Chapter 12 Section 3Chapter 12 Section 3Notes Notes

The War at HomeThe War at Home

Pages 368-374Pages 368-374

Mobilizing the NationMobilizing the Nation

• Government set up programs to– Finance the War– Conserve Scarce

Resources– Redirect Industry and

Labor toward Wartime production

– Mobilize support through propaganda

Directing the EconomyDirecting the Economy

• William McAdoo Sec. of Treasury– Raise money to

pay for the war• Cost $35 billion

including loans to Allies

• Issued 4 Liberty Bonds and Victory Bond drives

Increased taxesIncreased taxes

• Increased taxes on Business and Personal incomes in October 1917

• Raised $10 billion

War BoardsWar Boards

• Established war boards which coordinated government, business, and industry

• Sweeping power without complete control

• Set prices• Set production levels• Regulated crucial businesses

Conserving ResourcesConserving Resources

• Food Administration

– Headed by Herbert Hoover• Regulate the production and supply of food

– Encourage increased agricultural production • To stimulate production guaranteed high

prices• 921 million bushels produced in 1919

• Conserve existing food supplies– Wheatless days and meatless days– Plant “victory gardens”

Fuel AdministrationFuel Administration

• Harry Garfield– son of James Garfield former president

• Heatless Monday’s• When coal ran short

in 1918 closed factories east of Mississippi for several days

Organizing IndustryOrganizing Industry

• Railroad Administration– William McAdoo leader

• Reorganized railroads with limits on transportation rates and workers wages

War Industries Board (WIB)War Industries Board (WIB)

• Led by Bernard Baruch– Responsible for

• Allocating scarce materials• Establishing production priorities• Setting prices

– Preferred to get owners to cooperate but threat of takeover when necessary

• Some thought government intervention would damage free enterprise system but changed minds when profits soared

Mobilizing WorkersMobilizing Workers

• Organized Labor–Because of draft and slower

immigration workforce decreases• Industry has a shortage of labor

–Unions take advantage of situation• 4500 strikes involving 1 million

workers in 1917 alone

National War Labor Board (NWLB)National War Labor Board (NWLB)• Forms in April 1918

• Arbitrates disputes between workers and employers

• 1200 cases heard– usually rule in favor of union

• Because of success of unions membership in AFL grows to 3.2 million in 1919

Labor ShortageLabor Shortage

• Strengthened unions and brought changes in workforce

• Number of women in workforce grows by 6% to 1.5 million during war

Wartime MobilizationWartime Mobilization

• Carrie Chapman Catt– headed Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense

• Harriet Stanton Blatch– headed Food Administration Speakers Bureau

• Womens efforts in wartime helped secure passage of 19th Amendment– gave them the right to vote

• Wilson supports passage in recognition of their efforts

VolunteerismVolunteerism

• Americans voluntarily – Conserved energy– Recycled essential materials– Planted “Victory Gardens”– Purchased Liberty and Victory Bonds

Juliette Gordon LowJuliette Gordon Low

• Founded Girl Scouts of America in 1915

• Grew from 500 girls in 1915 to 168,000 in 1927

Great Trek NorthGreat Trek North

• Mexicans were fleeing Revolution in Mexico in the late 1910’s

• Also were workers in Southwest U.S.

• 150,000 migrated north to U.S. during the war

Great MigrationGreat Migration

• Southern Blacks moved north to work in industrial jobs

• Fleeing discrimination and poor living conditions in the South

• Better standard of living

• Racial violence still a problem

• July 2, 1917 East St. Louis– white rioters kill at least 39 blacks

Influencing AttitudesInfluencing Attitudes

• Committee on Public Information (CPI)

• Formed in Spring of 1917 and led by George Creel