Selective Service Act Required men to register with government

in order to be randomly selected for military service

24 million registered, 3 million called up 400,000 African Americans Segregated Units Excluded from the Navy and Marines Mostly non-combat duties 369th Infantry regiment more continuous

day of duty than any other American regiment

Women Accepted in the Army Corps of Nurses Denied army rank, pay, and benefits 13,000 non combat positions in the Navy &

Marines Secretaries, nurses, and telephone

operators with full military rank

Unrestricted submarine warfare1917 – sunk 2x as much ship tonnage as the Allies had built1) Shipyard workers exempt from the draft2) Public relations on the importance of

shipbuilding3) Prefabrication techniques

a. Standardized parts, parts of the ship built elsewhere, then assembled in the yard

b. 1918 – 1 day – US launches 95 ships4) Commercial & private ships used

Convoy system Heavy guard of destroyers escorted

merchant ships 1917 – shipping loses cut in half 2 million Americans sailed to Europe, 637

were killed in U-boat attacks

DoughboysAmerican soldiers (cleaned their belts with pipe clay) WeaponsMachine gun, tank, airplanes, observation balloons Increased Government ControlPresident – fix prices, nationalize certain industries War Industries BoardMain regulatory bodyMass production techniques Minimize waste by standardizing products Set quotas and allocated raw materials US production increased by 20% Retail prices – almost double before the

war, increased profits

Fuel AdministrationGasless Sundays, lightless nights, daylight savings time Food Administration“Gospel of the clean plate”Meatless, sweetless, wheatless, porkless, etcVictory GardensAmerican shipments to the Allies tripled War Economy Wages rose, but not as fast as prices Stockholders = huge profits DuPont stock rose 1,600 percent Unions increased due to faster pace,

greater wealth disparity 6,000 strikes during the war months

National War Labor Board (1918)Citizens could lose draft exemptions, “Work or Fight”

Anti-Immigrant HysteriaCitizens with German names lost their jobsNo Mozart, Bach, Beethoven or BrahmsTowns with German names changed names, no German taught in school, German books removedMob ViolenceGerman measles = liberty measles, Hamburger = Salisbury Steak or “Liberty” sandwich, Sauerkraut, etc.. Espionage & Sedition Acts $10,000 fine or 20 years in jail for interfering with the war effort or saying

anything disloyal 2,000 prosecutions, ½ convictions Targeted socialists and labor leaders

Great MigrationHundreds of thousands of Southern African Americans move NorthEscape discriminationJob opportunities (less immigrants) FluAffected ¼ of the US population (Production dropped)¼ soldiers caught the fluKilled 500,000 Americans, 30 million worldwide