The Home Front

Ch.9-2 American History

Wartime Agencies

Created by Congress to promote cooperation between gov’t, private industry, and citizens

Applying Progressive ideas they used planning and scientific management to organize the war effort.

War Industries Board

Most Important gov’t agencyTold factories what to produce,

allocated raw materials, ordered new construction and even set some prices

Created to coordinate the production of war materials

Food Administration

Led by Herbert Hoover

Responsible for increasing food production, while reducing human consumption

Most successful agency

“Food will Win the War-Don’t Waste It”

Food Administration Posters

Techniques used to conserve food Encouraged families to grow their own

gardens- Victory Gardens

Techniques cont.

Encouraged families to have Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays, and Porkless Thursdays in order to save food.

Fuel Administration

To manage the nations use of coal and oil

Intro. daylight savings time and shortened workweeks for factories not making war materials

Encouraged heatless Mondays

Paying for the War

Raised income and corporate taxes

Sold: Liberty Bonds/Victory Bonds

National War Labor Board

(NWLB); to prevent strikes that could disrupt the war

Pressured industry to improve wages, adopt an 8 hr day, and allow unions to organize and collectively bargain

Women Support Industry

Women replace men in factories

Most jobs were not permanent

Led to 19th Amendment

The Great Migration

Up to ½ million Af. Am. southerners moved to northern cities to find work

Received more political rights, i.e. voting

Led to population increases in northern cities such as Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit

Committee on Public Information

Led by George Creel

Hired to “sell the war” to the public.

Used speakers, artists, songs and celebrities from the movies.

Four Minute Men

75,000 were hired to give speeches about buying bonds and to support the war

In addition they also reported draft dodgers

Espionage Act

espionage- spying on govt

Made it illegal to give aid to enemy or interfere with war effort.

Sedition Act

Made it illegal to speak out against war in public

Anti-German Attacks

Wartime fears, citizens encouraged to spy on neighbors

Boy Spies of America and American Protective League were formed to spy on neighbors and co-workers

Schenck v. United States

Supreme Court case that convicted Charles Schenck of distributing anti-draft pamphlet.

He believed 1st Amendment rights were being violated.

Free speech could be curbed if it presents a “clear and present danger”

Selective Service

Only 73,000 volunteered

2.8 million drafted

All men between 21-30 are required to register fro the draft.

Why Did Men Serve?

They were disgusted by German atrocities

Sense of adventure

Call to duty

Influenza Epidemic of 1918

50,000 Americans died in combat, and over 200,000 were wounded.

The influenza epidemic would kill 25-50 million worldwide, including more than 500,000 Americans

African Americans in War

Served in racially segregated units under white officers.

The 396th Infantry Division from Harlem was an all Afr. Amer. Unit – “Harlem Hellfighters”

92nd and 93rd Infantry

Women in the War

Served in non-combat roles

11,000 in the navy as radio operators

No women in the army