civilian volunteers!

Tires were the first item to be rationed and sugar was one of the longest items rationed. Sugar rationing lasted from 1942-1947, so Americans had to curb their collective sweet tooth!

War also placed additional demands on agriculture. The United States had to feed civilians on the homefront, U.S. troops, and also had to fulfill obligations to the United Kingdom, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, and other Allied nations through the Lend-Lease program. The Lend-Lease program, which we enacted in March 1941, promised the Allied powers food, oil, and other material, including weapons. The U.S. had a tremendous obligation to the world.

In order to solve food and labor shortages, the Women’s Land Army was started through the Emergency Farm Labor Program in 1943. Two and a half million women filled farm labor shortages to bring food to people around the world.

People were also asked to plant Victory Gardens. The USDA encouraged people to grow their own produce for their families and communities to offset food rations, add vitamins to their diets, and to support the war effort. There were an estimated 20 million Victory Gardens by 1943. Planting a Victory Garden, rationing, and helping with the war effort were presented as patriotic through war-time propaganda. People were proud to help their country.

USDA extension services also went to agricultural areas to teach about food use and conservation. They did home demonstrations about how to preserve food and use it wisely, and the USDA opened community canning centers. Women were encouraged to can the foods they grew in their gardens. Teaching people to can their own food would hopefully free up factory-produced canned food for the military. Again, this was presented as a patriotic practice, and an estimated 4 billion cans of food were self-canned in 1943!

So, how did people deal with rationed foods? Well, restaurants helped by having meatless menus on certain days. Government organizations gave tips to help families stretch ration points and have variety in their meals. Newspapers helped people keep track of what was rationed, changes in ration points, and they published recipes that would help families cook with the foods that were available. Advertisers published recipes for meatless dinners like macaroni and cheese (which was really popular because it was cheap, filling, and cost few ration points!) Sugar alternatives sprang up like fruit fillings and syrups. When butter joined the ration list, people turned to margarine. When people were rationing coffee, they would drink “Roosevelt Coffee,” which is just a fancy way of saying that they would reuse coffee grounds. No “traditional” meat available? No problem! Many turned to eating organ meats like hearts, livers, tripe, kidney, and tongue.

Rationing was no doubt difficult at times and a sacrifice people made– but they were unified in an effort to help one another and help save the world. Perhaps we can take a page from their book in the present situation.

Maple Custard Pie Recipe

1 pie crust (frozen, refrigerator, home made or graham cracker)
1c maple syrup
4 eggs
2c milk
1/4tsp salt
1/2tsp vegetable shortening

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the eggs until they are foamy (about 3-4 minutes). While you’re beating the eggs, scald the milk (basically heat it until you see a bit of steam rise from it). Slowly beat the milk, syrup, and salt into the eggs until well mixed. Spread the shortening along the bottom of the pie crust. Pour in the liquid mixture. Bake for around 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out of the pie clean.

*Tip for cooling so your custard doesn’t crack: turn off the oven but leave the pie in with the door open just a little until the oven cools.

Sources: National World War II Museum, National Museum of Women’s History, National Park Service