During the World War I, America was not interested in taking sides but had instead decided to join Britain and her supporters in 1917. The result of this war was advantageous and disadvantageous to the nation. One of her benefits included economic strengths that were owed to the war. The fall of Germany as well as the Central Powers had led to technical advancement of the U.S (Keene, 13).
Source: TheAtlantic.com
Above is a photo of American soldiers who are using a newly created acoustic locater. This was during the period when industries saw an advance in technology.
At the same time, America gained control over the European countries in competition for foreign markets. As a result, many industries from America became more successful than those of the European countries. America was able to replace Germany as the globe’s leading manufacturer of dye, fertilizers as well as other chemical products. However, the country saw an increase in unemployment, which was a result of the war (Keene, 25). In 1919, four million soldiers returned home and at that same time, industries increased their production proportions for the war. Therefore, these soldiers found it difficult to find jobs at home. Commodity prices had shot up between 1914 and 1919 while the wages remained the same and this led to the rise of continuous violent strikes 1919 (Keene, 25).
Source: Legendsofamerica.com
The above picture shows returning American soldiers from WWI.
Other social and economic issues that arose during this time were radicalism and race riots, which existed in 23 cities in America. Communist parties began to be established and this led to a series of bomb attacks by anarchists. Immigration was another problem that arose during the war and many Americans wanted the open-door-policy eradicated since land availability had become an issue and industries were being mechanized, leading to a low demand for workers (Keene, 25). With the influx of immigrants and few available jobs, the citizens’ attitudes towards these immigrants became intolerable. Immigration resulted to the modern multiple-culturalized and coalition country that it is today.
Works Cited
Keene, Jennifer D. World War I. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print.
Legendsofamerica.com. "1919 United States Timeline, Events, and Information - Important Dates In American History". Legendsofamerica.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
TheAtlantic.com. "World War I In Photos: Technology". The Atlantic. N.p., 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
