The Great War: The Home Front
Why it matters Government assumed new powers in the daily lives of the American people. War required sacrifice, but it also provided new economic oppurtunities. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 2
6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 3 Mobilization Selective Service Act: (May 1917) Provided authorization for a draft. “Lottery style draft” 24 million men registered for the draft. Of these, about 2.8 million were aactually drafted.
“Over There” The American Expeditionary Force entered the World War in April,1917 after three years of European fighting General “Black Jack” Pershing insisted that the AEF be segregated from French and British divisions The U.S. entered the war late and lost little compared to Britain and France 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 4
War Economy President Wilson needed to make the shift from a peacetime economy to a wartime economy. National War Labor Board: to mediate labor disputes and minimize production losses War Industries Board: (Bernard Baruch) unprecedented government control of industry…price/profit controls, etc. industry used this opportunity to improve it’s battered public image. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 5
Food Administration (Herbert Hoover): Set high prices for wheat and other food to encourage farmers to increase production. Asked Americans to conserve food— ”wheatless” Mondays and Wednesdays and “meatless” Tuesdays, and “porkless” Thursdays and Saturdays. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 6
Public Opinion George Creel headed the Committee of Public Information charged with convincing Americans that: 1. We had the moral authority to go to war 2. That the war would ensure a lasting peace (Fight for Peace!) 3. That the enemy was especially bad/evil. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 7
It was the job of the CPI to convince the American public that the war was a just cause. Used education/ advertising to “sell America” on the war. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 8
The American Propaganda machine…
Opposition Resistance to the draft –Conscientious objectors –Legally exempted from combat service; in practice this was widely ignored. –Treated badly by draft boards and humiliated in training camps. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 14
Women work for peace Women’s peace party, 1915: Founded by Jane Addams and Carrie Chapman Catt 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 15
Government cracks down on dissent Espionage Act Allowed Postmaster to seize/censor a wide variety of anti- war materials/mail Sedition Act Outlawed ‘disloyal’ speech “…disloyal, profane…or abusive language” about the government, the Constitution, the flag, or the military was punishable under this law. 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 16
WHO WAS TARGETED??? 2,100 Pacifists, socialists, Wobblies, radical labor…ANY ANTI-WAR PEOPLE! Kate Richards O’Hare: “The women of the US are nothing more than brood sows, to raise children to get into the army and be made into fertilizer.” ….1 year in jail Eugene Debs: argued the war was motivated by big business seeking war time profits… TEN YEAR SENTENCE Supreme Court UPHELD his sentence but Pres. Harding released him … …he never had his rights as a citizen reinstated! 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 17
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Schenck v. US Supreme court case that upheld the constitutionality of the Sedition Act. Sometimes the need for public order is so pressing that 1 st Amendment rights do not apply Clear and Present Danger test web.at.northwestern.e du/commstud/freespe ech/cont/cases/schen ck/pamphlet.html 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 19
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The Patriot Act…
“If you turn hell upside down you will find “Made In Germany” stamped on the bottom.” Hysteria gripped the nation as propaganda and nativism grew… German-Americans were especially harassed German books vanished from libraries, German names were changed, ‘hamburger’ and ‘sauerkraut’ became ‘liberty sandwich’ and ‘liberty cabbage’ 6/25/2016copyright All Rights Reserved. 25