Ch 14, Sec 2: The Home Front

Questions We are at war now. How will we raise an army for a global war? How will we raise enough materials to support the war from America?

Selective Service U.S. had a small number of troops-370,000 Problem: How to get more men to serve?? Selective Service Act of 1917 – All men had to register for a draft – Each man was given a number – All numbers were placed in a lottery system to determine who would go into the army – 2.8 million men were drafted

Volunteers 2 million men volunteered for war as well Reasons for volunteering – Patriotism – Heard horrible stories of German actions – Wanted an adventure – Propaganda in newspaper and on the radio

African Americans in WWI 400,000 troops in entire army 42,000 served in Europe Served in all black units under white officers Hoped to get more freedoms and respect at home Southern draft boards chose black men over white men to go into the army

African Americans in WWI Could not be Marines Only had labor jobs in the army Were placed on bases where white men were sent to fight the war Eventually were allowed into other jobs – Calvary, infantry, doctors, chaplains, engineers, etc

Women at War Served in non-combat positions Secretaries, radio operators, code breakers, photographers, writers, and electricians served in the U.S. Nurses could go to the war to help in the hospitals.

How to produce resources for the war effort Agencies created to help mass produce goods – Ex: Food Administration- helped to farm more food and encouraged families to eat less Plant “victory gardens” Give up certain types of food each day of the week

How to produce resources for the war effort Agencies created to help mass produce goods – Ex: Fuel Administration- Wanted to save oil and coal Created Day Light Savings Time Non-wartime factories had shorter hours of operation Found new sources of oil throughout the U.S.

Paying for the war Raised taxes Raised money by selling Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds – Loans to the government by citizens – Volunteered by many – Others were coerced into buying them-Goat Story

Laborers for factories and war time production Women – Built weapons/supplies in factories – Took over men’s jobs who went to war – Lost their jobs when the men came home African Americans – Great Migration north to work in factories Mexicans – Took African American jobs vacated in the south – Went north to get jobs in factories

Committee on Public Information Kept morale high Had to make people want to buy more loans and support the war effort Used movies, newspapers, cartoons, and radio to persuade people Used lots of propaganda Minute Men – Ready in 4 minutes

Espionage Act of 1917 Used to fight against spies Punished anyone giving U.S. secrets to other countries Punished anyone giving aid to the enemy Made it illegal to talk bad about the government

Americans became anti-German Stopped teaching German in schools Stopped listening to German music Changed German names to patriotic names – Ex: Hamburgers=Salisbury Steak – Ex: Sauerkraut=Liberty Cabbage Neighbors spied on neighbors

“Praise the Kaiser”

Anti-German Feelings Robert Prager – Lived in Collinsville, IL – Worked in a coal mine – German immigrant in 1905 – Rumors spread that someone was going to blow up the coal mine – He was blamed – Was lynched-buried in an American flag as requested – Everyone from the mob was proven innocent in court