A Brief History
On July 22, 1942, due to wartime demands on gasoline, the US instituted a national rationing program for this fuel. World War II saw many items rationed, including fuels, tires, and even cars. But it gets worse!
Digging Deeper
World War II begat the issuance of ration stamps, resulting in black market and counterfeit stamps. Dog food in cans disappeared, and toothpaste tubes were limited. A national 35 mph speed limit was instituted, coffee availability was cut in half, shoes, bicycles, rubber products, many foods, coal, firewood, and medicines such as penicillin were rationed. Silk was rationed, and nearly all Nylon produced was claimed by the government.
Gasoline became scarce in 1973 and in 1979, with gas stations running out of fuel or limiting the amount sold per transaction and a national 55 mph speed limit was established. The 2020 pandemic saw health care and items such as ammunition, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer rationed by stores.
Note: Many circumstances can lead to shortages and rationing, such as natural disasters, pandemics, wars, agricultural disasters, resource limitations, political action, limited production facilities failing, such as with baby formula, and other reasons. What do you think will cause the next great round of rationing?
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What items should you stockpile to be ready for the next round of rationing?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Cox, Stan. Any Way You Slice It: The Past, Present, and Future of Rationing. The New Press, 2013.
Knight, Katherine. Spuds, Spam and Eating for Victory: Rationing in the Second World War. The History Press, 2011.
The featured image in this article, a World War II rationing poster from the United States, is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1930, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.
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