America’s Entry into the War

Once the United States entered the war things back in America began to change. The American Homefront had to change as many of the men went off to war and the women were forced to step up and fill their places. This caused a change in the American economy as well as a change in many other aspects of life. In addition civil liberties also began to change at this time as the government wanted to make sure everyone supported the war effort as it was a country wide effort.

When the United States entered the war its army was still small untested and poorly armed. It was the seventeenth largest army in the world and America was forced to recruit, equip, and train an army of millions and transport them across the Atlantic. This lead to an unprecedented expansion of federal authority. The government was forced to draft millions of men between the ages of 21 and 31 into the armed services, convert industries and farms to wartimes needs, they took over railroads, and controlled other aspects of national life. Wilson also called for new federal agencies to coordinate the war effort and the War Industries Board was soon created. It had the authority to ration raw materials, construct new factories , and set prices. They also created a new Food Administration which was to increase agricultural production while reducing the amount of food that civilians consumed. They also organized a large group of volunteers who urged housewives and restaurants to do things such ad Wheatless Mondays and Meatless Tuesdays.

When the 4 million men were removed from the workforce to serve in the armed forces a labor shortage was created. In order to meet the demand women were encouraged to take up the jobs that had been left behind by the men. Women began to organize fund-raising drives, donate canned food, and other war related materials, volunteer for the Red Cross and joined the army nurse corps. They were also recruited to work on farms, loading docks, railroad crews, in the armaments industry, machine shops, steel and lumber mills, and chemical plants. Many of these women were single and young and once the war ended they went back to their pervious jobs.

The war also generated dramatic changes for many minority groups such as African Americans. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans enlisted or were drafted into the military but were forced to serve in segregated units. On the hoe front northern business began to send recruiting agents into the southern states and tried to find workers. These efforts were directed to both whites and African Americans and soon more that 400,000 southern blacks started what would be known as the Great Migration. They began to move to northern cities and change both he political and social chemistries of them. The north was portrayed as the land of promise for southern blacks and racism was less prevalent and violent, at least at first. Many Mexican Americans also found similar opportunities during the war and after. 100,000 Mexicans crossed the border into America during the war and some even joined the military.

Once the war started, Americans often hated anything German. German Americans were public harassed and often discriminated against. Americans stopped doing things such as drinking beer that was produced by German Americans. They canceled German language classes, stopped playing their music, and renamed German foods. Then under the Espionage and Sedition Acts, Congress prohibited any criticism of government leaders and war policies. The Espionage Act called for 20 years in prison for anyone who helped the enemy, encouraged insubordination, disloyalty, or refusal of duty in the armed services, or interfered in the war effort. About 1,000 people were convicted under this act, many of which who were simply critics of the war. The Sedition Act broadened the Espionage Act as those who tried to impede the sale of war bonds or promoted cutbacks in production would be jailed. The Supreme Court endorsed these two acts as in Schenck v. United States they ruled that the freedom of speech did not apply to words that represented a clear and present danger to the safety of the country.

During World War 1 the homefront was forced to change as many men were drafted and forced to enlist in the war. Women and African Americans had to step up and fill their shoes and not only do their jobs, but also in helping to get supplies and other things together for the war. This transformed the American economy as before this there had never been this many war time materials being created at once. In addition, there was a rationing of certain foods and money was constantly being spent on funding the war. Civil liberties also changed during this time as the Espionage and Sedition Acts began to take out anyone who spoke against the war. It was also ruled that the first amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech did not apply to things that presented a danger to the safety of the country.

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