10.+Rationing+System

       Matt Boylan October 21, 2008 Wikispaces                     <span style="FONT-SIZE: 150%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">    <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">**__ <span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">  <span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Rationing System __**         <span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> __ Profile __

**Name:** Bobby Jonson
 * Birthdate:** May 17, 1931
 * Date of Incident:** Began in spring of 1942 and ended in1946
 * Interests:** I like to play with my friends down the road.
 * General Information:** Good at counting ration books and points with my mom. I am happy to help the soldiers in the war any way i can.

Dear Diary,

Today we got a new set of ration books for our family. Mommy said it was just in time because

we were running out of food. I asked her this morning what rationing was and why we did it.

She said it was a system set up by the OPA where everybody gets a certain amount of goods

that the military needs as well so that everybody gets their fair share (Danzer 568). Back in

1942, she had to go get registered for the rations. Each family was asked to send one person

that could describe every other family member and the coupons for things were given out based

on family size. First we got a "Red Stamp" that rationed meats, butter, fat, and oils. Then we

got a "Blue Stamp" for canned, bottled, or frozen fruits and vegetables, juices, and soups.

These stamps are almost like money ("World"). Gasoline is also in very short supply, and my

dad jouned a carpooling club to save on gas (Danzer). Throughout the war, the supply for many

items changed greatly, depending on how badly the military needed those items. With many of

the shortages, my family just learned to deal with them and to live on alternative things. This

rationing system's success lies totally in the hands of the cooperation of the people ("Global").

Many of us feel that this is how we as citizens can personally help the soldiers and the war

effort (Danzer). But I hear from some of my friends that there is something out there called the

Black Market. It is where some people get a hold of the rationed goods and sell them to others

with out the use of coupons, but for higher prices. I also hear they mainly deal out meat, sugar,

and gas ("World"). That really angers my family because we sacrifice to help our soldiers, while

others just get stuff the easy way.

__**Works Cited**__

Danzer, Gerald A. et. Al. __The Americans__. Evanston: McDougal Little, Inc., 2003. "Global Warming, Hitler, & WWII Rationing." __Celsias__. 26 Feb 2007. 20 Oct 2008 http://www.celsias.com/article/global-warming-hitler-wwii-rationing/.

"World War II Rationing." __U-S-History.com__. Google. 20 Oct 2008 <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1674.html>.