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Uncle Sam Wants You! • Originally published as the cover for the July 6, 1916, issue of Frank Leslie's Weekly with the title "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" the portrait of "Uncle Sam" that appears on the next slide went on to become--according to its creator, James Montgomery Flagg--"the most famous poster in the world." Over four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918, as the United States entered World War I and began sending troops and matériel into war zones. • Flagg (1877-1960) contributed forty-six works to support the war effort. He was a member of the first Civilian Preparedness Committee organized in New York in 1917…He also served as a member of Charles Dana Gibson's Committee of Pictorial Publicity, which was organized under the federal government's Committee on Public Information, headed by George Creel. • Because of its overwhelming popularity, the image was later adapted for use in World War II. Upon presenting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt a copy of the poster, Flagg remarked that he had been his own model for Uncle Sam to save the modeling fee. Roosevelt was impressed and replied: "I congratulate you on your resourcefulness in saving model hire. Your method suggests Yankee forebears." • Uncle Sam is one of the most popular personifications of the United States. However, the term "Uncle Sam" is of somewhat obscure derivation. Historical sources attribute the name to a meat packer who supplied meat to the army during the War of 1812--Samuel (Uncle Sam) Wilson (1766-1854). "Uncle Sam" Wilson was a man of great fairness, reliability, and honesty, who was devoted to his country--qualities now associated with "our" Uncle Sam. James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). • (See http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html).
Another Popular Image Of Uncle Sam(This is a later image, ca. 1942).
How Do We Form Our Opinions? • War is one of the most trying and drastic events that individuals and societies can experience. Some wars may be unavoidable, rooted in a desire to escape oppression or injustice. Other conflicts may be policy mistakes, born of faulty reasoning or poor planning. Some wars are aggressive; others are defensive. Sometimes, a people may have no other choice but war, as bullets begin to fly. If a choice exists, however, how does a society decide when to go to war? • All governments have perfected techniques to deliver information to their citizens. As citizens who consume information, we must discern between information that is rooted in critical thought, and information that is manipulative or illogical. All sources, including this one, may include both types. People and governments are not all “good” or “bad.” That is too simplistic. But some types of information are better than others. Our job is to assign value to information based upon its logical merit. • Wartime Poster Art is an excellent vehicle for this inquiry. Let’s begin!
A Method For Analyzing Wartime Posters • The following slide contains one possible framework for analyzing the images that you will encounter in this slideshow. You have also been given a copy of it to study at your desks. • Let’s discuss the framework. What are the differences between argument, persuasion and propaganda? Can you think of some times, in your life, where you have encountered these different types of advocacy? Have they been “used” on you? Discuss with a partner.
Suggested Steps For Critical Thinking • The next slide contains a checklist of questions that you should apply to the posters that you will analyze. You have also been given a hard copy of this document. This slideshow contains images of many posters from the eras of World War One and World War Two. They are grouped into categories (recruiting, mobilizing the home front, characterization of the enemy). There are also some foreign posters at the end. Choose one poster from each category, and analyze it according to the checklist.
Additional Points To Ponder • It should be noted that a message can be illogical without being propagandistic -- we all make logical mistakes. The difference is that propagandists deliberately manipulate logic in order to promote their cause. • Many War Messages Are Rooted in Genuine Need and are Logically and Morally Justified. Others are rooted in fallacy or deliberate attempts to mislead. Your job, as a critical thinker, is to try to separate the two. • During WWI, the Government set up the “Committee On Public Information.” Its purpose was to popularize the war and gain the support of the American public. To read about the Committee On Public Information, go to http://www.propagandacritic.com/articles/lf.bl.html, a site that lists techniques for evaluating the logical validity of arguments and for recognizing propaganda). • “In 1917, the Espionage Act Was Passed. It prohibited spying, interfering with the draft and making “false statements” that might impede military success. The postmaster general barred from the mails numerous newspapers and magazines that were critical of the administration. In 1918, the Sedition Act made it a crime to make spoken or printed statements intended to cast contempt, scorn or disrepute on the government or that advocated interference with the war effort. The government tried over 2000 persons with violating these laws. The most famous was Eugene Debs.” Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, (New York: WW Norton & Co., 2005),94. • In our post-9/11 world, we are again struggling to balance security with freedom of thought and civil liberties. As you review the upcoming images, think about possible connection between the past and the present.
WWI Recruiting Posters – Focusing on Opportunities For Enlisted Men
WWI Posters – Aimed at the “Home Front;” Or Seeking Civilian Sacrifice
A WWII Recruiting Poster Focusing On Opportunity For The Enlisted Man
