Discussion Topic
Although combat in World War I took place far away in Europe, the war had a tremendous impact on American society. In this discussion, you'll look at how the war affected the American home front.
As you answer the questions, think about the effect the war had on the following:
- Government regulation of industry
- Government regulation of information/propaganda
- Job opportunities for African Americans and women
- The nation's demographics, especially regarding European immigrants, Mexicans, and African Americans
- Government action regarding organized labor
- Restriction of civil liberties
- Racial tensions
Post at least two responses to the following questions and/or to another student's comments:
- Which of the items listed above were most affected by the war. Which were least affected? Why?
- Did World War I create new issues and prejudices regarding minority groups, or did it just bring existing tensions closer to the surface?
- Did the need to win the war justify all the government's actions?
- How did the effects of this war compare to those of the Civil War?
Required Reading
Before you enter the discussion, be sure to read the related pages in your textbook. If you're using Tindall and Shi, see:
8th Edition | 7th Edition | 6th Edition | 5th Edition |
| Chapter 25, pages 996-1003, 989-1019 | Chapter 25, pages 944-950, 963-966 | Chapter 25, pages 1023-1029, 1044-1047 | Chapter 25, pages 1134-1142, 1158-1161 |
Scoring
This discussion is worth a maximum of 15 points. You'll get 10 points for your first post. Your instructor will give you another 5 points if you post a follow-up comment or question that furthers the discussion.
in all of your comments, you should reference LASTING IMPACTS of the homefront during WWI. Try to make other arguments than the obvious ones like women and minority rights grew during WWI. Yes this is true, but how much. I would argue that as soon as the men cam home women and african americans had to assume their role in society. feel free to disagree. Choose other topics like Schenck v. US, the new demographic map of america and how it changed northern cities because of the great migration etc.
ReplyDeleteI believe that World War 1 helped create new racial tensions within America. The german minority in America fell under much persecution. Also, many whites feared black soldiers coming home fearing they would assert themselves and take their jobs and control.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in war, like this one, the government's actions do become justified at the end. There is a famous saying of the "ends justify the means" and that is a perfect description of what happens. During war. the governemnt has to do watever is necessary to win the war which I feel means there actions are justifiable as they are trying to help us win.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that occupations for African Americans and women greatly increased during world war one. It is known that White Americans and African Americans alike did fight this war side by side, similar to that of the civil war but for the individuals who did not participate in the war they on the home front providing necessary means of fighting this war such as working in industrial places creating weapons and item that soldiers needed. Women as well had a large spike in jobs because women were needed as nurses to aid wounded soldiers which enabled women to leave the domestic sphere and be a part of the workforce being somewhat equal to men. I believe this was a push for the rights of African Americans and women alike.
ReplyDeleteCompared to the Civil war I believe that World War I gave women more recognition as in the Civil war it was mainly the fight for the rights of African Americans and the preservation of the union.
ReplyDelete'There were nearly 200,000 African American servicemen overseas. Black women volunteered to help, but were nearly always rebuffed by white officials. Some Red Cross administrators refused to allow them to do canteen work in the United States because they did not want African Americans wearing their uniform. Two thousand black nurses volunteered and were certified as ready for duty overseas, but American officials preferred not to bother finding them accommodations. Addie Waites Hunton, a college graduate who was on the national board of the YMCA, was turned down when she first requested that the organization send her overseas. Eventually the Y did agree to send Hunton and two other black women. Hunton and her friends wound up as virtually the only African American women serving in Europe. They were overwhelmed by the black soldiers' reaction to their presence, and the men longing for the women they had left behind. The racial tensions were amplified because it realized by many people that African Americans were serving their country just as white Americans were.
ReplyDeleteThe rights of African Americans and women were most affected by the war. For the first time in military history, the African-American females had an official organization where they found leadership and direction to use their abilities. The National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses had been founded in 1909. In 1917, the co-founder of the Red Cross urged Black nurses to enroll in the American Red Cross, although they were not accepted until two months before the war ended in November 1918. African-American females continued to serve by making bandages, taking over jobs that men held so they could be soldiers, working in hospitals and troop centers, and serving in other relief organizations as they had in previous wars. Many served in Hostess Houses operated by the Young Women's Christian Association, where they wrote letters home for illiterate soldiers and read incoming mail to them.
ReplyDeleteThe First World War was a step forward towards desegregation in the United States. An example is the Harlem Hellfighter's. The Regiment was mostly made up of African Amwerican's. The unit fought along side the french in many key battles including the Meuse- Argonne and Champagne-Marne. This unit fought with great distinction in the war and would influence President Truman's desicion thirty years later to desegrigate the military.
ReplyDeleteWorld War 1 was America's entry as a world superpower. It was the first time America was involved in a huge war that was taking place in Europe. During the war many things changed, civil rights improved, blacks fought alongside whites in the war and women helped the war effort tremendously. But Civil liberties in the US took a back seat. Many people were jailed for speaking out against the war, most famously Eugene Debs, the Socialist party candidate was jailed and not released until years after the war ended. German Americans recieved alot of hostility, sauerkraut was not allowed to be said or sold in public, pretzels were no longer sold. In St.Louis Berlin Avenue was renamed Pershing, Bismark Street became Fourth Street, and Kaiser Street was changed to Gresham Street.
