Chapter 19 Section 4

Chapter 19 Section 4 Americans on the Home Front

Liberty Bonds • Special bonds to support the war effort • They could later be redeemed for the original value of the bond plus interest – Raised more than $20 billion

Price Controls • A system of pricing determined by the government – Used on food prices – Implemented by the Food Administration led by Herbert Hoover

Rationing • Distributing food to consumers in a fixed amount – Hoover had the power to use rationing, but decided to make all civilian sacrifices voluntary instead

What were three ways that the government intervened in the economy to help the war effort? • • • • •

Liberty bonds Rationing Price controls Daylight savings time New Agencies, like the War Industries Board

Describe some of the changes that wartime brought to the workplace? • Women worked in jobs traditionally held by men

Daylight Savings Time • Turning clock ahead 1 hour – Maximize work that can be done in daylight – Reduced need for artificial light • Lowered fuel costs

Propaganda • Information used in order to sway public opinion – During the war, the government developed the Committee on Public Information in order to convince people to support the war

How does this poster depict German soldiers? • They are not depicted as human – Savage – Bloodthirsty

Sedition • Any speech or action that encourages rebellion

What was the purpose of the Sedition Act? • Made it illegal to obstruct the sale of liberty bonds or to discuss anything “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive” about the American form of government, the Constitution, or the army and navy.

Why did many people have a problem with the Sedition Act? • It violated the 1st Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech – Convicted more than 1,000 people – Some sent to prison for 10 years or more

How did the government deal with newspapers, magazines, and movies during the war? • The government censored the press and banned certain films • Challenged any media influences that threatened the war effort – Took away mail privileges, etc…

How did the government control political radicals? • By implementing the Sedition Act • Having law enforcement hound various groups and individuals (such as the IWW) • Vigilantes even punished some radicals on their own

Vigilante • Citizens who take the law into their own hands

How did business replace the workers that the military draft had taken away? • They allowed, women, Mexicans, and African Americans to take over the work – Mexicans were actually encouraged to immigrate to the U.S. to work – African Americans move from southern farms to northern cities in order to find factory work

What impact did the war have on minorities and women? • New jobs available • Seemed to be the beginning of some major social change – Women were ultimately rewarded with the 19th Amendment