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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

World War II on the home front: Rationing

All fuel is scarce — plan for winter now!

Although gasoline rationing had begun to conserve tires, by late 1942 other kinds of fuel were also in short supply. The military needed huge quantities of fuel for ships, tanks, and planes, and Americans at home had to make do with less. Fuel oil and kerosene were rationed beginning in 1942, and solid fuels followed in 1943. This poster warned citizens of the coming shortage and advised them to “winterize” their homes — a term that most Americans were hearing for the first time.

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