Rationing during WWII

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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How did Richmonders support the war effort?
• How did life change for people on the homefront during WWII?

CONTEXT

Ration books that contained stamps or coupons allowed citizens to purchase items that were in short supply during the war. Sugar, oil, meat, butter, coffee and gasoline were all in scarce supply during World War II because those supplies were also needed by American troops. When buying a rationed item, the person would present the required coupon to the store, which would then be detached from the book. The ration books limited, or rationed, these supplies and tried to prevent hoarding of essential goods. Every citizen, including children, received ration books that had to last until the next group of ration books was issued. The Office of Price Administration (OPA) was created to oversee the rationing system.