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May 2020
43m 57s

The WWII Home Front | United We Win | 2

Wondery
About this episode
As the nation’s factories and shipyards ramped up production for the war, the demand for labor exploded. Millions of women and minorities entered the workforce for the first time, finding a path to prosperity and opportunity. But as Americans joined in common purpose, strife and challenges hit the homefront. In 1943, half a million coal miners in West Virgin ... Show More
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May 2020
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