The WWI Home Front: Mobilization, Propaganda, and Civil Liberties
Core Concepts
Details the mobilization of American society and the economy for World War I, including government agencies, propaganda efforts, and the significant restrictions placed on civil liberties.
The WWI Home Front: Mobilization, Propaganda, and Civil Liberties
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How did the United States raise a large army for the war?
The Selective Service Act of 1917 required all men between the ages of \(21\) and \(30\) (later expanded) to register for a military draft. About \(2.8\) million men were drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).
What was the function of the War Industries Board (WIB), led by Bernard Baruch?
The WIB was the primary federal agency for managing the wartime economy. It set production priorities, allocated raw materials, and fixed prices to coordinate the production of war supplies.
What was the purpose of the Committee on Public Information (CPI), led by George Creel?
The CPI was a massive government propaganda agency that used posters, films, pamphlets, and volunteer speakers ('Four-Minute Men') to build public support for the war and portray the Germans as evil.
How did the U.S. government primarily finance the war effort?
The war was financed through a combination of increased income taxes (made possible by the 16th Amendment) and the sale of 'Liberty Bonds' and 'Victory Bonds' to the American public.
What did the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 outlaw?
These laws made it a crime to interfere with the draft, obstruct the sale of war bonds, or to speak, write, or publish anything 'disloyal, profane, or abusive' about the government, flag, or military.
What was the Supreme Court's ruling in *Schenck v. United States* (1919)?
The Court upheld the conviction of a socialist for distributing anti-draft leaflets. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. argued that free speech could be limited when it poses a 'clear and present danger' to the nation, especially during wartime.
Who was a prominent socialist leader imprisoned under the Espionage Act for making an anti-war speech?
Eugene V. Debs, the five-time socialist candidate for president, was sentenced to \(10\) years in prison for a speech denouncing the war. He famously ran for president from his prison cell in \(1920\).
What was the 'Great Migration'?
It was the large-scale movement of hundreds of thousands of African Americans from the rural South to industrial cities in the North to fill jobs in war industries and escape segregation and racial violence.
How did the war impact the role of women in the American economy and society?
With men away at war, women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers, taking jobs in factories, on railroads, and in other traditionally male roles. Their contributions helped build support for the 19th Amendment.
