rosie the riveter

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the six million women who worked in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions and material during World War II while the men (who traditionally performed this work) were off fighting the war. Rosie and her slogan were featured on newspapers, magazines and posters. This "character" is now considered a feminist icon in the US, and a herald of women's economic power to come.

Rosie the riveter was inspired by a real person Ms. Rose Will Monroe, who was born in Kentucky in 1922. During World War II she moved to Michigan. She worked as a riveter at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan, building B-29 and B-24 bombers for the Air Force.

She was asked to star in a promotional film about the war effort at home. She was also featured in a poster campaign. She became known as Rosie the Riveter, perhaps the most widely recognized icon of that era. The films and posters she appeared in were used by the U.S. government to encourage women to go to work in support of the war effort. Ms. Monroe died at the age of 75 on May 31, 1997 in Clarksville, Indiana.