1. Ch. 23, Section 4: The War at Home Main Idea: World War I drastically changed life in the United States. Key Terms: – Mobilization – Dissent – Socialist – Pacifist – Espionage – Sabotage

2. I. Mobilizing the Nation A. Americans readied for the war by mobilizing their resources. – 1. The gov’t created the National War Labor Board in April 1918 to ensure production of vital war materials. – 2. The nation’s industries had to expand to provide supplies and weapons. – 3. Women and minorities joined the workforce to fill labor shortage created by the millions of men who left jobs to serve in the armed forces. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved to northern cities from the rural South, and thousands of Mexicans migrated to the U.S. in search of jobs.

3. I. Mobilizing the Nation cont. B. World War I cost the country about $32 billion. Two-thirds of that money was raised by selling war bonds, or liberty bonds. The gov’t also raised money by increasing income and business taxes. C. The Food Administration, a new agency headed by Herbert Hoover, encouraged American farmers to expand food production and the American people to consume less food. It imposed price controls on certain agricultural products to encourage voluntary rationing, or limited use.

4. I. Mobilizing the Nation cont. D. The War Industries Board, another gov’t agency, supervised the nation’s industrial production by overseeing that factories were converted to produce war-related goods and by setting prices for key products. E. The Committee on Public Information was created to build support for the war. Antiwar sentiment still remained strong. The committee distributed millions of pro-war pamphlets, posters, articles, and books, and provided newspapers with gov’t accounts of the war and advertisements.

5. II. American and the War A. The war had harmful effects on American society even though it also boosted the economy. For example, some Americans became suspicious of anyone who was against the war. German Americans also came under suspicion, so some Germans concealed their heritage. B. During the Great Migration, or tremendous northward migrations of African Americans from 1914 to 1920, many African Americans found jobs. However, they also found life difficult. Racial prejudice, crowded living conditions, and segregated neighborhoods made the settlement in northern cities uneasy for may African Americans.

6. II. American and the War cont. C. Several northern cities saw terrible race riots. In July 1917, in East St. Louis, Illinois, a white mob attacked and African American neighborhood. The mob burned houses and fired on African Americans as they tried to escape. Thousands lost their homes and around 40 died. D. Opposition to the war continued. Socialists opposed the war because they though it would only help rich business people and hurt working people. Pacifists opposed the war because they disapproved of violence. Some German Americans and Irish American sympathized with the Central Powers and were against American involvement with the Allies.

7. II. American and the War cont. E. Laws were passed to prevent dissent, traitors, and disloyal Americans. – 1. The Espionage Act of 1917 gave the gov’t a way to combat dissent. The Act called for stiff penalties for espionage, or spying; for helping the enemy; and for interfering with army recruiting. – 2. An even harsher measure passed in 1918 was the Sedition Act. It was a crime to say, print, or write almost anything that was perceived as negative about the federal gov’t. Thousands of people of were convicted, especially immigrants, socialists, pacifists, and labor activists. – 3. Some Americans spoke out against these laws, but many believed that in wartime, no measure was too drastic.