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The War at Home

The War at Home. Entire economy changes Supports war effort From consumer goods to war supplies. War Industries Board (WIB). Government agency regulated economy Encourages mass-production (build goods quickly) Limit choices 5 colors for typewriters, not 150 Set production quotas

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The War at Home

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  1. The War at Home • Entire economy changes • Supports war effort • From consumer goods to war supplies

  2. War Industries Board (WIB) • Government agency regulated economy • Encourages mass-production (build goods quickly) • Limit choices • 5 colors for typewriters, not 150 • Set production quotas • Allocated raw materials • WIB fixed prices from manufacturer to business (wholesale), but NOT consumer prices (retail) • By 1918, prices are DOUBLE pre-war prices

  3. War Economy • Wages rose, but couldn’t keep up with costs • Cost $30 in 1914 cost $60 by 1920 • Stockholders in corporations made a LOT of money • DuPont stock increases by 1,600% from 1914-18 • Union membership grew • Faster production, child labor, long work hours • 6,000 strikes during war

  4. War EconomyNational War Labor Board • The Draft • If you worked, you didn’t get drafted • If you didn’t follow gov’t orders, you could be drafted • Improved factory conditions • 8 hour workday • Safety inspections • Enforced child labor ban

  5. Food • Food Administration • Led by Herbert Hoover • Asked Americans to sacrifice one thing a day to help war • Victory Gardens • Gov’t raised price of wheat • Farmers grew more

  6. Selling the War – War Finances • $35.5 billion • 1/3 raised in taxes • 2/3 raised from borrowing from American citizens • “Liberty” & “Victory Loans” • Only a “friend of Germany” would refuse to buy war bonds.

  7. Anti-Immigrant Hysteria • Recent immigrants were viewed as untrustworthy • What groups do you think were targeted most? • 2,000,000 Americans were born in Germany • Americans with German names lost their jobs • Orchestras wouldn’t play Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, & Brahms • Schools stopped teaching German • Some were lynched

  8. Espionage & Sedition Act • Illegal to interfere with war effort, saying anything disloyal, profane, or abusive about gov’t or war effort • $10,000 fine & up to 20 years in jail • Violate the idea of the 1st Amendment • 2,000 prosecutions • Congressman couldn’t take his position in DC because he was anti-war • College professors fired • Effectively killed a very large labor union • Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

  9. Espionage & Sedition Act Eugene V. Debs 10 years in jail Emma Goldman 2 years in jail, $10,000 fine. Deported to Russia

  10. Social ChangesAfrican Americans • Divided opinion on the war • Some Support War Effort • W.E.B. DuBois • Support would increase calls for racial justice • Blacks would be viewed as Americans • Some Oppose War Effort • William Monroe Trotter • Victims of racism shouldn’t support racist gov’t • Most African-Americans supported the war

  11. Social ChangesGreat Migration • Movement of Southern blacks to Northern cities • Greatest impact on African-Americans • Why did they leave? • Escape discrimination in the south • Ruined cotton crop (unemployment) • Many jobs in North • Increased production • Less immigrants

  12. Social ChangesWomen • Men fought, women worked • Took male jobs • Bricklayers, ship builders, railway workers • Still teachers, nurses, clerks • Red Cross facilities • Active in the peace movement • They were appreciated, but did NOT get equal pay for equal work • Helped support women’s suffrage

  13. Social ChangesThe Spanish Flu • 1918, disease hit the US • Affected ¼ of U.S. population • Severely hurt the economy • Cities ran short of coffins • Close contact among soldiers spread it quickly in Europe • 500,000 Americans died • 30 million worldwide • Disappeared in 1919

  14. Selling the WarCommittee on Public Information (CPI) • First propaganda agency • Biased communication meant to influence people’s thoughts & actions • Promoted the war • Posters • Books

  15. Propaganda • In your group answer these 3 questions • Who is depicted in the poster (list the people or types of people respresented) • What MESSAGE is the poster trying to convey? How do you know? • Is the poster convincing? Why or why not?

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