The impact of World War II on the United States and the rest of the world has been well chronicled, but few historians have explored the experiences of individual states during the turbulent war years. In this exhaustive study, Jerry Purvis Sanson gives a comprehensive account of Louisiana’s homefront from 1939 to 1945, examining the developments in politics, education, agriculture, industry, and society that forever changed the Pelican State.

The World War II era was a particularly important time in Louisiana’s colorful political history. As Sanson explains, it was the venality of Longite politicians, rather than the war, that most altered state politics. The gubernatorial victories of anti-Longites Sam Jones in 1940 and Jimmie Davis in 1944 reflected the wrath that greedy Longite politicians had incurred in the voters and heralded a changing of the guard in the Louisiana statehouse. Although strong Longite blocs remained intact in both the house and the senate, anti-Longites proved that they, too, could govern effectively, and their relative success created a system of active bifactional politics that lasted until 1960.

While Longites and anti-Longites fought over control of the state government, major changes took place in other areas of Louisiana life. The war transformed the state’s economy, as agricultural mechanization accelerated to compensate for a shortage of labor and industries increased production to meet critical wartime demands. The economic impact of training thousands of troops increased the state’s prosperity. Louisiana’s educational system modified its curriculum in response to wartime demands, providing technical training and sponsoring scrap metal collection and war stamp sales drives.

As Sanson illustrates, Louisianians shared in the hardships experienced by the rest of the country during the war. Shortages and rationing removed consumer goods from store shelves and kept would-be travelers close to home. Involvement in civilian defense and in bond and stamp drives provided a sense of personal participation in the titanic effort against the Axis powers and replaced traditional recreation in the lives of many people. However, while most saw their lives limited by war, two groups―African Americans and women―found increased opportunities as white men departing for the service left lucrative positions vacant. Although, as Sanson points out, such advances proved to be only the beginning of the fight for true equality, they laid the foundation for the equal-rights struggles of the 1960s and beyond.

Louisiana During World War II provides a wide-ranging yet intimate look at how the worldwide conflict was brought home to the people of the Bayou State, and it thus fills a critical void in the annals of Louisiana history.