Matt DeGroot 3/20/15
Mr. Kalner APUSH Essay Assignment: At the turn of the 19th century, American foreign policy shifted from George Washington’s isolationist ideology to more of a policy focused on imperialism. Within this ideology were many discrepancies that displayed increasing power and influence in the world. In order to garner the support of the general public, the federal government was forced to increase its power by political and economic means, which restricted the civil liberties of the general public. In order to get ready for the upcoming war, the government had to mobilize by political means. One way of doing this was by ways of the creel organization. This group, which employed over 150,000 employees, used words to sway the public opinion on the war. The company sent out over 75,000 individuals to give 4 minute speeches on the necessity of participating in the upcoming war. These “4 minute men” helped sway the general public into acceptance for the war. The numerous billboards, pamphlets, and propaganda against the “huns” and the appeal of the “boys” in uniform led to public approval of the war. Next, the federal government expanded enormously in size, scope, and power. It virtually nationalized the ocean shipping industry. This displayed the increasing power of the government in its war goals. It nationalized the railroad, telephone, domestic telegraph, and international telegraphic cable industries. It became deeply engaged in manipulating labor-management relations, securities sales, agricultural production and marketing, the distribution of coal and oil, international commerce, and markets for raw materials and manufactured products. Its Liberty Bond drives dominated the financial capital markets. It turned the newly created Federal Reserve System into a powerful engine of monetary inflation to help satisfy the government’s voracious appetite for money and credit. In view of the more than 5,000 mobilization agencies of various sorts—boards, committees, corporations, administrations—contemporaries who described the 1918 government as “war socialism” were well justified. During the war the government built up the armed forces to a strength of four million officers and men, drawn from a prewar labor force of 40 million persons. Of those added to the armed forces after the U.S. declaration of war, more than 2.8 million, or 72 percent, were drafted. Men alone, however, did not make an army. They required barracks and training facilities, transportation, food, clothing, and health care. They had to be equipped with modern arms and great stocks of ammunition. As the mobilization began, the requisite resources remained in the possession of private citizens. Although manpower could be obtained by conscription, public opinion would not tolerate the outright confiscation of all the property required to turn the men into a well-equipped fighting force. Still, ordinary market mechanisms threatened to operate too slowly and at too great an expense to facilitate the government’s plans. The Wilson administration therefore resorted to the vast array of interventions mentioned earlier. All may be seen as devices to hasten the delivery of the requisite resources and to diminish the fiscal burden of equipping the huge conscript army for effective service in France. Notwithstanding those contrivances to keep the Treasury’s expenses down, taxes still had to be increased enormously—federal revenues rose by nearly 400 percent between fiscal 1917 and fiscal 1919—and even greater amounts had to be borrowed. The many political motives that were introduced by America in this time displayed the increasing power of the government in this time. Next, many economic means were introduced to allow for the mobilization of the army. First off, Herbert Hoover administrated advances in the food industry leading up to the war. First, food rationing was requested by hoover in all homes; due to the approaching war, food was needed to be stored in a way as to allow for adequate supplies for the troops. Also, there were troops needed. The botanical gardens that were growing also showed a focus on spending of other sorts, such as on war materials. The food and meat rationing went all to the soldiers and was put in place in the war effort that would eventually take place here. Also, the Herbert Hoover was in charge of the food administration in this time. As a leader in democracy in the world, America had to feed all its allies and itself. Hoover preferred to rely on voluntary compliance rather than something that is mandatory. He rejected the use of rationing cards, and instead used propaganda to get the public behind the effort. Hoover made many slogans, such as “Wheatless Wednesdays” and “Meatless Tuesdays”. This helped to limit the waste and save surplus. This support for those fighting displayed the total backing of the American people behind this war. Also, victory gardens sprung up in American homes as a result of many trying to do their part on the Homefront. Congress restricted the use of foodstuffs in the U.S., which led to the outgrowth of these conservation efforts. Due to these efforts, far production increased by one fourth and food exports to the allies tripled in volume. The successes of the food industry also led to advances in other industries, such as the fuel administration. Designate days, such as “Heatless Mondays” and “Gasless Sundays” also aided the war effort. Furthermore, great parades and benefits to help the finances of the war were created. These parades raised over 21 billion dollars, almost two thirds of the total expenses of the war. The other costs that were needed came from the money of the people. Taxes were increased in this time as a result of the war expenses. In all, the economic toll on the war was handled largely by the American people. Next, women also needed to pick up the slack as the men prepared for the upcoming war. This led to women working in areas of work that were formerly reserved for men, for example as railway guards and ticket collectors, buses and tram conductors, postal workers, police, firefighters and as bank ‘tellers’ and clerks. Some women also worked on heavy precision machinery in engineering, led cart horses on farms, and worked in the civil service and factories. These brave women broke the barrier of gender inequality and displayed the American virtues of freedom and hope for all. In the midst of the mobilization for war, the federal government did restrict the civil liberties of the American people. Civil liberties are defined as the basic rights guaranteed to individual citizens by law. One way these rights were taken away is when Herbert Hoover signed off on a draft that required every able bodied man in the country to be drafted into the war. The bill, called the selective service act of 1917, was created as a result of the slim 76,000 volunteers that initially signed up. What also played a factor in deciding to go with the draft was the huge standing armies of Europe. Unable to compete with the demands of the war, Hoover was forced to sign off on the act. According to the conditions of the act, all males aged 21 to 30 were required to register for military service. At the request of the War Department, Congress amended the law in August 1918 to expand the age range to include all men 18 to 45, and to bar further volunteering. By the end of World War I, some 2 million men volunteered for various branches of the armed services, and some 2.8 million had been drafted. The draft was a gross restriction on civil liberties. Being taken from one's everyday life and being forced into a military role to follow orders and perhaps risk one's life seems to be an undiluted and definitional example of involuntary servitude, prohibited by the 13th Amendment. The ideals of freedom that were brought upon the young men at a very young age proved to be notwithstanding. Next, the right of every American to freedom of speech and freedom of the press was restricted during World War 1. The espionage act, passed by congress in 1917, intended to prohibit interference with military operations or recruitment, to prevent insubordination in the military, and to prevent the support of U.S. enemies during wartime. This act restricted the first amendment, which gave the right of free speech. In order to garner the support of a nation, the government had to restrict certain liberties of the people, even if those restrictions were unconstitutional. As the war commenced, the many actions taken by the U.S. government led to the successes in the war. From the rationing of food products, to the “4 minute men”, America displayed its intellect in getting the full backing of the nation. After the war, America still continued the Draft and the Espionage Act, which displayed their thinking that the acts they took were not in vain. After this war, America became a nation of increasing strength and their power in the world was similar to the power they had in their own country- limitless.