Rationing during World War II

By Jennie Shurtleff

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us got a brief glimpse of what it is like to live during a crisis and have certain store shelves become bare as people began stocking up on cleaning, paper, and food supplies. During World War II, with so many of the country’s resources going to the War effort, Franklin D. Roosevelt was aware that a crisis, such as a major war, could lead to shortages and an unequal distribution of necessary products, such as meat, sugar, coffee, shoes, fuel (both for heating and vehicles), and tires. Consequently, Roosevelt established the Office of Price Administration (OPA). This organization oversaw both price control and the rationing of many items that were in short supply during the war. Roosevelt had wisely realized that there would likely be lots of hoarding, which would lead to shortages, without some type of rationing system.

The Woodstock History Center is fortunate to have several ration books and a number of ration stamps, tokens, and applications in its collection. All Americans, including babies, were issued a set number of “points” by the government. Restricted items that were in short supply were each assessed a point value. When purchasing one of these items, consumers not only had to have enough money to purchase it, but they also needed to have the required number of points (in the form of tokens or stamps) for the item.  

Source?

To mitigate the hardships caused by rationing, and to allow more food to be allocated to the troops, the government encouraged civilians to grow “Victory” or “War Gardens.” While these gardens did help to alleviate food shortages, they also were beneficial in boosting civilian morale by empowering people to take charge of their food supply, reducing the anxiety associated with food insecurity, and by making people feel they were doing something to help the country.  The government also encouraged people to preserve their food surpluses by canning. There are numerous propaganda posters with catchy slogans like “Can all you can… It’s a real war job!”

It appears that most people tried to comply with the rationing regulations, although there are always going to be a few people, no matter how noble the cause, who will try to thwart the system for their own advantage. In the greater Woodstock area, Charles Barnard of Pomfret found out in 1945 that there was a stiff penalty for engaging in black market ration offenses. As reported in the local paper, the Vermont Standard, Barnard was sentence to a year and a day for “unlawfully obtaining gas rations to the extent of 1,700 gallons” and also the “unlawful sale” of tires.

Hoarding was clearly a sign of being unpatriotic, as shown in this cartoon taken from a booklet that was issued by the United States Office of Civil Defense. In it, "hoarders” are equated to “spies.”

While people took rationing very seriously, they also were able to joke about it. Clifford Proctor, who was interviewed by Ruth Hunter for the Woodstock History Center’s World War II oral history project, shared the story of one of his friends, Herman, receiving a Christmas present in early December of 1942. It was a little cardboard box from Cartier Jewelry in New York. When he lifted off the lid, on a bed of cotton, was one coffee bean. Herman wrote back to his friend, commenting on the gift being a sign of “civilian rationing.” His friend wrote back saying simply, “All right, so a joke’s a joke. Now send me back my coffee bean!”

Filling, low-point foods, like macaroni and cheese, became popular mainstays due to rationing, and new cookbooks were developed to help housewives make nutritious meals with low-point, available foods. 

Importance of diet for a “patriot.”

A cookie recipe for the “war kitchen” that could be made with relatively little sugar.

While clearly rationing created hardships for people, it appears that most people tried to comply. People didn’t necessarily eat what they wanted and as much as they wanted, but they had food to eat and enough fuel to get by.

Over 100,000 American civilians even went so far as to show their support for the rationing program by volunteering their time to help administer it and insure that the ration books and stamps found their way into the hands of all Americans.

The success of the rationing program truly underscores the patriotic spirit and general willingness of people in the 1940s to sacrifice for the greater good.