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Ch. 23-4 . Mrs. Manley . The War at Home. WWI drastically changed life in the US After declaring war on Germany in 1917, Americans focused on getting ready to fight. Mobilization - gathering resources & preparing for war. Affected almost every part of American life.
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Ch. 23-4 Mrs. Manley
The War at Home • WWI drastically changed life in the US • After declaring war on Germany in 1917, Americans focused on getting ready to fight. • Mobilization- gathering resources & preparing for war. • Affected almost every part of American life. • National War Labor Board- created to ensure production of vital war materials. • 8 hr. workday, overtime pay, equal pay for women, right to form unions. Agreed not to strike!
Paying for War • War is expensive! • WWI cost the U.S. $32 billion • Liberty bonds- bonds sold to the public raised 2/3 of the cost of war • Other $ came from income taxes & taxes on businesses
Making Supplies • U.S. produced food for us and Allies • Food Administration- led by Herbert Hoover; get farmers to produce more & the public eat less; slogans- “Serve Just Enough”, “Use all Leftovers” • Encouraged planting Victory Gardens and voluntary rationing (limiting food) • War Industries Board- supervised industrial production; changed factories into war suppliers producers and setting prices for consumer products
Mobilizing Support • Lots of Americans were still anti-war! Govt. tries to gain support. • Wilson & Committee for Public Information try to convince Americans the war is a battle for freedom & democracy. • They distribute pro-war pamphlets, posters, books, articles, four-minute speeches, etc to build support for the war. Greatest propagandacampaign ever seen.
Govt. tries to quiet voices of dissent (against war). • Great Migration- Afr. Amer. Leave the South to move North for jobs! race riots in north • Against war (opposition) • -Pacifists oppose the use of violence • Socialists- industries should be publicly owned • Laws passed to control opposition • Espionage Act • Sedition Act