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Liberty Ship Construction in Houston During World War II.

  • Published In: Southwestern Historical Quarterly, 2025, v. 128, n. 3. P. 262 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Pearson, Eric 3 of 3

Abstract

During World War II, the US government initiated the Emergency Shipbuilding Program to rapidly build cargo ships due to the global conflict. Houston was chosen as a shipyard site due to its location, large unskilled labor pool, and political influence. The Houston Shipbuilding Corporation built Liberty ships, employing thousands of workers, including women, African Americans, and Latin Americans. Despite challenges like absenteeism, turnovers, and labor strikes, the shipyard played a vital role in the war effort, producing cargo vessels that sailed into the 1980s. After the war, the shipyard transitioned to repair work and faced layoffs as the demand for new ships decreased. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 2025/01, Vol. 128, Issue 3, p262
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0038-478X
  • DOI:10.1353/swh.2025.a951099
  • Accession Number:182908500
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Southwestern Historical Quarterly is the property of Texas State Historical Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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