Comic Book Industry and the Homefront During WWII | Webinar

This talk explores the critical role that popular culture played in building U.S. public morale in support of the war effort during World War II. It analyzes the historical context of Isolationism that preceded U.S. entry into World War II, and the ways in which the Office of War Information and the Office of Strategic Services collaborated with culture industry leaders in film, music, radio, and news media to build and sustain popular consensus in support of the nation’s successful global fight against the Axis Powers.

Often overlooked in histories of the Pacific War, the National Guard provided much of the U.S. ground forces in the theater from 1942 to 1945. Assistant Historian with the Texas State Guard, Michael Ritchie will be sharing the history of the Texas Defense Guard that highlights the men who served on the homefront to protect Texas while our National Guard was deployed overseas.

This is the famous speech that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered on December 8, 1941, one day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.