WWI on the Homefront

The US had never fought in a war this scale, so they need to build up their military. They have the following option:

A. Put out word for volunteers

B. Establish a military draft (requires men by law to serve in military)

C. Use the army as it exists now

What did they do??

A military draft was established. 

The Selective Service Act established a military draft which brought in around 3 million soldiers into the military.

Another 2 million volunteered. Together, they formed the AEF, or American Expeditionary Force.

For the first time women were allowed to enlist – 10,000 in the army and a few hundred in the navy and served as nurses and ambulance drivers, etc.

Over 250,000 African American soldiers served in WWI even though they served in segregated units.

The American Expeditionary forces were made up of:

• Only volunteers

• Only soldiers who had fought in Spanish American War

• Volunteers as well as men who were drafted

• Only men who were drafted.

What did they do??

A military draft was established. 

The Selective Service Act established a military draft which brought in around 3 million soldiers into the military.

Another 2 million volunteered. Together, they formed the AEF, or American Expeditionary Force.

For the first time women were allowed to enlist – 10,000 in the army and a few hundred in the navy and served as nurses and ambulance drivers, etc.

Over 250,000 African American soldiers served in WWI even though they served in segregated units.

What law did the US pass in order to increase the size of the US armed forces during WWI?

• The Venona Papers

• The 17th Amendment

• The War Powers Act

• The Selective Service Act

Once the US increased its armed forces, it faced the issue of needing to supply and equip the military (they need guns, uniforms, food, fuel, etc.) These were the options they had:

A. Set up agencies or administrations to organize different areas of need.

B. Have the government purchase different manufacturing industries.

C. Purchase what you need from other countries.

What They Did:

The government set up agencies to plan and supervise a portion of the economy. 

Herbert Hoover ran the Food Administration.

There was the Railroad Administration, led by William McAdoo, to make railroad travel more efficient.

 The War Industries Board, headed by Bernard Baruch,  coordinated the manufacture of military supplies.

Who took responsibility for supplying the military during WWI?

• Private industries donated all of the supplies the soldiers needed.

• The other Allied forces sent supplies

• The government set up agencies to ensure the military was supplied

• No one, they were under supplied

Wars are expensive and the US needed to find a way to pay for this war. They had the following options:

A. No new taxes!

B. Increase taxes and issue liberty bonds [government borrows money from citizens by issuing bonds.]

C. Print more paper money

What they did:

Congress increased taxes and sold liberty bonds.

Income tax and corporate taxes were increased.

“Liberty bonds” were sold that brought in 23 billion dollars by 1920.

Congress did all of the following to pay for the war EXCEPT:

• Increased taxes on businesess

• Printed more money and inflated the money supply.

• Increased income taxes

• Sold "liberty bonds" (borrowed money from citizens)

What they did:

Congress increased taxes and sold liberty bonds.

Income tax and corporate taxes were increased.

“Liberty bonds” were sold that brought in 23 billion dollars by 1920.

Why do you think the government labled/called the bonds "liberty bonds"? What was the purpose of wording it like that?

Many Americans viewed WWI as a foreign war and were not initially very supportive. In order to gain support for the war, the government could:

A. Set up a committee to issue propaganda such as war posters.

B. Ask the public to volunteer to support the war such as growing home “victory” gardens or joining the Red Cross.

C. Pass laws that make it illegal to criticize the war, spy, or in any way hurting the war effort.

•Propaganda – information used to promote a political idea or point of view.

What did they do?

ALL OF THEM:

•The government established a committee, the Creel Committee, to launch a propaganda campaign with posters, literature, and movies.

•Volunteerism -The public was encouraged to volunteer to ration goods so they could be sent overseas (Wheatless Mondays or Meatless Tuesdays), to grow their own home gardens so more food could be sent overseas, to volunteer for the Red Cross, and buy liberty bonds.

The government passed laws to punish those who openly opposed the war including the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act. These laws punished those who openly criticized the war.

Which of the above actions taken by Congress would be considered very controversial and why?

List at least three ways the average American citizen could support the war effort:

If you wanted to help the government pay for war, what could you do?

• Enlist in the military

• Grow a victory garden

• Buy Liberty Bonds

• Volunteer in the Red Cross

Propaganda posters like this were used to gain support for the war. What is this poster encouraging Americans to do in order to support the war?

• Encouraging women to enlist in the infantry

• Encouraging people to ration food by growing their own "victory gardens"

• Encouraging people to buy liberty bonds

• Encouraging women to join the Red Cross and become nurses

The war also brought more possibilities to groups that had otherwise been left out of the “American Dream” – women and minorities. 

Women now found new opportunities in employment: cooks, nurses, factory workers, ambulance drivers, etc. 

While women still could not vote – they proved that they could take on jobs that had been traditionally “men’s” work.

And many African Americans found new jobs as they moved north to work in factories.

How did World War impact women?