Transcript World War I
World War I
America Mobilizes
The Selective Service Act
Young men were encouraged to enlist in the military, but in
order to ensure that the U.S. had enough troops Wilson
asked congress to pass the Selective Service Act.
The act was passed in May 1917 and authorized a draft that
would call young men to service in Europe.
24 million men registered for the draft throughout the war.
2.8 million were called to service.
The US armed forces had a total of 4.8 million men serving
during the war.
A War Economy
All Americans were asked to help out, not only in Europe
but on the home front too.
The War Industries Board was created to regulate industries
and wartime production.
The government controlled many aspects of production and
transportation, including what farmers grew and where
goods were sent.
They even asked Americans to conserve food, so more food
from home could be sent abroad.
How does this differ from today’s economy?
Public Opinion
These measures, especially eating less, required that
Americans support the war.
The Committee on Public Information was created to
inform and convince Americans that their involvement
in the war was for a good cause.
Many Posters were created and displayed as propaganda
to convince Americans to support the war, join the
armed forces, buy war bonds, and also to hate the
enemy.
War and American Society
The face of the workforce changed…
Due to men having to leave their jobs to serve, 500,000
women entered the workforce.
400,000 African Americans moved from the south to
the north to work industrial jobs.
240,000 Mexicans moved to southwestern states to fill
agricultural jobs.
Art Analysis
What can these recruitment posters tell us about American attitudes
toward military recruitment and the Central Powers?