Liberty Bonds During World War I

In 1914, the United States Government introduced Liberty bonds before they entered World War I in 1917. According to Hancock (2013), Liberty bonds were used to help finance the military operations and to give the citizens an opportunity to help contribute to the war. Propaganda techniques were used during World War I through their explanations as to why they needed people to purchase Liberty bonds, the government encouraging people to buy Liberty bonds, and explaining if the Liberty bonds were successful. The contributions to the war effort through the Liberty bonds were an effortless way to help benefit the soldiers prior to the war. The United States Government needed support during the war from the help of its citizens. Kaminski (2014) states, “despite the fact

(2015) affirm, “nations were forced to draw on the collective power of their entire populations by linking the individual to a larger societal need” (p.247-248). A popular way the government tried to make citizens aware of the war were through appealing posters. Some of the posters held a pathos emotion, as there were posters with little girls who are curious if you are going to support the war. A famous poster used during World War I was, “my daddy bought me a government bond of the Third Liberty Loan—Did yours?” (Treasury, & United States Printing & Lithograph Co. (2006). This poster specifically focuses on a little girl in a white dress, wearing a red bow and holding the Liberty bond to her chest. These types of posters have a certain quality of realization that their dad is gone to war, and the only way he will come back is if people help contribute to the war efforts and buy Liberty bonds. Also, the way the little girl is dressed and the design of the words on the poster portrays a propaganda technique. As the text on the poster is big and bold, the artist only chose to write in red and blue ink and having the girl wear white, making it contrast with the idealization of