WWI Home Front

Government Control During WWI During WWI & under President Wilson, the U.S. Government intervened in many aspects of public life Government controlled how Americans discussed the war & criticized the government A government agency (War Industries Board) oversaw all aspects of war production in our nation’s factories Federal laws were passed making it illegal to interfere with the draft.

GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA TO WHIP UP PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR WAR

Committee on Public Information (CPI) Government agency set up to create propaganda to support the war effort at home. George Creel, a muckraking journalist, was named CPI agency chief by President Wilson. Artists, painters, sculptors, writers, movie directors, and advertisers were all part of this propaganda campaign.

WWI Propaganda Poster Themes Recruitment into Army & Navy Conservation of resources/materials Patriotism Buy War Bonds Factory Production Vilification (demonization) of the enemy

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GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CREATED TO REGULATE ECONOMY & BUSINESS FOR WAR EFFORT

U.S. Food Administration Part of a wider large scale government regulation effort during WWI. Government agency created to get citizens involved in conserving food for soldiers on the Western Front. Herbert Hoover was the administrative chief named by Wilson Victory Gardens were planted by citizens to save canned goods for the boys “over there.”

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$ $ War Financing $ $ $ Government begins massive oversight & regulation of U.S. industry by establishing agency: War Industries Board (WIB). $ Industrial production went up 20% $ 35.5 Billion dollars were spent on the war (1/3 of this amount came from taxes) $ The rest (66%) came from the selling of Liberty Bonds to the American public—see reading for additional information!

War Industries Board

Bottom Line One result of the regulation of businesses during World War I was the expanded role of the government. At no other time in our nation’s history has the Federal Government intervened in business/industry on the scale it did during The Great War.

DIVERSITY CONTRIBUTES TO WAR EFFORT

Roles Women Filled During WWI At home many women went off to work in the factories taking up jobs left void by soldiers who joined WWI Women were asked to lead the food conservation effort at home At the Western Front a majority of women served as Red Cross nurses

Yaaaa! Women! Women won supporters in Congress for SUFFRAGE RIGHTS due to their contributions to the war effort Soon after WWI, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote in 1920.

African-American WWI Experiences Black America was split over the war. Some believed it would strengthen race relations if both black and white Americans rallied behind the cause (W.E.B. DuBois) Others believed supporting a racist nation in time of war sent the leaders of the nation the wrong message (William Trotter). Nevertheless, massive migration to northern industrial cities, like Detroit, occurred during the war. Job opportunities in war industries were the main reason. (Great Migration)

African-American WWI Experiences Regardless of where they stood on the war before it began, many African-Americans became disillusioned (angry & confused) after the war due to lack of progress in Civil Rights legislation and a general feeling of not being appreciated for their efforts during the war. Some southern African-American WWI Veterans were even lynched in their uniforms after returning home

THE WAR’S IMPACT ON U.S.A.

Home front Consequences of WWI Congress passed the Espionage & Sedition Acts in 1917. Citizens could be fined or imprisoned for writing or saying anything considered disloyal to America or interfering with the war effort. Civil liberties of Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Press were restricted. Anti-immigrant sentiment ran so strong that immigration to U.S.A. dropped dramatically & quotas were enforced-- ending massive immigration to U.S.A.

3. Violent attacks & discrimination towards Americans of German & Austrian descent (Frankenmuth, Mich. on high alert)

4. The Great Migration results in hundreds of thousands of African-Americans relocating from the south into northern cities like New York, Chicago, & Detroit to look for war factory work. Great Migration 1916-1930