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Coming only 21 years after the war to end all wars, World War II plunged the United States into yet another worldwide conflict. This brought significant changes to everyone's lives, especially those of American women. Until the 1940's, women usually got married at a young age. They did housework and took care of their children while their husbands went to work to support the family. In fact, during the depression, the federal government joined with local government, school boards, and private business to exclude married women from the work force. All of this changed forever with the onset of World War II, which opened numerous opportunities for women. During the Depression years of the 1930's, many changes took place. Men were losing their jobs, and family life was severely stressed. "Middle class families had a sudden decline in status. In such families, wives often moved in to fill a power vacuum." (1) "Contradictory pressures"(2) were brought to bear upon women wage earners. "Public attitudes urged them not to work, but economic circumstances both spurred wage labor and in some instances made jobs available.” (3) 1. Woloch, Nancy, Women and The American Expirience (The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc11996) p. 285. 2. W