Bell Ringer What was the reasoning and significance of the Zimmerman Note?

Americans on the Home Front

Key Terms – Liberty Bond – Price Controls – Rationing – Daylight savings time Main Idea – Americans and their government took extra ordinary steps at home to support the war effort

Setting the Scene “I hate war, because war is murder, desolation and destruction. If one-tenth of what has been spent on preparedness for war had been spent on the prevention of war the world would always have been at peace.” – Henry Ford War required huge amounts of money, personal, and supplies – “there are no armies… there are entire nations armed” President Woodrow Wilson

Financing the War Liberty bonds were sold help the government raise money – Money went straight to the war effort – Raised more than $20 billion Loaned $10 billion to Triple Entente – First time bond posters were used as propaganda “Every Scout to Save a Solider” – Could be redeemed at a later date to receive money back plus interest

Managing the Economy The government asked all industries to begin producing goods for the war Lever Food and Fuel Control Act (1917) – gave the POTUS the power to manage the production and distribution of foods and fuel vital to the war effort – “Food will win the war” Food administration imposed: – price control – a system of pricing determined by the government on the sale of food – Rationing – distribution goods to consumers in a fixed amount – Daylight Savings Time – turning clocks ahead one hour for the summer

Enforcing Loyalty Censorship was enforced – Movies about the American Revolution was banned Fear of Foreigners – brief case left on train with planes to turn Americans against the Entente – Literacy test would be required for new immigrants “Hate the Huns” – refers to the people who invaded Europe in 4 th and 5 th Centuries – Everything German in America either stopped or changed names

War changed daily lives By 1918 all able-bodied males in college and universities had become army privates Immigration from Europe had slowed to a stop Industries and factories need workers and began hiring African-Americans and Mexican-Americans – Began the Great Migration – 500k African-Americans moved to the north to work in factories By late 1917, 400k Women joined the work force – Would help lead to the 19 th Amendment being ratified