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Mobilizing the Economy: American Home Front during World War I

Discover how the U.S. paid for war, regulated industries, mobilized workers, managed propaganda, and faced the influenza epidemic during WWI.

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Mobilizing the Economy: American Home Front during World War I

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  1. CH. 18-3 THE HOME FRONT AMERICAN HISTORY

  2. MOBILIZING THE ECONOMY • Going to war was an enormous and very expensive • President Wilson and Congress had to figure out how to pay for it • Congress passed the War Revenue Act of 1917 • Very high taxes established and wealthy people paid 77% of their annual income • Revenue increased 400% within 2 years

  3. Government also borrowed money • National debt grew from $1.2 billion (1916) to $25.5 billion (1919) • More than $20 billion was owed to Americans who purchased Liberty Bonds • REGULATING INDUSTRY • Congress created several boards to make sure businesses were creating war supplies

  4. War Industries Board (WIB)—authority to regulate all materials needed for the war effort • Leader was Bernard Baruch • “No steel, copper, cement, rubber, or other basic materials could be used without our approval” • Industrial production increased by 20%

  5. REGULATING FOOD • Congress passed the Lever Food and Fuel Control Act • Government given the power to set prices and establish production • Americans asked to plant vegetables in “victory gardens”

  6. REGULATING FUEL • Fuel Administration established to set production goals and prices for fuel • SUPPLYING U.S. AND ALLIED TROOPS • USA became a major supplier for the Allied Powers • Great Britain alone received 1 billion rounds of ammunition, 1.2 million rifles, 0.5 million tons of explosives

  7. MOBILIZING WORKERS • Profits from corporations skyrocketed • Wages for factory workers increased as well • Laborers worked long hours and in very unsafe conditions • Harsh work conditions led many to join labor unions—60% increase 1916-1919 • 6,000 strikes during this time period

  8. NATIONAL WAR LABOR BOARD (1918) • Judges disputes between workers and management • Board lasted less than a year but handled 1,200 cases involving 700,000 workers • WOMEN’S WAR EFFORTS • Women moved into jobs traditionally held by men when men went to war

  9. 1 million women entered the workforce during WWI • Women left these jobs when the men returned, both voluntarily and by force • INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC ON THE HOME FRONT • Severe flu epidemic broke out 1918-1919

  10. This flu was deadly, killing people within days • Ex.—October 1918—200,000 Americans died from flu • City gatherings were canceled • 675,000 Americans killed from flu (actually bird flu transmitted directly to humans)

  11. INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINION • President Wilson had to convince people to support the war effort • WINNING AMERICAN SUPPORT • Committee on Public Information (CPI) created PROPOGANDA—posters, newspaper stories, speeches, other items used to influence public opinion

  12. Posters created to influence public opinion (p. 603) • Anti-German feelings grew • German American loyalty was questioned • LIMITING ANTI-WAR SPEECH • Prominent Americans such as Jane Addams & Sen. Robert LaFollette spoke out against the war

  13. 1917—Congress passed the ESPIONAGE ACT • Punished people for aiding the enemy or refusing military duty • 1918—Congress passed the SEDITION ACT • Illegal for Americans to “utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal…or abusive language” criticizing the government, the flag or the military

  14. More than 1,000 people jailed under this law • Socialist Party leader Eugene V. Debs received 10 years for criticizing the US govt.’s prosecution of Americans. • Debs was released by presidential order after the war ended • Some people believed the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act violated the first amendment

  15. Schenck v. United States • Charles Schenck distributed 15,000 leaflets opposing government war policies • US Supreme Court unanimously upheld Schenck’s conviction • Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote that some limits needed to be placed on speech during wartime to ensure the country’s overall safety (p. 605) • THE END

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