The Home Front During World War I in the United States

1. The Home Front During World War I in the United States * Today’s focus will be on the mobilization of the United States’ economyand militaryin preparation for entering into the Great War!

2. The U.S. Government used Progressive ideas to SHAPE PUBLIC OPINNION * April 1917, President Wilson created the Committee on Public Information to “sell” the war to the American people (George Creel) * * The committee used newsprint, posters, radio, telegraph, cable and movies to broadcast its message – created and distributed propaganda! * * …recruited 75,000 "Four Minute Men”– volunteers who spoke about the war at social events for an ideal length of four minutes (Why? HA!)

3. The U.S. Government instituted a DRAFT to prepare the military for the war * May 1917, the United States Congress passed the Selective Service Act – authorized the government to raise an army for the American entry into World War * * All males aged 21 to 30 were required to register for military service – would be selected randomly through a lottery system! (2.8 million drafted during the war) * Effective system relied on local boards to determine draft status…

4. American Women on the “Home Front” * First time in American history that women officially served in the armed forces – “noncombatant” positions (clerical, radio operators, electricians, chemists, photographers) * Women had always been nursesin the military – but were not really “in” the military – had no rank and were not technically enlisted in either the army or navy… * As men left for the military, women began to take “men’s jobs” – on the assembly lines of factories, producing tanks, trucks and munitions for the war effort *

5. The U.S. Government used Progressive ideas to manage the ECONOMY and fund the war efforts * Congress created several key “wartime agencies” to manage the effort between the gov’t and private industries… * July 1917, Congress created the War Industries Board to coordinate the production of war materials (Bernard Baruch) * * Encouraged mass production, set production quotas, ordered construction of necessary factories, set prices and allocated raw materials… * Dealt with labor management disputes arising from increased demand for products

6. The U.S. Government used Progressive ideas to manage the ECONOMY and fund the war efforts * August 1917, Woodrow Wilson created the United States Food Administration by Executive Order to coordinate food production with the war effort (Herbert Hoover) * * Agency was responsible for increasing food production while reducing civilian consumption * Motto was: “Food Will Win the War – Don’t Waste It” (focus was on WHEAT) * Encouraged families to conserve food and grow their own vegetables in “victory gardens” * “Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays, Porkless Thursdays”

7. The U.S. Government used Progressive ideas to manage the ECONOMY and fund the war efforts * August 1917, Woodrow Wilson created the Federal Fuel Administration by Executive Order to address concerns about a steady supply of fuel to support military and industrial operations (Harry Garfield) * * “Fuel committees” were organized down to the county level in each state in order to conserve coal and oil and divert those resources to the war in Europe… * The Fuel Administration had the power to set and enforce prices of coal and energy… * To conserve energy, the Fuel Administration introduced Daylight Savings Time (1918) and shortened the workweek for factories producing non-essential war materials…

8. The U.S. Government used Progressive ideas to MOBILIZE THE WORKFORCE in support of “The Great War” * To keep factories running smoothly, Wilson established the National War Labor Board in 1918, which forced management to negotiate with labor unions* * Purpose was to arbitrate disputes between workers and employers in order to ensure labor reliability and productivity during the war… * Nearly all labor unions were strong supporters of the war effort – they minimized strikes as wages soared and full employment was reached…

9. Paying For the War – LIBERTY BONDS! * By the end of the war, the United States had spent $32 billion - $20 billion of which was raised through the issuance of Liberty Bonds * * Bondsare pieces of paper that a government sells individuals and then pays them back at a later date with interest included * • * There were four issues of Liberty Bonds: • April 1917 – Emergency Loan Act, $5 billion in bonds (3.5%) • October 1917 – Second Liberty Loan, $3 billion in bonds (4%) • April 1918 – Third Liberty Loan, $3 billion in bonds (4.5%) • September 1918 – Fourth Liberty Loan, $6 billion in bonds (4.25%)