Chapter 8 Section 3
Main Idea: The United States
mobilized a variety of
resources to wage WWI
Learning Objectives for Section 3
Identify how the government mobilized the
economy for the war effort
 Learn how workers mobilized on the home
front
 Recognize how the government tried to
influence public opinion about the war
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Bellringer/ Section Preview
What was a Liberty Bond? When the U.S. entered
the war in 1917, President Wilson called on
everyone to join the war effort. To help pay for
the war, he launched 4 drives to sell Liberty
bonds. The bonds (like today’s savings bonds)
were a form of loan to the government.
Campaigns to sell the bonds were intense.
Celebrities from movie stars to baseball players
to opera singers appeared at bond rallies.
Artists and advertising experts produced slogans
and colorful posters. They appealed to
patriotism, fear, or sympathy for war victims in
Europe to urge people to buy bonds. In all, the
bond drives brought in almost $17 billion
Review Questions
What were Liberty Bonds?
 Describe some of the campaigns that were
used to help sell Liberty Bonds?
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Mobilizing the Economy
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Going to war was an expensive undertaking
In 1917 Congress passed the War Revenue Act
which established high taxes especially for the
rich.
This increased federal revenues by 400% within
2 years
Government also borrow money, increasing
national debt from $1.2 billion to $25.5 billion
within 3 years, most in the form of Liberty bonds
Regulating Industry
Jobs were created to regulate industry and
agricultural production and distribution
 WIB (War Industries Board) headed by
Bernard Baruch regulated all materials
needed for the war effort
 All goods were used by military first, then
leftovers were for civilians
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Regulating Food
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Congress passed the Lever Food and Fuel
Control Act
Gave the government the power to set prices
and control the production of food and fuels
needed for the military
Herbert Hoover (future President) was appointed
head of Food Administration, whose goal was to
increase food production, and conserve food
supplies
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Hoover asked farmers to increase food
production,
Asked civilians to plant victory gardens,
participate in meatless Mondays, and wheatless
Wednesdays
Resulted in a surplus of food
Also started a prohibition on alcohol (because it
is made from grapes or wheat)
Eighteenth Amendment was ratified banning the
manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol in
the U.S.
Regulating Fuel
Fuel Administration was established to set
production goals and prices for fuels
 It introduced daylight savings time, to
increase daylight hours for those who
worked long shifts in factories.
 Promoted gasless Sundays and heatless
Mondays
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Reading Focus Question #1

How did the government mobilize the
economy for the war effort?
 Raised
taxes, borrowed money through war
bonds, regulated industry, food, and fuel in
order to supply troops
Supplying U.S. and Allied troops
Creating boards and agencies helped the
U.S. produce and collect the supplied it
needed for the war
 Also supplied Allied troops besides
American troops
 Provided a boost for Allied powers and
boost to U.S. economy
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Mobilizing Workers
During the war, wages for workers
increased, however the cost of food and
housing went up as well
 Laborers were working longer hours to
increase production
 Workers began joining unions and more
than 6,000 strikes were held during the
war
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National War Labor Board
Wilson creates the National War Labor
Board in 1918 to judge disputes between
workers and management
 Also set policies to improve working
conditions such as 8 hour work day, equal
pay for women,
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Women’s war efforts
As men left for war, women moved into
their production jobs
 Worked in factories, at docks, and on
railroads
 Also worked as teachers and nurses
 Some volunteered to sell liberty bonds or
dig victory gardens
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Reading Focus Question #2
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How did workers mobilize on the home
front?
 Laborers
worked long hours to produce war
materials. Women moved into jobs vacated
by men who were sent to the front
Influenza Epidemic on the Home
Front
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50% of American loss of life resulted from a
serious flu epidemic
Back in the U.S. an army private complained of
flu like symptoms. By the end of the week more
than 500 soldiers had the flu.
This was a deadly flu. In one month more than
200,000 Americans died
Public events were cancelled
Germans were blamed for spreading the flu
Influencing Public Opinion
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Wilson created the Committee on Public
Information (CPI) headed by George Creel
Started a nationwide campaign of propagandanewspapers stories, posters, speeches and
other materials used to influence public opinion
Americans not only supported the war, also
began to distrust everything German
Opened up discrimination to German Americans
Reading Focus Question #3
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How did the Government try to influence public
opinion about the war?
 It
created the Committee on Public Information to
oversee a nationwide campaign of propoganda
Limiting Anti-War speech
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Some Americans, such as Jane Adams, spoke
out against the war
Wilson tried to limit anti-war speech
In 1917, Congress passed the Espionage Act
which punished people for aiding the enemy or
refusing military duty
Next year it passed the Sedition Act which made
it illegal to utter, print, or publish any disloyal or
abusive language criticizing the government,
military, or the flag
 Resulted
in more than 1000 people being jailed
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Some believed the Sedition Act violated the 1st
Amendment
Others believed the Sedition Act was needed to
protect military secrets and for the safety of
soldiers
Charles Schenck was a socialist who published
15,000 pamphlets criticizing the war. He was
jailed. He challenged his conviction as a
violation of his Right to Free Speech.
Supreme court upheld his conviction.
Review Questions for Section #3
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What was the War Revenue Act of 1917?
