The Home Front During World War I in the United States

* Today’s focus will be on the mobilization of the United States’ economy and military in preparation for entering into the Great War!

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!)

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 *

* Effective system relied on local boards to determine draft status…

* 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)

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)

* 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 *

* Women had always been nurses in the military – but were not really “in” the military – had no rank and were not technically enlisted in either the army or navy…

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

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”

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…

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 *

* Nearly all labor unions were strong supporters of the war effort – they minimized strikes as wages soared and full employment was reached…

* Purpose was to arbitrate disputes between workers and employers in order to ensure labor reliability and productivity during the war…

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 *

* Bonds are 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%)