The 1930s plagued St. Louis with unrelenting economic hardship until war-based economies began preparing for the inevitable global conflict of the early 1940s. World War II revitalized the St. Louis region's economy and freed the population from the constraints of the Great Depression. The city experienced a 50 percent decrease in manufacturing and unemployment levels above 30 percent by the end of 1933. Projects through the Works Progress Administration put people to work, but did little to revive the struggling city. The threat of World War II, however, freed St. Louis from economic strife and put men and women of all races to work to aid the Allied war effort. St. Louis changed to accommodate new war industries by allowing companies to enter the region, such as the Atlas Powder Company, and also by modifying current manufacturing practices for warfare, such as when Chevrolet converted to creating amphibious vehicles for the invasion of Normandy. The war created much-needed jobs for the city and its residents. World War II revitalized the city economically, but also the cap...