The US drafted over 2.8 million men between the ages of 21-30 through a new selective service system during WWI. Nearly 400,000 African Americans were drafted, though they faced discrimination and served in segregated units. For the first time, women also officially served in noncombat roles as nurses, clerks, and more. To fund the war, Congress raised taxes and Americans were encouraged to buy Liberty and Victory Bonds through patriotic posters. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans and Mexicans migrated north for new industrial jobs during the war.
1. Chapter 14 Sec. 2
The Home Front
The “War to End All Wars”
When the US entered
WWI many men would
need to be drafted in
order to meet the needs
of war.
2. The Draft
• A new system called selective service
run by the military would draft all
men between 21 and 30 years of
age. A lottery system would select
men to come before a draft board to
be interviewed. Eventually about 2.8
million Americans were drafted.
Approximately 2 million volunteered.
3. African Americans
• Nearly 400,000 were drafted and
about 42,000 fought overseas. They
encountered discrimination and
prejudice in the army. They served in
racially segregated units. Despite
these challenged, many fought with
distinctions.
4.
5. Women
• WWI was the first war in which
women officially served in the
armed forces—noncombat
positions—as clerical
workers, radio
operators, electricians, pharmacis
ts, nurses and photographers.
6.
7.
8. Mobilizing the Civilians
• In order to increase food production while
reducing civilian consumption, the Food
Administration encouraged Americans to save
food on their own—using slogans like:
• “Food will win the war—Don’t waste it”
• Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays
• Victory Gardens
9. Paying for the War
• To fund the war effort, Congress raised income
tax rates. The government also borrowed over
$20 billion from the American people by
selling Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds. The
US government agreed to pay back the
Americans who bought bonds plus interest.
Posters encouraged people to buy the bolds as
an act of patriotism.
10.
11.
12.
13. Mobilizing the Workforce
• The National War Labor Board
was established in order to
prevent strikes from disrupting
the war effort
14. • Women filled industrial jobs
vacated by men serving in the
military—temporary jobs.
15. The Great Migration
• African Americans in the South
migrated North to take jobs in
factories producing war materials.
Between 300,000 and 500,000
African Americans left to settle in
cities like Chicago, New York,
Cleveland and Detroit.
16.
17. Mexicans Head North
• Over 100,000 Mexicans migrated North into
Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico
providing labor for the farms and ranches of
the Southwest, as well as, tens of thousands
of Mexican Americans headed north to
Chicago, St. Louis and other cities to take
wartime factory jobs. Many faced hostility and
discrimination, and like many immigrants
before they settled in their own separate
neighborhoods.
