The World Wars

Reasons for US Entry in World War I Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Propaganda-information used by Allied nations to promote cause and entice US enter WWI Sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegraph caused the U.S. to become involved in the war

GA Contributions to WWI Established more military training camps than any other state Fort McPherson, Camp Gordon, Camp Benning, and Camp Stewart Fort Benning-trained infantry troops 100,000 Georgians went to war, 3,000 soldiers passed in the fight in Europe

Boll Weevil Long-snouted beetle that destroyed cotton which was the primary source of income for many GA farmers 1923, cotton production had dropped to 600,000 bales from a high of 2.8 million bales in 1914

Drought 1924, Georgians hit with a drought Slowed down the destruction of the boll weevil 375, 000 farm workers left GA between 1920-1925, working farms fell from 310, 132 to 249, 095 Farms failed and banks that loaned money lost money, businesses closed Georgia fell into a deep depression

The New Deal 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt of NY was elected president Created the New Deal-laws that brought about economic recovery, relieve the suffering of the unemployed, reform defect in the economy, and improve society

Civilian Conservation Corps Provided jobs for young single men building forests trails and roads, planting trees to reforest the land and control flooding, and building parks Helped to create Henry Grady Hospital

Agricultural Adjustment Act Paid farmers not to plant crops on part of their land, raise farm prices without limiting production Production limit raised cotton prices from 5 cents an lb. to 15 cents in 4 years Created subsides-grants of money from the government went to landowners rather than to tenant farmers (mostly American-Africans) AAA was declared unconstitutional because is was not voluntary

Rural Electrification Rural Electrification Authority (REA) loaned over $300 million to farmers to help them extend their own power lines and buy power wholesale One of the most important and far reaching of New Deal programs

Social Security 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act Federal government would provide retirement and unemployment insurance from taxes paid by both workers and their employers Farm workers were not covered

Lend-Lease In early 1941, British ran out of cash to buy American supplies Congress authorized Roosevelt to lend or lease arms to Great Britain and the Soviet Union to assist them in defeating Germany

GA Contribution to WWII-Bell Aircraft Bell Aircraft- was largest aircraft assembly plant in the world, in Marietta Created B-29 bombers and built 668 planes Became Lockheed Martin

GA Contribution to WWII-Military Bases Fort Benning-Columbus, Camp Gordon-Augusta, Fort Stewart/Hunter Air Field in Savannah, Warner Robins Air Field- Macon Fort Benning-largest infantry center in the country Fort McPherson-in Atlanta, major induction center for newly drafted soldiers from all over the country Fort Gillem-in Clayton County, army storage facility and railroad yard POW’s were held at Fort Benning, Gordon, Oglethorpe and Stewart

GA Contributions-Savannah and Brunswick Shipyards: Liberty Ships Savannah shipyards built 88 Liberty ships 15,000 workers (many were women) Brunswick workers created 99 Liberty ships, December 1944, set a national record by building seven ships in one month