WW1 HomeFront

The Home Front refers to the life at home of a
country at war. It includes civilian life and the

mobilization of armed forces and supplies.

Home Front- What is it?

#1: Building up the US Military

•

As the United States entered
the war; it was necessary to
recruit more soldiers.

•

A new system, called selective
service, resulted in about 2.8
million American men being
drafted.

1917 Draft Card

The Draft

Volunteers for the War

•Not all soldiers were
drafted

•2 million were
excited to enlist

Volunteers for the War

African Americans Join the War

•

400,000 African Americans were drafted,
42,000 served overseas

•

African American soldiers faced
discrimination and prejudice

•

They served in racially segregated units

•

Many African Americans won praise from
their commanders and received war
medals, though some did not receive the
medals they deserved until much later

Since women were not allowed to enlist to fight, many found other ways to
serve. Many volunteered to serve as nurses, doctors, or ambulance drivers.
Others worked as telephone operators near the front lines. Nurses working
in the army were some of the first to go to war. The Navy allowed women to
enlist as non-commission workers. They filled the roles of men who left to
fight overseas. They served as office workers, truck drivers, telephone
operators, radio operators, and mechanics.

Women Finding ways to Serve in the
Military

How did the US get the soldiers it

needed to fight the war?

Checking for Understanding

How were women involved in the

military?

Checking for Understanding

#2 Industry: Making the Weapons of

War

Industry: Making the Weapons of War

War Industry

Board

Maintain and

regulate the United

States economy

and war production

schedules

Government oversees
industry in the US to
get things made that
are needed for the war

Industry: Making the Weapons of War

African Americans and Women filled
many of the jobs that became vacant
when men left to fight overseas.
African Americans left the South for
Northern cities and factory jobs.
Women’s lives changed as a result of
their move to working outside the
home. They earned the right to vote
after the end of WWI in 1919.

African Americans Head North

Mexicans Head North

•Many Mexicans moved
north, providing labor for
farms and ranches in the
American Southwest.

•Mexicans also moved to
cities to take wartime
factory jobs.

•They faced discrimination
and hostility from
Americans.

Checking for Understanding

How did men leaving to fight in the war
change the lives of minority groups like

women, African Americans, and Mexicans?

• The Food Administration,

under Herbert Hoover-->
responsible for increasing
food production while
reducing consumption.

• victory gardens people raise

their own vegetables in order
to leave more food for the
troops.

• The Fuel Administration

encouraged people to
conserve coal and oil.
Daylight savings time was
introduced to conserve
energy.

#3 Saving at Home to Support the

War

Grow More Food: On the Farm and at

Home

Eat Less so Soldiers Can Eat More

Raise Sheep to Clothe Soldiers (wool)

Anyone from a small child
to President Wilson can do
their part for the war
effort.

Checking for Understanding

How did farmers support the war effort?

Checking for Understanding

What changes at home helped support the

war effort?

•To raise money to pay for
the war, the government
began selling Liberty
Bonds and Victory Bonds.

•By buying bonds,
Americans were loaning
the government money
that would be repaid with
interest in a specified
number of years.

•Raised $23 billion (national
income was $70 billion)

#4 Funding the War

Effort

#4 Funding the War

Effort

Checking for Understanding

How did civilians help fund the war effort?

During World War I, how did American
civilians contributed to the war effort?

Checking for Understanding