Chapter 11 Section 3 The War Effort in the U.S. 3 Priorities of the U.S. Gov. at home #1. Supply Allies with necessities (food, military equipment) #2. Raise $ to pay for the war #3. Get Am. public to maintain support for the war

#1. How to Supply Allies? War Industries Board (led by Bernard Baruch) Handled purchasing for the Allies Determined what the army needed Converted existing factories to meet the needs of the military Had the power to control prices at home set most high, but wages were high so it evened out some Bottom line Good for businesses, bad for consumers People at home asked to use less “stuff”

Fuel Administration Boosted coal and oil production Encouraged public to conserve energy for the good of the war effort. Example = Daylight savings time.

National War Labor Board Created to prevent labor disputes Union membership doubled Better pay & working conditions

Women supporting the war Many men at war, so women filled their jobs Many jobs were not available to women before Women finally gain full suffrage 19th Amendment (1920)

African Americans (most support the war… some do not… explain) Great Migration moved from rural South to urban North for 2 main reasons to get better paying factory jobs vacated by soldiers. to escape discrimination in the South Results Better standard of living for blacks Less discrimination at first Some race riots, especially after war (listen)

Citizens were encouraged to conserve food (Food Admin.) Eat just what you need Plant “Victory Gardens” Raise your own vegetables at home Farmers paid excellent prices by gov. for their crops

#2. How to Raise $$$ to pay for the war? Total amount needed = $35.5 billion 2 main sources of $$$ Taxes and Bonds

Taxes Paid for one-third of the war Different kinds were increased income taxes corporation taxes excise taxes on a # of non essential products Gum, movie tickets, tobacco, liquor

Bonds Paid for two – thirds of the war Most bonds sold to U.S. citizens Promised high interest rates Gov. sold them by using propaganda Persuasive messages magazines, newspapers, posters, speeches

#3. How to maintain public support for the war? Committee on Public Information led by George Creel created all kinds of propaganda to support the war Songs, art, literature, posters silent movies, public speakers, etc…

Espionage and Sedition Acts (targets Socialists and Union Leaders) Established to punish people that openly opposed the Am. Govt. during the war. fines (up to $10,000) jail time (up to 20 years) People’s 1st Amendment Rights became limited during wartime Schenck v. U.S. (pg. 396-397)

Allowing and even Encouraging Anti – German sentiment Changing names of cities with German origins Banning German books and music Changing names of food (Salisbury Steak?) Violence against Germans going unpunished

German-Americans were asked to gather in public meetings to adopt declarations against Imperial Germany. They were expected to buy war bonds, to sing the national anthem, and to declare their allegiance to the flag. And they were to do it enthusiastically. If they did not, they could have been fined, jailed, beaten, and… in a few cases… even killed. Literature began to directly attack German-American churches, schools, societies, and newspapers. Soon there were calls to throw out the German language and “all disloyal teachers.” The names of German food were removed from restaurant menus; sauerkraut became liberty cabbage, hamburger became liberty steak. Even German measles was renamed liberty measles. Government officials felt the need to protect the American public from contamination via disloyal music by pushing to eliminate classic German composers such as Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart from the programs of community orchestras. Some states banned the teaching of the German language in schools. In July 1918, South Dakota prohibited the use of German over the telephone. Many local governments and well known organizations encouraged the public to burn German-language books and campaigned to change the names of cities, streets, parks, and schools in America to the names of Belgian and French communities destroyed in the war. Germantown, Nebraska, became Garland after a local soldier who died in the war. East Germantown, Indiana, was changed to Pershing; Berlin, Iowa, became Lincoln.