Uncle Sam Wants You!• Originally published as the cover for the July 6, 1916, issue of Frank Leslie's Weekly with the title

"What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" the portrait of "Uncle Sam" that appears on the next slide went on to become--according to its creator, James Montgomery Flagg--"the most famous poster in the world." Over four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918, as the United States entered World War I and began sending troops and matériel into war zones.

• Flagg (1877-1960) contributed forty-six works to support the war effort. He was a member of the first Civilian Preparedness Committee organized in New York in 1917…He also served as a member of Charles Dana Gibson's Committee of Pictorial Publicity, which was organized under the federal government's Committee on Public Information, headed by George Creel.

• Because of its overwhelming popularity, the image was later adapted for use in World War II. Upon presenting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt a copy of the poster, Flagg remarked that he had been his own model for Uncle Sam to save the modeling fee. Roosevelt was impressed and replied: "I congratulate you on your resourcefulness in saving model hire. Your method suggests Yankee forebears."

• Uncle Sam is one of the most popular personifications of the United States. However, the term "Uncle Sam" is of somewhat obscure derivation. Historical sources attribute the name to a meat packer who supplied meat to the army during the War of 1812--Samuel (Uncle Sam) Wilson (1766-1854). "Uncle Sam" Wilson was a man of great fairness, reliability, and honesty, who was devoted to his country--qualities now associated with "our" Uncle Sam. James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960).

• (See http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html).

Another Popular Image Of Uncle Sam(This is a later image, ca. 1942).

How Do We Form Our Opinions?

• War is one of the most trying and drastic events that individuals and societies can experience. Some wars may be unavoidable, rooted in a desire to escape oppression or injustice. Other conflicts may be policy mistakes, born of faulty reasoning or poor planning. Some wars are aggressive; others are defensive. Sometimes, a people may have no other choice but war, as bullets begin to fly. If a choice exists, however, how does a society decide when to go to war?

• All governments have perfected techniques to deliver information to their citizens. As citizens who consume information, we must discern between information that is rooted in critical thought, and information that is manipulative or illogical. All sources, including this one, may include both types. People and governments are not all “good” or “bad.” That is too simplistic. But some types of information are better than others. Our job is to assign value to information based upon its logical merit.

• Wartime Poster Art is an excellent vehicle for this inquiry. Let’s begin!

A Method For Analyzing Wartime Posters

• The following slide contains one possible framework for analyzing the images that you will encounter in this slideshow. You have also been given a copy of it to study at your desks.

• Let’s discuss the framework. What are the differences between argument, persuasion and propaganda? Can you think of some times, in your life, where you have encountered these different types of advocacy? Have they been “used” on you? Discuss with a partner.

Suggested Steps For Critical Thinking

• The next slide contains a checklist of questions that you should apply to the posters that you will analyze. You have also been given a hard copy of this document. This slideshow contains images of many posters from the eras of World War One and World War Two. They are grouped into categories (recruiting, mobilizing the home front, characterization of the enemy). There are also some foreign posters at the end. Choose one poster from each category, and analyze it according to the checklist.

Additional Points To Ponder

• It should be noted that a message can be illogical without being propagandistic -- we all make logical mistakes. The difference is that propagandists deliberately manipulate logic in order to promote their cause.

• Many War Messages Are Rooted in Genuine Need and are Logically and Morally Justified. Others are rooted in fallacy or deliberate attempts to mislead. Your job, as a critical thinker, is to try to separate the two.

• During WWI, the Government set up the “Committee On Public Information.” Its purpose was to popularize the war and gain the support of the American public. To read about the Committee On Public Information, go to http://www.propagandacritic.com/articles/lf.bl.html, a site that lists techniques for evaluating the logical validity of arguments and for recognizing propaganda).

• “In 1917, the Espionage Act Was Passed. It prohibited spying, interfering with the draft and making “false statements” that might impede military success. The postmaster general barred from the mails numerous newspapers and magazines that were critical of the administration. In 1918, the Sedition Act made it a crime to make spoken or printed statements intended to cast contempt, scorn or disrepute on the government or that advocated interference with the war effort. The government tried over 2000 persons with violating these laws. The most famous was Eugene Debs.” Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, (New York: WW Norton & Co., 2005),94.

