The striking Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) is a prime location and a critically important site for industrial companies looking to grow and expand in New York City. With cavernous spaces and striking architecture, the BAT played an important role in America's war effort.

Though it has been a couple of hundred years since New York was seized by the British, New Yorkers have always contributed to the defense of their country. Here are a series of photos from our partners' archives of New Yorkers during wartime.

World War II was the largest military conflict in history. An estimated 70 million people died worldwide. Beginning with the rise of Hitler in Germany, the world plunged into war, just twenty years after the First World War. The United States was slow to join the conflict directly, finally declaring war on the Axis Powers after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. However, prior to this formal declaration, the US government, while technically remaining neutral, sent military aid and equipment to the British through a law called the Lend-Lease Act. After Pearl Harbor, the United States directed their complete industrial and economic energy into the war effort. This approach to war, known as Total War, involved the vast majority of the American population in some form or another. The United States in general, and New York in particular, transformed during this conflict to meet the needs of the US military and its allies. As you read, consider the different ways New Yorkers stepped up to contribute to the war effort (8.6b, 11.8b) and how WWII can be considered a "Total War" (8.6b, 11.8b) For Teachers: Lesson Plan on WWII from home