Resource

Recruiting Women to the War Effort

Three World War I propaganda posters that give clues about how women were encouraged to support the war effort, and the kinds of women the US government idealized.

A National League for Woman’s Service poster advocating that women join the war effort. Text on the poster reads: “Service. Fall in!” In the center of the image, a woman in a brown uniform, on a horse, holds an American flag. Other women look up to her. Some appear to be wearing other uniforms, nurse’s outfits, and civilian clothing. One woman holds cans and another holds a farming tool. All of the women in the image appear to be white.
Service: Fall In!

National League for Women’s Service, Service: Fall In, c. 1917–1918. Collection of the New-York Historical Society.

Image 2: A poster from the National War Garden Commission portraying a white woman draped in the American flag holding a green jar in her right hand and gesturing to corn, tomatoes, and other jars that are in front of her with her right hand. The poster reads “Win the next war now. For free book on Home Canning and Home Drying write to National War Garden Commission, Washington, D.C.”
Win the Next War Now

National War Garden Commission, Win the Next War Now, c. 1917–1918. Collection of the New-York Historical Society.

Background

During World War I, 4.8 million men served in the US Armed Forces. This staggering military effort required the support of everyone in the country. During the war, the government encouraged women to get involved in the war effort in all sorts of novel ways. 

On the home front, women could support the war effort at home or outside it. At home, women canned food, grew their own fruits and vegetables, collected and recycled materials needed for military purposes, and made clothing and bandages for soldiers. Outside the home, there were voluntary and paid opportunities for women. Volunteers sent care packages overseas, ran fundraisers, and organized collections for home efforts. Women also took over jobs in factories, farms, and offices that were left empty when the men joined the armed forces. Women war workers were paid less than men, but in many cases they still earned more than they had been able to before the war. 

There were also opportunities for women to work on the warfront. Thousands of women joined military and support organizations like the Red Cross or YMCA as nurses, clerical workers, telephone operators, translators, cooks, and drivers. These women worked on the French front alongside and in support of soldiers.

But all these new opportunities were temporary. After the war, the government encouraged women to give up their jobs for the men returning home. The number of women working for pay declined and Congress banned women from military service.

About the Image

These images are posters produced by national organizations who wanted to recruit women to the war effort. All three embrace a stereotypical view of women war workers as young, strong, beautiful, and white. They offer insights into the kind of work available to women during World War I, and how those women workers were perceived by society.

The first image was produced by the National League for Women’s Service, an umbrella organization that coordinated war efforts. Nursing, farming, military service, and home canning are all represented. The women look strong, capable, and confident. 

The second image was produced by the National War Garden Commission. They encouraged Americans to plant gardens to grow food for their families so that more commercially grown food could be saved for the military. The figure’s clothing and pose imply that this kind of work was a vital act of patriotism.

The third image is a recruitment poster for the Red Cross, which sent nurses to the war front. In addition to treating sick and injured soldiers, Red Cross nurses cooked, cleaned, managed mail, and completed other domestic duties in soldiers’ camps. In this image, the women’s clothing and posture makes them look like religious figures, implying they are performing a spiritual calling.

Vocabulary

  • canning: Preserving food in cans or jars.
  • home front: The civilian activities that support a war effort overseas.
  • stereotype: An oversimplified and often offensive assumption or description of a person or group of people.
  • umbrella organization: A large organization that coordinates many smaller organizations.
  • warfront: The place where the fighting takes place. Also known as a battle line.
  • World War I: Military conflict that involved countries from every inhabited continent from 1914-1918.

Discussion Questions

  • What types of work are represented across all three posters? What does this say about the various ways women were asked to contribute?
  • How are the women depicted in each poster? What message are they sending to viewers?  What women have been left out?
  • Both “Service: Fall In!” and “Win the Next War Now” refer to growing and canning food. Why were food production and conservation so important to the war effort? And why might women have been the primary target of food-related efforts?

Suggested Activities

Themes

POLITICS AND SOCIETY; AMERICA IN THE WORLD

Source Notes