We owe it all to the silkworm.
The raw silk market was controlled by Japan.
Due to the fact that the US could no longer obtain silk for making parachutes, a substitute had to be found.
The DuPont Company had been experimenting with synthetics for use in making tires and, actually, stumbled upon nylon.
Once this new material was stabilized, they adapted it to other uses.
After the war, it was expanded to include various articles of clothing, such as, dresses, nightgowns, shirts, hats & hat bands, scarves, table clothes & napkins, and the list goes on.
Before the war, women's stockings were made of silk.
During the war it was almost impossible to buy them, except on the "black market". Today, women's stockings are still refered to as "nylons", by the women who lived thru the war and the "baby boomers" that came afterwards.
After the war, the silk trade suffered, because of Japan's economic situation.
The synthetic industry (nylon, rayon, orlon, dacron, polyester, taffeta) were cheaper to produce, making it more profitable for the manufacturers, and more accessible, financially to the general population.
This created a new wave of factory jobs, which led to a rise in the post-war US economy. Factories were built outside of the large cities, in rural areas.
This caused workers to move beyond the confines of the cities, into the sub-urban areas.
The housing industry created jobs for carpenters, brick & concrete masons.
Better roads were built for those workers to travel to & from their jobs. And the Inter-State highway system grew, creating a need for gas stations, food services and motel/hotel sites, etc.
America was no longer separated by distance; people had money and could travel more freely and more quickly, thanks to the silkworm.
Answered By: braves squaw - 12/12/2007 |