In 1942, sugar was rationed because the cargo ships that imported sugar were needed in the war effort. I just love these old FDA posters…

I learned about this fact from: The US Library of Congress

Photo credits: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3g09564/ and http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Sugar_means_Ships._The_consumption_of_Sugar_Sweetened_drinks_Must_Be_Reduced._For_your_beverages_400_million_lbs._of_su_-_NARA_-_512526.jpg