• In our post-9/11 world, we are again struggling to balance security with freedom of thought and civil liberties. As you review the upcoming images, think about possible connection between the past and the present.

WWI Recruiting Posters – Focusing on Patriotism

WWI Recruiting Posters – Focusing on Opportunities For Enlisted Men

WWI Recruiting Posters – Characterizing The Enemy

WWI Posters – Aimed at the “Home Front;” Or Seeking Civilian Sacrifice

WWI Posters Aimed At Women

WWII Recruiting Posters – Focusing on Patriotism

A WWII Recruiting Poster Focusing On Opportunity For The Enlisted Man

WWII Posters Aimed At Women

A Real “Rosie The Riveter”

WWII Posters Aimed At The Home Front

Campaign For War Bonds

• The fourth, fifth and sixth war loan drives of 1944 raised nearly $59 billion. It was the sixth war loan which netted the record breaking amount of $21.5 billion. Millions of these types of posters were printed in quantities of 100,000 or more to encourage the sale of bonds. (Text taken from New Hampshire State Library. See http://www.nh.gov/ww2/ww35.html).

Photo Of Women Buying War Bonds, ca. 1943

Two Posters By Norman Rockwell, ca. 1943

Sacrifice on the Home Front During WWII

Loose Lips Sink Ships

• Concerns about national security intensify during wartime. With German and Japanese submarines patrolling off U.S. coasts, great emphasis was placed on educating servicemen and civilians about the need for secrecy concerning military matters, especially troop movements. Central to maintaining national security was the Office of War Information's drive to limit talk about the war in both the public and private arenas of American life. Silence meant security. The graphic designs of this "loose talk" on the home front posters were usually strong and eye catching using bright colors for impact. In no other series of WWII posters was the potential for loss of human life portrayed as such a recurring theme. (Text taken from New Hampshire State Library. See http://www.nh.gov/ww2/ww35.html).

•

WWII Posters Focusing On The Nature Of The Enemy

Defining The Enemy• This poster portrays the anti-

religious nature of the Nazi movement. In 1942, the Office of War Information worked to define poster content by category. One of the categories was The Nature of the Enemy. Posters in this category were to portray the enemy as one who hated religion, who smashed home life, who killed Jews and other minorities and who persecuted labor. (Text taken from New Hampshire State Library. See http://www.nh.gov/ww2/ww35.html).

The Art Of Caricature

• Prime Minister Tojo, in a real photograph and as drawn in American Posters.

Foreign Posters (British, WWI)

British – WW II

German - WWI

French - WWI

Nazi Propaganda - WWII

• The Nazis were masters of the art of propaganda. When viewing these images, use http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/posters2.htm to help with context and translation. In addition, talk to a WHS German teacher or student for help in translation.

The Poisonous Mushroom

• Anti-semitism was taught, as a matter of course, to German children in their school curriculum. This is the cover of a book, called “The Poisonous Mushrooms.” Just as one must learn to tell the difference between “good” and “bad” mushrooms, one must learn to recognize Jews as “bad people,” to avoid confusing them with Germans. See http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/thumb.htm

Sources• http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/thumb.htm (German Propaganda

Archive at Calvin College)• http://www.teacheroz.com/WWIIpropaganda.htm (World War Two

Propaganda – Cartoons, Film, Music and Art).• http://www.propagandacritic.com/ (Examines Techniques of Propaganda)• http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=829 (NCTE’s

Read, Think, Write Exploration of Wartime Posters)• http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html (Library Of Congress

Collection of Wartime Posters)• http://www.nh.gov/ww2/ww39.html (New Hampshire State Library’s

Collection of WWII Posters)• http://www.cynical-c.com/?p=3303 (“Cynical C-Blog’s” Anti-Japanese

Propaganda Studies).• http://bss.sfsu.edu/internment/posters.html (San Francisco State

University’s Site on WWII Posters in the Context of Japanese Internment)