How did the home front respond to US entry into WWI?

Agenda 3/1 Bell Work Intro to the Home Front Meeting the Players on the Home Front (Ch. 24) WWI Project and Propaganda

Bell Work So far we have been focused on the experiences of the soldiers fighting the war. Today we are going to shift to the home front. How do you think US involvement in WWI affected Americans at home? How might this experience be different from the way Americans are experiencing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?

Total War Total war is the complete mobilization of the country for war. In the US that meant mobilizing a military, but also civilians. The entire country had to be redirected to fight the war in Europe. WWI was not as dramatic of a shift as WWII will be, but the experience will be very similar.

Mobilizing Public Opinion “It’s not an army we must shape and train for war, It’s a nation.” –President Wilson 1917 Wilson’s fear of dissenting public opinion lead to the establishment of the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Headed by reporter George Creel, the CPI would become the propaganda wing of the federal government.

Everyone Pitches in as Patriotic Fervor Sweeps Across the Nation Schools and community centers hold massive scrap drives. Families save peach and apricot pits for use in gas mask filters. Symphonies stop playing music by German composers. Libraries ban books by German authors. Schools stop teaching German “Liberty Cabbage,” “Liberty Sausage,” “Liberty Pup,” and “Liberty Steaks”

Transforming the Economy WWI would require redirecting the entire nation on to a war footing. As young men left to fight overseas, women and African Americans stepped into the factories to replace them (We will take a closer look at this in a few moments). The federal government created numerous agencies to direct the economy…

War Industries Board The WIB was organized to direct industrial production to serve the war effort and supply the military. Encouraged use of mass production techniques Managed labor disputes that resulted from increased production. Contributed to the end of the corset as a staple of women’s fashion. (28,000 tons of metal saved, used to build two battleships)

The Food Administration Lead by future President Herbert Hoover Goal was to conserve food and ensure troops had the supplies they needed to fight the war. Promoted: -Victory Gardens -Meatless Mondays -Wheatless Wednesdays

The Fuel Administration The goal the Fuel Administration was to encourage the conservation of fuel. By creating the Fuel Admin. the US government was able to control energy consumption. Promoted: -Daylight Savings Time -Heatless Mondays -Gasless Sundays *Between 1916 and 1918 the federal Government doubled its number of employees

America Cracks Down on Americans: The Espionage Act of 1917 Passed in 1917, the Espionage Act made it a crime to interfere with the draft or obstruct the war effort. The Act gave the Postmaster General the power to refuse mail delivery of materials that discouraged loyalty. Socialist newspapers and magazines were banned and popular magazines called on Americans to spy on their neighbors!

Espionage Act Challenged Landmark Case: Charles Schenck v. United States (1919) Accused of distributing leaflets to recent draftees encouraging them to resist the draft. Convicted of interfering with recruitment-he appealed on first amendment grounds The Supreme Court upheld his conviction citing that his actions presented a “clear and present danger” “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing panic.

Eugene Debs Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for giving an antiwar speech Ran for President (from Prison) in 1920 and received more than 900,000 votes!

The Sedition Act of 1918 Made it illegal to say anything “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive” about the government. Hundreds of Americans were arrested for criticizing the draft, or new and increased wartime taxes. No longer can you criticize your government!

The Great Migration: 1.3 Million African Americans Move North and West Push Factors: Racism, Jim Crow, and violent lynchings Boll Weevil infestation and drought drove sharecroppers off the land Pull Factors: Educational opportunities Voting rights, and no legal segregation Jobs! There was a labor shortage in northern factories providing new opportunities for Black laborers

The Great Migration