Question

How did Americans try to get around the ration cards?

Answer 1

Americans tried to get around the ration cards during World War II by participating in the black market, growing their own produce in Victory Gardens, using wartime cookbooks to make the most of available food, and contributing to community collection drives. Propaganda campaigns linked these efforts to patriotic duty.

Step-by-step explanation:

During World War II, Americans found various ways to circumvent ration cards. Some resorted to illegal activities, such as buying and selling rationed items on the black market. Others embraced the spirit of self-sufficiency by growing their own produce, which came to be known as 'Victory Gardens'. These efforts augmented their rations and lessened the impact of food shortages. Wartime cookbooks, like the Betty Crocker cookbook 'Your Share', taught housewives how to prepare meals without resources that were scarce due to rationing. Additionally, organized community drives collected essential materials such as scrap metal and rubber for recycling into munitions, demonstrating the home front's resourcefulness in addressing shortages.

Answer 2

Every American was entitled to a series of war ration books filled with stamps that could be used to buy restricted items (along with payment), and within weeks of the first issuance, more than 91 percent of the U.S. population had registered to receive them