Transcript Notes: Lesson 3

America on the Home Front
during World War I
Motivation: Could have America avoided participating in
World War I?
Aim: What were conditions like on the American home front
when the troops left to fight in World War?
Recruiting Soldiers
• Once Wilson declared war on May 18, 1917 the
United States needed an army. To accomplish this
goal Congress passed the Selective Service Act.
• The Selective Service Act required all young men
from age 21 to 30 to register for the military draft.
• In the next 18 months, 4 million men and women
joined the armed forces including (Puerto Ricans,
Filipinos, Native Americans, and African
Americans.
Organizing the War Effort
• To better organize factories to produce the
goods the United States needed to fight the
war, the government created the War
Industries Board.
• The War Industries Board, told factories
what they had to produce. It also divided
up limited resources, settled disputes over
working hours and wages.
Victory Gardens
• To help the country produce enough food for the
soldiers, families back in America started Victory
Gardens.
• Victory Gardens was where families grew their
own crops and then jarred them to send
overseas. Jarring also helped to conserve the
food that was being used at home.
Raising Money
• To help raise money to pay for the war, the United
States:
• Placed taxes on income, corporate finances,
liquor, and other goods.
• Created Daylight Savings to take advantage of
sunlight, and to conserve electricity.
• Sold Liberty Bonds, which were a way of people
lending money to the government. People were
promised to be paid back their money with
interest.
Assignment
• Create a propaganda poster convincing
Americans to purchase a Liberty Bond, register
for the draft, or plant a victory garden.
Your Poster Must Include:
• A slogan
• Reasons to purchase the Liberty Bonds,
register for the draft, or plant a victory garden.
• A graphic (a drawn picture or clip art)
• Explain the benefits of a liberty bond, the draft, or
victory garden.