World War I: The Home Front

Guide to Reading Connection

• Overview of U.S. involvement in World War I and the preparation for war at home.

  • Key points:

  • The drafting of military service.

  • New roles for African Americans and women in war efforts.

  • Use of Progressive ideas for economic management.

  • Filling labor shortages during the war.

  • Propaganda and civil liberties' restrictions during WWI.

• Content Vocabulary:

  • Conscription: mandatory enlistment in a country's armed forces.

  • Victory Garden: private vegetable gardens grown to alleviate food shortages during WWI.

  • Espionage: the act of spying to gather secret information.

• Academic Vocabulary:

  • Draft: a system for compulsory military service.

  • Migrate: the movement from one place to another, often for work.

  • Constitute: to make up, form, or compose.

• People and Terms to Identify:

  • War Industries Board (WIB): a federal agency established to coordinate the production of war materials.

  • Bernard Baruch: the leader of the WIB during World War I.

  • Liberty Bond: government bonds sold to finance military operations during the war.

  • Victory Bond: bonds issued by the government to support war efforts.

  • Committee on Public Information (CPI): an agency established to influence public opinion regarding the war.

• Reading Objectives:

  • Analyze U.S. military mobilization and support for WWI.

  • Explain economic control to support the war effort.

• Reading Strategy: Take notes while understanding U.S. mobilization for the war.

Preview of Events

• The Home Front Timeline:

  • April $6$, $1917$: United States declares war on Germany.

  • May $18$, $1917$: Selective Service Act passed.

  • June $15$, $1917$: Espionage Act passed.

  • July $28$, $1917$: War Industries Board (WIB) established.

  • March $1918$: National War Labor Board (NWLB) established.

  • May $16$, $1918$: Sedition Act passed.

  • September $1918$: Eugene Debs imprisoned.

  • March $3$, $1919$: Schenck v. United States case decision.

Building Up the Military

• The draft was instituted for military service; women and African Americans undertook new roles.

• Context: Eagerness to Serve

  • Following the declaration of war against Germany on April $6$, $1917$, there was a surge of volunteers to enlist.

  • Historian William Langer noted the youthful enthusiasm for adventure despite awareness of dangerous trenches and combat.

• Selective Service Act:

  • Established by Congress on May $18$, $1917$, requiring men aged $21$ to $30$ to register for the draft.

  • A lottery determined selection order by local draft boards, which were civilian-run to account for community needs.

  • Approximately $2.8$ million Americans were drafted into service.

Volunteers for War

• About $2$ million men volunteered for various reasons, including seeing the war as a patriotic adventure.

• Volunteers included individuals wanting to emulate historical military exploits, a sentiment echoed by Justin Klingenberger.

African Americans in the War

• From the $400,000$ African Americans drafted, around $42,000$ served overseas.

• Many faced discrimination and served in segregated units under white officers but fought gallantly.

  • Example: $369th$ Infantry Regiment received the Croix de Guerre for valor.

Organizing Industry and Managing Economy

• The government utilized Progressive ideas for wartime economic management and cooperation with industry.

• Establishment of boards to alliance government and big business:

  • Emphasized efficient use of resources for war efforts.

The War Industries Board (WIB)

• Created in July $1917$, initially hesitant in authority, later reorganized (March $1918$) to coordinate industrial production.

  • Led by Bernard Baruch, who directed manufacturers on what to produce, controlled raw material flow, and coordinated factory operations.

Food and Fuel Management

• Food Administration under Herbert Hoover increased food production and conservation without rationing.

  • Slogan: ‑Food Will Win the War—Don’t Waste It.‑

  • Encouraged citizens to ‑Hooverize‑ by reducing food waste, implementing Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays, and planting victory gardens.

• The Fuel Administration managed coal and oil, introducing daylight savings to conserve energy.

Paying for the War

• U.S. spending reached around $44$ million dollars daily, totaling $32$ billion dollars over the war.

• Tax proposals: increased income tax rates; targeted taxation on corporate profits and arms manufacturers.

• Government borrowed over $20$ billion dollars via war bonds (Liberty and Victory Bonds) to finance expenditures, promoted through patriotic efforts.

Mobilizing the Workforce

• War led to significant labor shortages; various demographics played crucial roles:

  • Women, African Americans, and Mexican Americans responded to labor demands created by the draft.

• Established the National War Labor Board (NWLB) in March $1918$ to mediate labor disputes.

  • Focused on concessions like wage increases, an eight-hour workday, and collective bargaining rights.

  • Union membership increased by over $1$ million between $1917$ to $1919$.

Contributions of Women and Minorities

• Women moved into industrial jobs vacated by men, expanding roles particularly in manufacturing, shipping, and clerical positions.

  • Women roles were largely temporary; most reverted to traditional roles post-war.

• The Great Migration: $300,000$ to $500,000$ African Americans migrated north for wartime jobs.

  • Major shifts occurred in cities like Chicago, New York, Cleveland, and Detroit due to high wages and job availability.

• Large migration of over $100,000$ Mexicans approached due to political issues and labor shortages, moving into agricultural work in Southwestern states and cities.

Ensuring Public Support

• Committee on Public Information: tasked with selling the war to the populace; led by journalist George Creel, established on April $13$, $1917$.

  • Engaged various media professionals to promote pro-war messages through pamphlets, posters, and speeches.

  • Four-Minute Men spread messages of war support in public venues.

Civil Liberties and Legislative Measures

• The Espionage Act of June $15$, $1917$ criminalized disloyal statements against the government.

  • Resulted in numerous prosecutions, highlighting tensions between national security and free speech.

• The Sedition Act of May $16$, $1918$ expanded this to suppress public opposition, posing significant dangers to democratic principles.

A Climate of Suspicion and Persecution

• Anti-German sentiment rose, resulting in prejudice against German Americans and cultural repression.

  • Changes in naming, educational curriculum, and social activities arose from fear of disloyalty.

  • Supreme Court rulings often favored civil liberties restrictions during wartime, with notable cases like Schenck v. United States (decided March $3$, $1919$) establishing precedent for limiting free speech based on 'clear and present danger'.

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) arose in $1920$ from efforts to protect civil rights in the post-war environment.

Critical Thinking Questions

• Define the following terms: draft, conscription, victory garden, migrate, espionage, constitute.

• Identify key people and terms: War Industries Board, Bernard Baruch, Liberty Bond, Victory Bond, Committee on Public Information.

• Analyze women's workforce impact and how it changed post-war.

• Examine how war efforts clashed with democratic ideals.