WWI on the Homefront.notebook
September 13, 2012
WWI on the Home Front
Objectives­ At the end of this unit students will be able to:
• Identify and explain key vocabulary (Alien and Sedition Act, Espionage Act, 1st Amendment, Schenck v. US, Abrams v. US, )
• Explain at least two reasons why the Government and the citizens of the US were willing to sacrifice their civil liberties at the time.
• Compare and contrast these infringements on civil liberties with current or recent events.
• Explain how the US was able to garner support for the War effort. • Explain the struggles that US underwent in supporting our war effort.
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WWI on the Homefront.notebook
September 13, 2012
War Industries Board:
3 Groups that they had to support, what the priority order was and why.
Our Citizens
Our Allies Our Soldiers
Priority list
Soldiers­ cannot take care of selves and without supplies they cannot win
Allies­ cannot take care of selves, war is being fought there and countries are ruined
Citizens­ can suffer a little and take care of themselves
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WWI on the Homefront.notebook
September 13, 2012
Ways that the US tried to mobilize public support for our troops
3 P's
Propaganda­ Catchy slogans and posters ("loose lips sink ships", meatless mondays, wheat­less Wednesdays, Victory Gardens, scrap drives, recycling, Uncle Sam, etc..)
Patriotism­ Appealed to this feeling to get them to follow the propaganda
Public Praise­ recognize people who were being good patriots
Ways that the US tried to mobilize Business support for our war effort
3 P's Again Profit­ either you produce our products or you will not be able to produce anything= no profit. Also, one of the main problems in producing a product is having a buyer and the US government as well as our allied governments were buying every military product we could produce
Patriotism­ Appealed to this feeling to get them to follow the propaganda as well as get the public to support the change from peace time economy.
Public Praise­ recognize companies who were being good patriots
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WWI on the Homefront.notebook
September 13, 2012
Civil Liberties:
During the War the US was very concerned about two internal threats to the US both in our War effort and to our government and way of life. What were they concerned with in particular and how did they handle these concerns?
Concern #1: German saboteurs here working actively against our war effort. Concern #2: Communists and Anarchists working to destabilize our country either because they were intentionally trying to hurt our ability to fight the war or because they were anti­US. Both serious offenses at the time.
Solutions to Problems
Espionage Act: This 1917 Act set stiff penalties for uttering and circulating “false” statements intended to interfere with the war effort. Any effort to cause unrest in the military forces or to interfere with the draft was forbidden. Sedition Act: This 1918 Act was the first such act in 120 years—which made it a crime to interfere with the sale of government securities (war bonds) and also prohibited saying or publishing anything disrespectful to the government of the United States US Government Propaganda: hanging effigies of German leaders, pounding nails in the Kaisers coffin, calling them the Bosch/ Hun, renaming traditional German foods to patriot sounding names(Sauerkraut= Liberty Cabbage), outlawed German language in school, etc..
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WWI on the Homefront.notebook
September 13, 2012
Where these measures legal, why or why not? What would we consider these measures today?
No, they are violations of our first amendment rights which cannot be violated even in times of war.
(freedom of Press, Religion, Speech, Assembly, and Petition)
Many people would consider the propaganda measures to be politically incorrect, socially insensitive, and possible hate crimes (especially when people took them too far)
Where they ever challenged?
Schenck v. US­ Supreme Court case over mailings sent to men to disobey the draft, it established the clear and present danger clause for restrictions on freedom of speech/ press. Cornell University Law School Explanation of the Case
Abrams v. US­ Supreme Court case over pamphlets that criticized the government and the war. It established the direct and immediate effect clause to limit freedom of speech.
Cornell University Law School Explanation of the Case
Can this happen today, if so can you name an example?
Post 9­11 US: Patriot Act, ACLU what to watch US Civil Liberties infringement
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