Topic > Use of Propaganda on American Citizens During World War I

Propaganda was used by the government as a means to achieve all of its major objectives during the war. Propaganda played a very significant role in winning over the citizens of the United States of America during the First World War. This propaganda helped gain support for the war and also created high morale among the people. While this is the definition of propaganda, the real question is: How valuable was this propaganda really in influencing the opinions of Americans? The answer is very useful and by looking at the propaganda used during this great world war you will notice its value. The reason this propaganda was so successful during the war was simple; there were more than one type of propaganda. Some of which was through war songs, poems, advertisements, posters, editorial cartoons, speeches and film stills. Many different forms were needed because the war effort was a national cause and needed to be promoted wherever people sought to get involved. A large percentage of the United States population does not read newspapers. This is why posters were important in persuading people, and like advertising, propaganda targeted specific audiences such as women, young men, and African Americans. With all the different types of propaganda and the way it came to appeal to many different types of people, the belief that the war was a good thing spread like a pandemic across America. Propaganda was the idea the government wanted to put in the heads of its citizens. One of these ideas was the idea of ​​getting people to join and fight in the army. An example of this propaganda to recruit many people into the army was the famous Uncle Sam poster. This poster was very influential and caused many Americans to join a paper man to serve his country and if they don't, they are a disgrace to their family name. (Page 147) These poems were very effective in influencing Americans because within the works, the ideas of patriotism were so strong that they convinced many young men to join the military. Propaganda was a very successful method used by the government to influence Americans. minds of Americans during the First World War. During this time period people's minds were very sensitive to it and propaganda was used perfectly to structure the minds of many Americans. The reason it was so successful was that it appealed to certain groups of people, there were many different types and it spread among people effortlessly. The effect of all this was that there was enough support, money and soldiers to go to war and eventually America did just that.