ConsequencConsequences of Wares of War

Committee on Public Committee on Public InformationInformation

Government agency Government agency responsible for responsible for coordinating pro-war coordinating pro-war propagandapropaganda

Distributed pamphlets, Distributed pamphlets, arranged public speakers, arranged public speakers, recorded songs, and recorded songs, and made short patriotic filmsmade short patriotic films

Government assumed Government assumed new role of manipulating new role of manipulating public opinion, controlling public opinion, controlling what information about what information about the war the public had the war the public had access toaccess to

Espionage Act of Espionage Act of 19171917

Prohibited any Prohibited any attempt to interfere attempt to interfere with military with military operations, support operations, support America's enemies America's enemies during wartime, to during wartime, to promote promote insubordination in insubordination in the military, or the military, or interfere with interfere with military recruitment military recruitment

Sedition Act of 1918Sedition Act of 1918 Limited freedom of Limited freedom of

speech by making it speech by making it illegal to publicly illegal to publicly express any express any opposition to the opposition to the warwar

Government could Government could (and did) prosecute (and did) prosecute anyone who anyone who criticized the criticized the governmentgovernment

Schenck v. USSchenck v. US (1919)(1919)

Charles Schenck, a Charles Schenck, a socialist, had been sending socialist, had been sending pamphlets to men urging pamphlets to men urging them not to report if them not to report if drafteddrafted

Schenck was convicted of Schenck was convicted of violating the Espionage Actviolating the Espionage Act

Supreme Court upheld Supreme Court upheld Schenck’s conviction and Schenck’s conviction and ruled that an individual’s ruled that an individual’s freedom of speech can be freedom of speech can be limited by the government limited by the government when it presents a “clear when it presents a “clear and present danger,” such and present danger,” such as during times of waras during times of war

Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs 1855 – 19261855 – 1926 5-time Socialist 5-time Socialist

candidate for US candidate for US PresidentPresident

Gave an anti-war Gave an anti-war speech in 1918 and was speech in 1918 and was sentenced to 10 years sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating in prison for violating the Sedition Act (only the Sedition Act (only served 3 years)served 3 years)

Appealed to the Appealed to the Supreme Court; the Supreme Court; the result of result of Debs v. USDebs v. US was the same as was the same as Schenck v. USSchenck v. US

National War Labor National War Labor BoardBoard

Federal agency Federal agency which acted to which acted to mediate and quickly mediate and quickly settle labor disputes settle labor disputes to avoid disrupting to avoid disrupting the war effortthe war effort

Pressured industry to Pressured industry to keep workers happy keep workers happy with increased with increased wages, shorter wages, shorter workdays, and workdays, and respect for unionsrespect for unions

Population ShiftsPopulation Shifts European immigration European immigration

halted during the warhalted during the war This created employment This created employment

opportunities for opportunities for minoritiesminorities

Many blacks left the Many blacks left the South for factory jobs in South for factory jobs in the North (The Great the North (The Great Migration)Migration)

Many Mexicans entered Many Mexicans entered the US to fill the labor the US to fill the labor shortage on farms in the shortage on farms in the Southwest and in Southwest and in factories in the Northfactories in the North

Post-war InflationPost-war Inflation As regular factory As regular factory

production resumed, production resumed, demand for demand for consumer goods consumer goods skyrocketed, driving skyrocketed, driving up pricesup prices

Inflation in 1919 Inflation in 1919 alone was over 15%alone was over 15%

Rising cost-of-living Rising cost-of-living led to increased led to increased wage demands by wage demands by laborlabor

Seattle General Seattle General StrikeStrike

Shipbuilders in Seattle Shipbuilders in Seattle went on strike for went on strike for better wages, inspiring better wages, inspiring other workers in other workers in Seattle to follow suitSeattle to follow suit

60,000 workers went 60,000 workers went on strike, but gained on strike, but gained little before returning little before returning to workto work

Still, the size of the Still, the size of the strike and its effect on strike and its effect on the city were alarmingthe city were alarming

Boston Police Boston Police StrikeStrike

1919: 75% of police 1919: 75% of police went on strike for went on strike for higher pay, leading to higher pay, leading to rioting and looting due rioting and looting due to lawlessnessto lawlessness

Gov. Calvin Coolidge Gov. Calvin Coolidge sent in the National sent in the National Guard to restore orderGuard to restore order

When policemen tried When policemen tried to return to work, they to return to work, they were fired and replaced were fired and replaced with new hires, with with new hires, with Coolidge’s approvalCoolidge’s approval

The Steel StrikeThe Steel Strike 350,000 steel workers 350,000 steel workers

went on strikewent on strike US Steel blamed the US Steel blamed the

strike on foreign strike on foreign immigrants, painted the immigrants, painted the strikers as un-Americanstrikers as un-American

Hired African-Americans Hired African-Americans and Mexican and Mexican immigrants to replace immigrants to replace the workers and keep the workers and keep the steel mills runningthe steel mills running

Despite several violent Despite several violent clashes, the striking clashes, the striking workers gained nothingworkers gained nothing

The Red Scare of 1919-The Red Scare of 1919-2020

Labor unrest led to Labor unrest led to fears that Communists fears that Communists were trying to create a were trying to create a revolt in the US similar revolt in the US similar to the one in Russiato the one in Russia

April 1919: dozens of April 1919: dozens of bombs were sent bombs were sent through the US Mail to through the US Mail to important government important government officials and business officials and business leaders, further leaders, further encouraging the belief encouraging the belief that communists were that communists were plotting against the USplotting against the US

The Palmer RaidsThe Palmer Raids Federal agents raided the Federal agents raided the

headquarters of various headquarters of various radical organizations, radical organizations, trying to identify the trying to identify the terror bombersterror bombers

