The War at Home

Concern Over Patriotism Americans trying to eliminate internal enemies Resulted in attacks on immigrants

Economy Changed People’s Lives People moved to find jobs Women took “men’s” jobs The President now had control of the economy

War Industries Board Encouraged mass production to increase efficiency Eliminate waste Set product quotas Allocated raw materials Increased U.S. production by 20%

War Industries board Led by Bernard M. Baruch Changed women’s clothing-Took steel from women’s corsets(80,000 tons) No more leather shoes Shorter skirts

War Industries Board Encouraged conservation Gasless Sundays Lightless nights Daylight-savings time

War Economy Some wages increased May have risen by as much as 20% Some wages decreased May have lost 35% of earning power Union membership increased

War Economy 6,000 strikes broke out to protest high prices and low wages Wilson creates National War Labor Board to deal with labor disputes

War Economy “Work or Fight” NWLB pushed for 8 hour days safety inspections Pushed to observe ban on child labor

War Economy Food Administration- conserve Food Led by Herbert Hoover “meatless” and “sweetless” days

War Economy People planted “Victory Gardens” American food shipments to Allies tripled

Selling the War U.S. spent $33 billion on war Raised 1/3 of this amount through taxes Government sold bonds

Committee on Public Information Government’s 1 st propaganda agency Was to popularize war Led by George Creel- a muckraking journalist

Drive for Conformity Targeted immigrants Americans w/ German sounding names lost job Towns w/ German names changed names

Espionage and Sedition Acts Fined $10,000 and imprisoned for 20 yrs for interfering with draft Obstructing sale of liberty bonds Saying anything disloyal about war effort

Espionage and Sedition Acts Clear violation of 1 st Amendment Led to 6,000 arrests 1,500 convictions

African American Support W.E.B. Dubois Cooperation would cause leadership to listen to calls for racial justice

African American Opposition William Monroe Trotter- victims of racism should not support a racist government

The Great Migration Thousands of southern blacks moved to cities in the north

Why the Migration? 1. Escape racial discrimination in the South 2. Drought in the South ruined many cotton fields 3. Increased job opportunities 4. Rumors of prosperous northern African Americans

Women in the War Filled roles formerly held by men Driving cabs Delivery trucks Railroad workers Cooks Dockworkers Bricklayers Coal miners Ship building

Female Opposition Jane Adams founded Women’s Peace Party

Flu Epidemic Fall of % of Americans became ill

Flu Epidemic Corpses lay unburied for days 500,000 Americans killed 40 million world wide Flu disappeared in 1919