1. THE HOME FRONT
Chapter 9 Section 2

2. THE HOME FRONT ORGANIZING THE ECONOMY MAIN IDEA
The government used progressive ideas to manage the economy and pay for the war.
THE HOME FRONT

3. Organizing the Economy
To efficiently manage relationships between the federal government and private companies, Congress created new agencies to coordinate mobilization and ensure efficient use of national resources.
War Industries Board (WIB) est. July 1917: coordinate production of war materials
Organizing the Economy

4. Organizing the Economy
Food Administration: Run by Herbert Hoover, responsible for increasing food production while reducing civilian consumption
Encouraged Victory Gardens: Families grow own vegetables
Fuel Administration: Run by Harry Garfield, manage nations use of coal and oil
Introduced Daylight Savings time
Organizing the Economy

5. Organizing the Economy
End of war US spent $32 billion. To fund the war,
Increased income tax
New taxes on corporate profits
Extra tax on profits from arms factories
Borrowed $20 million through sale of Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds
American’s who bought these would be repaid with interest after a specified number of years
Organizing the Economy

6. Organizing the Economy
Success of the war also required cooperation of workers
To prevent strikes, established National War Labor Board (NWLB)
Pressured industry to improve wages, adopt 8- hour work day and bargain collectively
Labors agreed not to strike or disrupt war production
Organizing the Economy

7. Organizing the Economy
With men in military, more companies hired women workers for jobs traditionally for men
One million women joined workforce
Changes were not permanent but demonstrated women COULD do same job as men
African American’s were recruited from south to work in factories (started by Henry Ford)
Massive population movement called “Great Migration”
Altered racial make up of cities like Chicago, New York, Detroit and Cleveland
Organizing the Economy

8. Organizing the Economy
War also encouraged other groups to Migrate
one hundred thousand Mexicans migrated to southwest from Mexico
Mexican Americans found factory jobs in Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha and other cities
Many faced hostility and discrimination
Organizing the Economy

9. SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION
Believe that organizing economy was not enough, had to have government shape public opinion of war
Committee on Public Information (CPI): created 11 days after congress declared war, job was to “sell war” to Americans
Distributed pamphlets and arranged for patriotic talks to be delivered in public places (like movie theaters)
Urged people to support war in various ways
SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION

10. SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION
Also passed legislation to limit opposition to war and fight espionage
Espionage Act of 1917
Illegal to aid enemy, give false reports or interfere with the war effort
The Sedition Act of 1918
Illegal to speak against the war publicly
These two laws led to over 1,000 convictions
SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION

11. SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION
War time led to attacks on German Americans, labor activists, socialists and pacifists.
Ads urged American’s to spy on their neighbors
Created American Protective League and Boy Spies of America
Espionage and Sedition Act upheld by Supreme Court
Even though violated 1st amendment Supreme Court said gov’t could restrict speech when the words constitute a “clear and present danger”
SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION

12. THE HOME FRONT BUILDING THE MILITARY MAIN IDEA
The United States instituted a draft for military service, and African Americans and women took on new roles
THE HOME FRONT

13. When entered war in 1917, army and National Guard had slightly more than 300,000 troops
Progressives didn’t believe in draft, created selective service
Required men ages to register for draft and a lottery determined which order they were called before a draft board in charge of selecting or exempting them from service
Member of draft board were civilians in community
Building the Military

14. 2 million Americans volunteered for military service. Reasons included
Believed it was duty
Heard of German atrocities
Grown up listening to stories of Civil War and Spanish American war and saw WW 1 as grand adventure
Building the Military

15. Horrors of war became apparent, but American Moral was high helping to ensure victory
50,000 died in combat
200,000 were wounded
60,000 died of disease, most from influenza epidemic of
Influenza spread all over world and estimated million people killed including 500,000 Americans
Building the Military

16. Of 400,000 African Americans Drafted, 42,000 served overseas as combat troops
Suffered discrimination and prejudice
Despite challenges, many African American soldiers fought honorably
Building the Military

17. World War 1 was first war in which women officially served in the armed forces
Only in non combat positions
Women were mainly in clerical positions (due to shortage of men)…
Navy was first to enlist women. They wore standard Uniform, rank yeoman
By end of war over 11,000 women served in Navy
Building The Military

18. Army refused to enlist women, hired them as civilians on temporary basis… Only women in Army were in Army Nursing Corps
Women nurses served in Army and Navy since as auxiliaries
Army nurses only women sent overseas during war
20,000 nurses served in Army Nursing Corps including 10,000 overseas
Building the Military

19. EXIT TICKET Answer the following questions in a complete sentence
Why did Congress pass the Espionage Act in 1917?
How did Congress ensure that the United States would have enough troops to serve in World War 1
How did Women serve overseas?
What was a victory garden?
What did the War Industries Board do?
EXIT TICKET