The Worker, Women, and African Americans during

WWI

The Worker

• Men are overseas fighting so more workers are needed

• Immigration has slow so less workers available

• Workers now can bargain for higher pay and better work conditions

• However, work longer hours and an increase in taxes and prices because of the war does not mean they are doing better financially!

Result:

• Increase union membership and number of strikes

• National War Labor Board: government agency that regulated issues between workers and management to prevent strikes

***now workers have an advantage

Women

• More work in factories because men overseas

• Take over jobs normally done by men-built ships, worked on railroads, etc

• Pay increases• Able to save to some

extent (don’t buy because hard to get items and high prices)

Women’s Fashion

• We need material for uniforms so sleeves of dresses shorten, skirts shorten

• Need leather for boots so women’s boots are lowered

• Wear less layers of clothes• No more corsets! French invent the

bra!

Women in the Military

• Hello Girls-Army radio/switchboard operators

• Over 20,000 nurses served

• Also worked as typists, telegraphers, etc

• At first did not have uniforms-wore armbands with symbol for their job

Women Volunteers

• Salvation Army Donut Dollies- served donuts to the troops to boost morale

-originally no hole and they used can cut outs and percolator of coffee pots

-more like crullers• Red Cross- nurses aides, etc

Donut Dollies

Doughboy!

• American Army men were nicknamed doughboys! Why?

• The possibilities:-The Donuts!-The shape of the button on

their uniforms-The French gave it to them

for their love of French bread

-The way their sleeping bag looked on their back

We have no sure idea!

African Americans in the Military

• Troops were segregated• Even segregated blood• Most were given jobs as

cooks etc and could not fight in combat

• Harlem Hell Fighters- 369th Infantry fought alongside French

-were awarded the Croix de Guerre

African Americans on the Homefront

• Some start moving north for work• Slight increase in pay and job

availability but still discrimination

After the War

• Women are asked to return home and children to give jobs to returning men (most were willing to)

• 19th Amendment- women can vote 1920• ***glimpse of independence • African Americans return from war only

to face discrimination and segregation