World War I: The War At Home

1914-1920

Mobilizing the Nation Wilson mobilized the U.S.

Programs to finance the war, conserve scarce resources, & redirect industry & labor

Propaganda for support & intolerance of antiwar

Directing the Economy Economy had to reorganized Raising $= eventually cost $35 billion

Raised $ w/ Liberty bonds & Victory bonds Promotion each issue= Huge success

taxes on business & large personal incomes $10 billion for the war

Directing the Economy Coordinating the actions of gov’t & business w/ war

boards Never took complete control Set prices & production of supplies & regulated

businesses

Conserving Resources Fed. war boards= Food Admin. & Fuel Admin.- regulated

the production & supply Herbert Hoover= Food Admin.

food production & conserved existing supplies Guaranteed farmers high prices= production

Conserving Resources Reduce consumption= effective

Wheat less & meatless days “Victory gardens” Harry Garfield= Fuel Admin.

Heatless Mondays 1918, closed factories east of the Mississippi River

for

Organizing Industry 100s of boards regulated production & distribution

RR Admin. reorganized by setting limits= rates & wages

Coordinated by War Industries Board (WIB) Allocated scarce materials, production priorities, &

prices

Organizing Industry Critical of programs

Intervention would damage the U.S. system of free enterprise

Profits soared= critics stopped

Quick Review What did the U.S. government do to finance

the war?

How was the Food & Fuel Administration successful?

What happened to industry as a result of President Wilson’s programs?

Activity: Promo Commercial Create a promotional commercial describing the

government’s efforts to prepare the nation for war Promote a specific effort or several, up to you Informative & Entertaining Use a rubric