Chapter 9, Section 2. The Home Front

Transcription

1 Chapter 9, Section 2 The Home Front

2 Organizing the Economy Big Ideas: WWI was the world s first industrialized war. In order to manage the war, the government used the new techniques that had been developed by private businesses to run their large corporations.

3 Wartime Agencies New government agencies were created to coordinate wartime production. Many of these new programs were staffed by top business executives and managers. Programs like the War Industries Board (WIB) told businesses what to produce, allocated resources, and sometimes set prices. W.I.B. Steel Division

4 Wartime Agencies One of the most successful agencies was the Food Administration run by Herbert Hoover. At the outbreak of the war, Hoover organized the evacuation of 120,000 Americans from Europe. Hoover stressed conservation of food to prevent rationing. He encouraged Americans to grow their own food in victory gardens.

5 Wartime Agencies Daylight savings time was introduced to conserve energy resources such as petroleum and coal. To pay for the war, Congress increased taxes and borrowed money from citizens through the sale of war and savings bonds.

6 Wartime Agencies The government asked movie stars such as Mary Pickford & Charlie Chaplin to help sell war bonds. Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, & Charlie Chaplin

7 Mobilizing the Workforce The war required factories and mines to produce a constant flow of products and materials. The National War Labor Board was set up to mediate disputes and avoid labor strikes. The NWLB encouraged owners to adopt an 8-hour work day, allow workers to form unions, and accept collective bargaining.

8 Mobilizing the Workforce Many men left their jobs in order to become soldiers leaving a shortage of labor in the big manufacturing cities. Over a million women joined the workforce for the first time while another 8 million moved into higher paying, factory jobs. When the war ended most women returned to their pre-war roles.

9 Mobilizing the Workforce Industrialists such as Henry Ford sent agents to the South to recruit African American labor. This shift of nearly 500,000 black individuals and families out of the South was just the beginning of what would be called The Great Migration. Also, nearly 100,000 Mexican workers migrated to the US to fill agricultural jobs, and many Mexican Americans moved to cities to work in the factories. They settled in ethnic neighborhoods called barrios.

10 Shaping Public Opinion President Wilson created the Committee on Public Relations to help sell the war to the public. The CPI produced pamphlets, posters, and even feature length films to encourage enlistment, the purchasing of war bonds, and productivity. The government was worried about spies and anti-war protesters. To limit opposition and espionage, Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917 making it illegal to provide aid to the enemy or interfere with the war effort. They also passed the Sedition Act of 1918 which made it illegal to speak out publicly against the war.

11 Building the Military Big Ideas: The US instituted a draft to increase the size of the military. African Americans & Women took on new roles.

12 Volunteers and Conscripts Because not enough men volunteered, Congress passed the Selective Service Act. The Selective Service Act required men between 21 and 30 to register for the draft. A lottery system determined who would be required to appear before the draft board in his community. More than 2.8 million men were drafted.

13 Volunteers and Conscripts Two million men did volunteer out of a sense of duty to their country. Some men had a romantic view of war and joined out of a sense of adventure. Few men realized how bloody an industrialized war was going to be.

14 Volunteers and Conscripts Many African Americans also joined the war effort. Many hoped that by showing bravery and by fighting for their country, they could change the opinions of those who held racist beliefs. However, US commanders doubted the abilities of the African American troops and restricted them to non-combat chores. However, some African American troops were placed under French commanders who were very impressed with their bravery and fighting ability.

15 Women in the Military WWI was the first war in which women were allowed to serve in the armed forces, although not in combat positions. 11,000 Women served in the Navy as clerical workers, radio operators, electricians, pharmacists, chemists, and photographers. The only women to serve in the US Army were nurses. Nurses were the only women in the armed forces to be sent overseas during the war. 20,000 women served as nurses during WWI.