Rosie the Riveter was created by J.Howard Miller and modeled after a factory worker named Geraldine Doyle. When this was made in 1942 the presence of females involved in the workforce was jumping from around 27% to 37% by 1945. This painting was a great push for women to get jobs outside of the home during World War II, and after the emergence of Rosie about one in four women were working outside their home.
During World War II many women went and worked in the U.S. aircraft industry, an astonishing 65%! Pre-war and pre-Rosie the number was only 1%. Rosie was one of the most important works of propaganda in the U.S. during World War II.
The United States definitely needed women to become a part of the industrial workplace since all of the men who were originally dominating that field went away to fight in the war. Rosie the Riveter was one of the most powerful pieces of propaganda in the 1940’s and is still a symbol of empowerment today!
jasperlily • Jun 19, 2015 at 9:10 am
I think Rosie the Riveter was extremely important for the growth of woman independence and equality. It’s amazing how effective one poster was on the American public. Without the amount of women in the work force that there was, the war could have taken a different turn. I think it would be cool if we had a modern Rosie the Riveter to help little girls realize they don’t have to fit particular gender roles and can do whatever they want to do, even if it’s considered a “boy” job.