the First World War and its effects on American political, economic and social development

Aftershock : World War I and its Political , Social and Economic Legacy to America

Though the major fighting in World War I was largely confined to a relatively limited area (Western Europe , the Balkan peninsula , Russia and the Alpine frontier of Austria-Hungary and Italy , and what is now known as the Middle East , millions people all over the world felt the effects of war . In its wake , the war left over10 million people dead with the men lost in combat leaving a deep chasm in the socio-economic milieu of the post-war world (Ellis

and Cox 20

On the American home front , significant changes were forged upon the nation . Primarily World War I created labor shortages , which led thousands of African Americans to migrate to the North and work on its steel mills , ammunition plants and stockyards (Tucker 250 . This migration in turn provoked racial tensions and led to rioting in some cities , as was the case in Illinois , when race riots erupted in East Saint Louis (July 1917 ) and Chicago (July 1919

The labor shortages also profoundly altered the traditional roles of men and women , as men were called to the battlefields and women had to step up into traditionally male occupations in industries - women learned to become railroad workers , shipbuilders , among others . They thus achieved a certain degree of independence and self-reliance through the opportunities provided by the war , and ultimately mustered enough support for women suffrage with the 19th Amendment finally passed by Congress in 1919 , granting women the right to vote (Venzon 118

On the political front , the war had greatly increased the responsibilities of the federal government , leading to the creation of new government agencies to persuade the public 's voluntary compliance in support of the U .S . cause . New ways for revenue generation in to finance the war were also in , leading the federal government to increase income and excise taxes , the institution of a war-profit tax and selling of war bonds (Venzon 128 . With countries involved having to borrow heavily to pay for the war , either from their own citizens of foreign lenders , such deficit-financing led to high levels of inflation which in turn impoverished many citizens earning fixed incomes

Such pressures wrought by the war evoked hostility and suspicion particularly antagonism toward immigrants , especially those of German and Italian descent . Repressive laws were passed by Congress for fear of sabotage and retaliation , such as the Espionage Act of 1917 , followed by the Sedition Act of 1918 , resulting in thousands of arrests and convictions for antiwar activities (Venzon 1995 . People on the left were hard pressed , following wartime concerns on dissent and hostility toward the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 in Russia . Fear of radicalism horror at Soviet communism , and the impact of wartime hysteria led to a series of attacks on radicals , i .e . the Palmer Raids of January 1920 led to arrests of thousands in 33 cities . Though the postwar Red Scare eventually abated , suspicion of foreigners , dissenters , and nonconformists prevailed well...