Part 1: Background & Part 2: America on the Homefront

Review of World War I Causes –Assasination of Franz Ferdinand by Serbian leads to war. –Great Britain, France, Russia vs. Germany, Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungarian Empire US involvement –Sinking of Lusitania –Zimmerman telegram –Unrestricted submarine warfare Type of fighting –Machine guns, trenches, tanks, gases Results of WW I –Germany loses, has to pay reparations, blamed for the war, creates bitterness that leads to WW II.

The United States President Woodrow Wilson US really just focused on dominance in the Americas and Asia Declares a policy of neutrality Offered loans & weapons to both sides for profit Foreign born citizens felt it difficult to remain neutral (1/3 of the population)

Preparedness Movement Led by T. Roosevelt During re- election campaigning, Wilson advocated for: –Larger army –Larger navy –Preparedness for peace –Slogan “he kept us out of war”

The Zimmerman Note Feb German foreign minister sent a coded note to another German minister in Mexico. Suggested that Mexico should become allies with Germany and attack the US Intercepted by Britain Infuriated the US War declared April 2

Committee on Public Information “It is not an army that we must shape and train for the war… it is a nation”- Wilson CPI created… –Massive war support propaganda campaign –Press releases –Movies –Leaflets –Posters –“4 Minute Men”- speeches

Anti- Central Power Propaganda

“ Enlistment Propaganda

Selective Service Act This is the draft and it helps the US win the war by quickly mobilizing or creating an army (we didn’t have a standing army at the time). Not necessary to write down… 24,000,000 men registered for the draft by the end of ,800,000 men served in WW1 (2,000,000 saw active combat). 400,000 African-Americans served in segregated units. 15,000 Native-Americans served as scouts, messengers, and snipers in non-segregated units.

WWI and Big Government Our involvement in WWI expands the size and power of the federal government by setting up agencies to help us run the war: War Industries Board US Food Administration National War Labor Board

U. S. Food Administration

Results of This New Organization of the Economy? Positive: 1.Unemployment virtually disappeared. 2.Close cooperation between government and corporations. 3.Draft creates new job opportunites for African- Americans and women. Neutral: 1.Expansion of “big government” 2.Government needs to sell war bonds to pay for the war. Negative: 1.The government need to do more and do it quickly does lead to some (big) mismanagement and waste.

Opportunities for African-Americans in WW1 “Great Migration” Movement of Af- Ams from the South to the North and West between – 1919  70,000 move north Work in factories making war supplies. Enlist in the military but serve in segregated units.

Fear leads to attacks on our founding ideals Attacks by Germany on a weapons warehouse in New Jersey and fear of spies within the US, created fear among Americans. This fear lead to attacks on civil liberties Add civil liberties to your glossary.

Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans Espionage Act 1. Espionage Act – forbade actions that obstructed recruitment or efforts to promote insubordination in the military. - ordered the Postmaster General to remove Leftist materials from the mail. - fines of up to $10,000 and/or up to 20 years in prison.

Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans Sedition Act 2. Sedition Act – it was a crime to speak against the purchase of war bonds or willfully utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about this form of US Govt., the US Constitution, or the US armed forces or to willfully urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production of things necessary or essential to the prosecution of the war…with intent of such curtailment to cripple or hinder, the US in the prosecution of the war.

Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans Schenck v. USSchenck v. US – 1919 in ordinary times the mailing of leaflets would have been protected by the 1 st Amendment. –BUT, every act of speech must be judged acc. to the circumstances in which it was spoken. If an act of speech posed a clear and present danger, then Congress had the power to restrain such speech.

Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans Abrams v. US 4. Abrams v. US – majority ruling --> cited Holmes’ “Clear and present danger” doctrine. - Holmes & Brandeis dissented: The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, denying that a “silly leaflet” published by an “unknown man” constituted such a danger.