No evidence was ever No evidence was ever found, but hundreds of found, but hundreds of immigrants were immigrants were deported due to suspiciondeported due to suspicion

Agents entered homes Agents entered homes without search warrants, without search warrants, jailed individuals without jailed individuals without charges, and refused charges, and refused lawyers – all violations of lawyers – all violations of basic civil rightsbasic civil rights

A. Mitchell PalmerA. Mitchell Palmer 1872 – 19361872 – 1936 US Attorney GeneralUS Attorney General Became an Became an

assassination target of assassination target of anarchists, survived anarchists, survived two bomb attackstwo bomb attacks

Organized a new Organized a new branch of the Justice branch of the Justice Department – the Department – the General Intelligence General Intelligence Unit (GIU) – to Unit (GIU) – to investigate “radical” investigate “radical” organizationsorganizations

J. Edgar HooverJ. Edgar Hoover 1895 – 19721895 – 1972 Hand picked by Hand picked by

Palmer to head the Palmer to head the GIU, remained in GIU, remained in charge until his charge until his death in 1972 (the death in 1972 (the GIU became the GIU became the FBI in 1935)FBI in 1935)

Well known for Well known for using extralegal using extralegal methodsmethods

Sacco & VanzettiSacco & Vanzetti Ferdinando Nicola Sacco Ferdinando Nicola Sacco

(1891–1927) and (1891–1927) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (1888–Bartolomeo Vanzetti (1888–1927)1927)

Italian immigrantsItalian immigrants 1920: Convicted of armed 1920: Convicted of armed

robbery and murder in a robbery and murder in a highly controversial trial, highly controversial trial, many believed they were many believed they were blamed simply due to the blamed simply due to the fact that they were fact that they were immigrants and associated immigrants and associated with anarchistswith anarchists

Executed in 1927, despite a Executed in 1927, despite a confession to the crime by confession to the crime by another individualanother individual

Urban Race RiotsUrban Race Riots Violent racism erupted Violent racism erupted

in Northern cities as in Northern cities as WWI veterans WWI veterans returned to work only returned to work only to find themselves to find themselves competing with blacks competing with blacks and Mexican and Mexican immigrants for jobsimmigrants for jobs

Worst was in Chicago Worst was in Chicago where a two-week where a two-week long riot killed 38 and long riot killed 38 and injured hundredsinjured hundreds

The Ku Klux KlanThe Ku Klux Klan The KKK was reborn in The KKK was reborn in

1915 as a much more 1915 as a much more formally structured formally structured organizationorganization

Preached on the Preached on the purification of America, purification of America, practiced racism, anti-practiced racism, anti-Catholicism, anti-Catholicism, anti-Communism, nativism, and Communism, nativism, and antisemitismantisemitism

Strongest in Midwestern Strongest in Midwestern cities like Detroit & Chicagocities like Detroit & Chicago

May have reached May have reached membership of 15 millionmembership of 15 million

Anti-German Anti-German SentimentsSentiments

Sauerkraut became Sauerkraut became “liberty cabbage,” “liberty cabbage,” hamburger became hamburger became “Salisbury steak”“Salisbury steak”

Schools stopped Schools stopped teaching Germanteaching German

Orchestras refused Orchestras refused to play works by to play works by German-born German-born conductors like conductors like BeethovenBeethoven

American Protective American Protective LeagueLeague

Private citizens’ group Private citizens’ group founded in 1917 (with founded in 1917 (with the approval of the the approval of the DOJ) to monitor DOJ) to monitor German-Americans for German-Americans for signs of anti-war signs of anti-war sentiments and to sentiments and to report draft dodgersreport draft dodgers

Officially disbanded in Officially disbanded in 1919, but local 1919, but local branches continued to branches continued to operate in conjunction operate in conjunction with other racist with other racist groups such as the KKKgroups such as the KKK

1818thth Amendment Amendment The push to ban The push to ban

alcohol in the US alcohol in the US was also motivated was also motivated by discriminationby discrimination

Vodka was a Vodka was a Russian drink, while Russian drink, while beer was a German beer was a German drink – both groups drink – both groups who were out of who were out of favor in the United favor in the United StatesStates

A “Return to A “Return to Normalcy”Normalcy”

Election of 1920 was Election of 1920 was won by Republican won by Republican Warren G. HardingWarren G. Harding

Harding campaigned Harding campaigned on a return to on a return to simpler timessimpler times

Americans had tired Americans had tired of the reforms of of the reforms of Progressivism, the Progressivism, the unrest of war and unrest of war and labor disputeslabor disputes

Washington Naval Washington Naval ConferenceConference

1922: Meeting in Washington 1922: Meeting in Washington DC between the US, Great DC between the US, Great Britain, Japan, and other Britain, Japan, and other nations with interests in the nations with interests in the PacificPacific

Purpose of the conference Purpose of the conference was to defuse potential future was to defuse potential future conflicts in the Pacific conflicts in the Pacific

All parties agreed to limit the All parties agreed to limit the sizes of their navies, restrict sizes of their navies, restrict certain types of armaments, certain types of armaments, and to not fortify islands in and to not fortify islands in the Pacificthe Pacific

This agreement made it This agreement made it easier for Japan to expand its easier for Japan to expand its empireempire

Dawes PlanDawes Plan 1924: When Germany 1924: When Germany

could not meet its could not meet its reparation debts from reparation debts from the Treaty of the Treaty of Versailles, the US Versailles, the US loaned Germany the loaned Germany the money to refinance its money to refinance its debtdebt

US wanted to avoid US wanted to avoid the possibility of a the possibility of a new conflict in Europenew conflict in Europe