What was the function of the War Industries
Board?
What steps did the fuel administration take to
encourage fuel conservation?
What were some policies set by the National
War Labor Board?
How did war demands lead to an increase in in
union membership?
How did the infulenza epidemic affect American
life?
What is propaganda?
Section 4: Peace without Victory
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Main Idea: The Allies determined the
terms for peace in the post-war world
Learing Objectives for Section 4
Identify President’s Wilson’s Fourteen
Points plan for peace
 Learn what was resolved at the Paris
Peace Conference
 Realize why Congress fought over the
treaty
 Describe the Impact of World War I on the
United Stated and the World
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Bell Ringer /Preview Section 4
Will the treaty pass? President Wilson had to make
compromises in writing the Treaty of Versailles
after World War I. The treaty did however,
include his greatest dream, a League of Nations
that would work to ensure peace. Although he
was exhausted, Wilson decided to go to the
American people to win support for Senate
approval of the treaty. In 3 weeks, he traveled
from city to city, speaking several times a day.
On Sept. 25th 1919, Wilson collapsed after
speaking. After returning to Washington, he
suffered a stroke. He refused to compromise on
changes and the treaty was defeated. The U.S.
never joined the League of Nations.
Review Questions
What part of the Treaty of Versailles was
most important to Woodrow Wilson?
 What was the purpose of the trip that
preceded Wilson’s stroke?
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The Fourteen Points
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First 4 points called for open diplomacy,
freedom, freedom of the seas, removal of trade
barriers, and reduction of military arms
5th point called for proposed a fair system to
resolve disputes over colonies
8-13 dealt with self-determination- or the right of
people to decide their own political status
14th point called for establishment of a League of
Nations- an organization of Nations that would
work together to solve disputes, protect
democracy, and prevent war
Reading Focus Question #1
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What was President Wilsons Fourteen
point plan for peace?
A
plan that applied the principles of
progressivism to foreign policy to help ensure
that another war like the Great War would
never happen again
Paris Peace Conference
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President Wilson was the 1st President to visit
Europe
Led the American negotiators to the Paris Peace
Conference
Began on Jan 12, 1919
32 nations attended
Leaders of U.S. Britain, France, and Italy
became known as the Big 4.
Central Powers were not invited to attend
Conflicting needs
Wilson had a vision of a better world
 Other nations wanted to punish Germany
 Some nations wanted their independence
 Some wanted to build new nations
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Outcomes of the Treaty of
Versailles:
 forcing Germany must disarm,
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Germany to pay reparations,
Germany had to accept sole responsibility for starting
the war,
establishment of League of Nations,
Right to self-determination for Germany, Russia, and
Austria-Hungary
Creation of 9 new nations including Czechoslovakia,
Poland,& Yugoslavia
Germany strongly opposed the conditions but signed
anyway
Reading Focus Question #2
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What was resolved at the Paris Peace
Conference?
 Germany
had to disarm, pay reparations, take
blame, and League of Nations was
established
The Fight over the Treaty
When president Wilson returned to the
U.S. he presented the treaty to Congress
 Congress was split into 3 groups
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 Demcrats
who wanted to ratify it
 Irreconcilibles who refused it
 Reservationists who would ratify it only if
changes were made
Wilson refused to compromise the treaty
and instead went to the American people.
 Made 32 speeches in 22 days urging
public support for the treaty
 He suffered a stroke and spent the rest of
his term living in the White House cut off
from the public
 After Wilson left office in 1921, the U.S.
entered into separate peace treat with
Austria, Germany and Hungary
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The Impact of World War I
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14 million deaths
7 million permanently disabled people
Resulted in overthrow of monarchies in Russia, AustriaHungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire
Devastated European economies
U.S. emerged as the world’s leading economic power
Led women into the workforce
Women granted the right to vote
Period of rapid inflation in the United States
Reading Focus Question #3
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What was the impact of WW I on the
United States and the world?
 It
left millions of people dead; cost billions of
dollars; monarchies were overthrown;
European economies were devastated;
Review Questions Section 4
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What was President Wilson’s purpose for going
to Europe?
Who were the Big Four?
How was Congress divided over the Treaty of
Versailles?
What casualties resulted from World War I?
How did World War I have a lasting effect on
American society?
CST Practice Question
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During World War I, the U.S. Supreme
Court issued a ruling in Schenck vs.
United States that
Expanded civil liberties
b. Upheld limits to free speech
c. Overturned limits to free speech
d. Made it illegal to refuse military duty
a.
Answer
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During World War I, the U.S. Supreme
Court issued a ruling in Schenck vs.
United States that
a. Expanded
civil liberties
b. Upheld limits to free speech
c. Overturned limits to free speech
d. Made it illegal to refuse military duty
CST Practice Question
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To conserve food during World War II,
the U.S. government
Introduced daylight savings time
b. Encouraged Americans to buy war bonds
c. Limit the alcohol content of wine and beer
d. Encouraged Americans to plant victory
gardens
a.
Answer
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To conserve food during World War II, the
U.S. government
a. Introduced
daylight savings time
b. Encouraged Americans to buy war bonds
c. Limit the alcohol content of wine and beer
d. Encouraged Americans to plant victory
gardens