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How did global conflict and economic struggles impact South
Carolina in the early 20th century?
CHAPTER 8
Conflict and Change
The Great War
In what ways was South Carolina affected by
World War I, “The Great War”?
LESSON 1
The Great War
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was elected
president in 1912 on a Progressive
reform plan called New Freedom.
Freedom.
The plan sought to reform what he
called “the Triple Wall of Privilege”
the banks
Big businesses operating as
trusts/monopolies
the tariff
A chain of events in Europe led
to the start of World War I in
1914.
The Central Powers faced off
with the Allied Powers.
Central Powers: Germany,
AustriaAustria-Hungary, and Turkey
Allied Powers: England, France,
Italy, and Russia
Woodrow Wilson
He supported passage of three
reformreform-minded amendments
The Sixteenth Amendment
created a graduated income
tax.
The Seventeenth Amendment
insured direct election of the
Senate by the people.
The Nineteenth Amendment
gave women the right to vote.
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Wilson Declares Neutrality
America’s Path to War
Germany’s reliance on “unrestricted
submarine warfare” violated
international law.
A German UU-boat sank the
Lusitania, a British passenger
ship, killing more than half of the
2,000 passengers on board,
including 128 Americans.
The sinking of several US merchant
ships finally forced the United
States to declare war on
Germany in 1917.
President Wilson issued a statement of
neutrality at the beginning of the
war. He didn’t want the US involved.
But many Americans immigrated from
countries involved in the war, so it
was hard not to choose sides.
American banks loaned money and
American businesses sold food and
supplies to both sides.
Mobilizing for War
The US needed soldiers and supplies quickly.
The Selective Service Act required all men
age 21 and 30 to sign up for a possible
draft.
65,000 South Carolinians enlisted.
Thousands of soldiers received training at
camps in South Carolina.
Greenville (Sevier)
Spartanburg (Wadsworth)
Columbia (Jackson)
The Marines had a training camp on Parris Island.
Jim Crow and the Military
Many African
Americans
volunteered for
military service.
The challenges they
faced in the military
were similar to
those in civilian life.
The Naval Shipyard in
Charleston employed
civilians and built
warships.
warships.
This photo from 1919 (after the
war ended) shows 7
submarines in dry dock. The
water will be drained from the
dock so work can be done on
the subs. Behind the dry dock
are three destroyers.
The Wartime Economy
Some businesses and
farmers in South
Carolina benefited
from the war. Why?
The US government
set prices on items like
food and war supplies.
Why?
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The Wartime Economy
The War Industries Board
President Wilson created
the War Industries
Board to watch the
economy during the
war.
Bernard Baruch,
Baruch, a native
of South Carolina
headed the new
agency.
The Changing Workforce
As in previous wars, Many
women served as nurses
and cared for wounded
soldiers.
Waving the Flag
All Americans were given
opportunities to show patriotism,
patriotism,
or nationalism.
nationalism.
They conserved resources by having
“heatless” Mondays, “meatless”
Tuesdays, and “wheatless
“wheatless”
wheatless”
Wednesdays.
What else did Americans do at home
to show their support for the war
and the soldiers fighting in Europe.
War brought new jobs with high
wages that benefited the people
who didn’t go fight.
The Great Migration
During the war and immediately
after, African Americans
moved out of South Carolina
and other southern states in
large numbers.
While opportunities were better
for many in the North, moving
there certainly did not solve
all the challenges faced by
African Americans.
The Great Migration:
Paintings by Jacob Lawrence
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The War Ends
American troops did not have to
fight for long. The first troops
arrived in Europe in June 1917,
and the war ended in
November 1918.
Nevertheless, more than
100,000 American soldiers lost
their lives in the war.
Many historians say this war was
the first modern war.
The War Ends
The summer after the war
ended, violence erupted
against blacks across the
country. It became known
as the Red Summer.
Summer.
Race riots took place in
several cities across the
nation.
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