ReplyDeleteTo Rob (computer-controlled Rob):
ReplyDeleteWhat the US did in World War 1 and World War 2 were not justified by the outcome of the war. German Amricans did not deserve the treatement they got during the war, neither did the Japenese in the second World War. The government should do whatever neccessary to protect the American public and win a war, but cruel treatement to innocent civilians on the basis of heritage or race is not neccessary and if anything makes things worse.
On the other hand the doctrine of "clear and present" danger which was adopted during Schneck vs. the US is something that is neccessary for the saftey and security of the nation, as the Supreme Court ruled. Handing out Socialist pamhplets advocating to cheat the draft during a World War can greatly hinder our nations ability to win a war.
Original:
ReplyDeleteAlthough combat in World War I took place far away in Europe, the war had a tremendous impact on American society. During World War I, President Wilson hired people, the Creel Commission, to sway popular opinion in favor of entering the war on the side of the United Kingdom and portray the enemy in the worst manner possible. The commission used songs, films, posters, and encouraged censorship of the American press. They gave speeches to dehumanize the enemy, Germany. After war ended, German-Americans had to work twice as hard to prove their Americanism, because of all the propaganda spread throughout the war. Also there was a lot of mistrust in the various European people, the creation of numerous stereotypes, and changes in immigration laws.
Original:
ReplyDeleteI believe the job opportunites available for African Americans and women was most affected by the war. During the war, approximately 1,600,000 women joined the workforce between 1914 and 1918 in Government departments, public transport, the post office, as clerks in business, as land workers and in factories, especially in the dangerous munitions factories, which were employing 950,000 women by Armistice Day. Although women and African Americans were forced to give up their jobs to the returning soldiers at the end of World War I, the fact that women and African Americans had experienced that particular freedom hastened the women rights' movement and civil rights movement in America. Most likely, had they never experienced the freedom in new positions, women and African Americans wouldn't have received their rights until 30-50 years after they did in the 1920's and 1950's.
To Shevana:
ReplyDeleteIt was cruel and unnecessary to punish German Americans for the mistakes of Germany. Most German Americans probably did not even consider themselves German, but American only. After their experience in World War I and the experience of Japanese Americans in World War II at the expense of the government, they were probably distrustful of the United States government. I bet that the U.S. probably did more damage than expected by cruelly treating those Americans during the wars, because cruel punishments and treatments most likely pushed some to betray the United States, as opposed to the fact that if the U.S. had left them alone, there would not have been any backlash for the government. However, there are always two sides to a coin, so the positon of the U.S. is understandable, if not unforgiveable. They did not want an attack on U.S. ground, thus they were distrustful of the immigrants from the countries causing America a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, I feel as if there probably was a better way to deal with the situation, should the United States had acted rationally and logically.
Original:
ReplyDeleteThe need to win the war did justify all the government’s actions, however, morally, the actions preformed by the government are wrong. The government put the people of their country first, just as any other country. Their actions were carried out to protect the American people and to sustain their country, however, the death and the suffering of the innocent were wrong and dishonest. However, there is the saying that in order for a country/anything to survive, there must be sacrifices. Which, is what I think America did, made sacrifices for the greater good. It is a weak explanation to justify the death and destruction people and countries have suffered, but imagine how the world would be if the United States did not win the war?
During WWI job opportunities for women were more centered around producing weapons along with nursing injured soldiers. these jobs enabled women to become more independent along with changing the role of the women in the workplace. African American workers were also given more freedoms and more availability. Lastly, the restrictions of civil liberties were changed greatly during this time, no one was to speak against the united states during war time. the espionage act, enabled restricts on war which leads to the case of schneck v. united states which sentenced a man who gave out pamphlets on anti-draft.
ReplyDeleteI believe government regulation on industry was the least affected because it did not cause a major chain reaction or negatively hurted the united states citizens, but I think the restriction of civil liberties were the most affected because prior to the war, the united states branded themselves on the freedoms of the citizens and ability to voice themselves in government. but once WWI occurred the liberties were taken and only to be pro-american. I think WWI brought existing tensions closer to the surface because to years prior the same tensions existed between miniority groups but were under wraps and hidden but upon entering WWI the new issues and prejudices were more open. I do think it did justify the war because without the restriction on liberties such as freedom of speech it may have caused a divide in the nation being that united states is a nation which is composed of citizens from various parts of the world. i think the effects of this war and civil war did affect the miniorites because it enabled new freedoms for african americans and women on social level and political level.
ReplyDeleteDuring and after WW1 Germans who lived in America were persecuted by other Americans because of the war. Just because of their roots they were persecuted by the public for what Germans in Europe were doing (not that all Germans in Europe were Nazis). Racial tensions between African Americans also improved because African Americans served in WW1 and this helped improve relations.
ReplyDeleteDuring World War 1 there was an influx of both women and african americans in the work place. Over seas both whites and african americans fought, maybe not as integrated as today, but it was the first major push of integration for the military. With so many men away there was a need to fill the jobs at home, which meant both women and african americans stepped up. This set a tone for the future where both women and american americas took a more propionate role in both the world place and society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rob in the sense that in the end the actions of the government are justified, in accordance to the saying, "the end justifies the means." That being said, if the US hadn't had the positive outcome it did the means wouldn't be at all justified. While there were some immediate backlashes, from the tensions created in the american german population, time has worked out those kinks.
ReplyDelete