World War II and the American Home Front Volume 2 | National Council on Public History

Statement of Work

In May 2020 the National Park Service (NPS) entered into an agreement with the National Council on Public History to update the World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study published in October 2007. The initial agreement called for a 6,000-word bibliographic essay that expanded the scope of subjects treated by the original theme study. It also required a survey of properties associated with home front history and an assessment of which properties had potential national significance and, therefore, should be considered for National Historic Landmark status. Dr. Matthew Basso, University of Utah, was selected to serve as the project Principle Investigator and author of the Study.

A group of leading home front scholars and National Park Service historians helped identify five areas—Native American and Indigenous, Latino, LGBTQ, Disability, and Environmental history—ideal for expanded analysis. Research completed since the beginning of the new millennium has underscored the importance of these subjects to an evolving understanding of the era. The richness of this scholarship subsequently prompted the decision to write stand-alone chapters on each topic, rather than one article-length essay that attempted to discuss all five. Time constraints driven by this expansion have meant that these chapters offer an interpretive synthesis but do not delve deeply into primary sources.

This volume is designed to work in conjunction with the 2007 study, also referred to here as Volume 1. Those using this theme study to prepare National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark nominations on World War II home front properties are urged to read both the chapters in the original theme study and the relevant chapter(s) in this update. The original theme study offers critical background for the history covered in detail in this volume and in-depth and comparative information for nominations related to its themes.

Project Participants

Matthew Basso, Principal Investigator

Nicholas Backman, Research Assistant
Leah Baer, Research Assistant
Jonathan Beeman, Research Support
McKenna Crews, Research Assistant
John Flynn, Research Assistant
Hannah Haack, Research Assistant
Travis Hancock, Research Assistant
Julie Huddleston, Research Assistant
Annie Jensen, Research Assistant & Copy Editor
Eliana Massey, Research Support
Eliza McKinney, Research Assistant
Alex Milton, Research Assistant
Scott Morris, Research Assistant
Emory Ogaard; Research Assistant
Selena Moon, Copy Editor
Brooke Yeager, Design

Final Products & Resources

Theme Study Volume Two
**National Park Service, World War II and the American Home Front Volume 2, by Matthew L. Basso, 2024.**

Associated Webinar Series

In fall 2024 NCPH, in partnership with the National Park Service, hosted a series of webinars exploring the new topics featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. All but one of these 6, one-hour webinar presentations was facilitated by Project PI Matthew Basso, University of Utah, along with a research partner. View the full playlist via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBD25Mr-qtE&list=PLOXlP9aHA4EzoRWPPzXBBiC7hm4zO3-xP

Environmental History of the WWII Home Front
This is the first in a series of webinars exploring the new scholarship being featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. The presentation was facilitated by Project PI Matthew Basso, University of Utah, along with Scott Morris, University of Utah PhD Candidate.

Native American and Indigenous History on the WWII Home Front
This is a re-recording of the second in a series of webinars exploring the new scholarship being featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. The presentation was facilitated by Project PI Matthew Basso, University of Utah, along with Nicholas Backman, University of Utah PhD Candidate.

LGBTQ History of the WWII Home Front
This is the third in a series of webinars exploring the new scholarship being featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. The presentation was facilitated by Project PI Matthew Basso, University of Utah, along with Emory Ogaard, independent scholar.

I Hinanao-ta, Our Journey: A Story of the CHamoru People and WWII on the Island of Guam
This is the fourth in a series of webinars exploring the new scholarship being featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. The presentation was facilitated by Joe Quintana, Chief Program Officer of the Guam Preservation Trust.

Disability History of the WWII Home Front
This is the fifth in a series of webinars exploring the new scholarship being featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. The presentation was facilitated by Project PI Matthew Basso, University of Utah.

Latino History of the WWIII Home Front
This is the sixth and last in a series of webinars exploring the new scholarship being featured in the forthcoming update to the 2007 World War II and the American Home Front Theme Study. The presentation was facilitated by Project PI Matthew Basso, University of Utah, along with John Flynn, Assistant Director of the American West Center and PhD Candidate at the University of Utah.