About Committed: The Home Front in Oregon During World War I, 1914-1918
Presented by William Stack, Independent local
historian and author
When most Americans think of World War I they imagine it to be
an era of strong leaders, brave soldiers, bloody battles and heroic
generals. Instead, in this presentation, Mr. Stack will be focusing on the home front in
Portland and Oregon during 1914-1918, and will show how the average Portlander,
and Oregonian was affected by the war in their lives.
During the presidential election of
1916 Woodrow Wilson campaigned on the theme of “He kept us out of war.”
By April, 1917 however, the United States was embroiled in World War One.
This presentation will show how Americans were affected by the passage of the
Espionage and Sedition Acts that were passed in 1917 and 1918. People
affected by these laws nationally and locally were activists, immigrants,
persons of color, political parties, and labor unions. In
addition, public opinion was manipulated by the federal government in order to
garner support for the war on the part of Americans. Moreover, this
presentation will show how Portland and Oregon gained population during the war
and the effect that World War One had on the shipbuilding and timber
industries.
Finally, a brief summary of the
post-World War One era and the effects both nationally and locally during the
1920s of the “Red Scare” and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States.
About the Speaker:
William Stack is a seasoned educator and an
independent local historian. He has
taught at the middle school, high school and college levels. In addition,
he has written and had published the following: Historic Photos of
Oregon (book), articles on President John Adams, Astoria businessman George
Flavel and highway builder Glenn Jackson. He is currently at work on an
article on World War One on the home front.
