Liberty Bonds
If You Can’t Fight, Buy Bonds
Liberty Bonds are saving certificates that the government sold to raise money for World War I. The bonds helped the government pay for clothing, food, and guns for the men. The government promised to pay back the loans with about 4% interest on what was invested by people. Liberty bonds were advertised heavily in all of the newspapers during World War I. Most ads used guilt to get people to spend more and they were very vague and didn’t explain how to use them and how to get the certificates. People could buy liberty bonds in different amounts. People usually bought the bonds in $50 to $100 amounts. But you could also buy bonds cheaper than that or more expensive. The federal government would put quotas on how much each state and county should raise. They did this in quarters at a time, and there were originally supposed to be four but they did a fifth one called “The Victory Loan”. In May 1918, Fallon County exceeded their quota (which was $18,350) by $29,000 dollars and raised $47,350. The city of Baker alone raised $31,450. This money was raised in the third quarter. Most the time when they showed how much was raised they also showed a list of names. These names were people who purchased liberty bonds.
Liberty Bonds are saving certificates that the government sold to raise money for World War I. The bonds helped the government pay for clothing, food, and guns for the men. The government promised to pay back the loans with about 4% interest on what was invested by people. Liberty bonds were advertised heavily in all of the newspapers during World War I. Most ads used guilt to get people to spend more and they were very vague and didn’t explain how to use them and how to get the certificates. People could buy liberty bonds in different amounts. People usually bought the bonds in $50 to $100 amounts. But you could also buy bonds cheaper than that or more expensive. The federal government would put quotas on how much each state and county should raise. They did this in quarters at a time, and there were originally supposed to be four but they did a fifth one called “The Victory Loan”. In May 1918, Fallon County exceeded their quota (which was $18,350) by $29,000 dollars and raised $47,350. The city of Baker alone raised $31,450. This money was raised in the third quarter. Most the time when they showed how much was raised they also showed a list of names. These names were people who purchased liberty bonds.
Credits: Paiton Graham and Skylar Wall
Citations: “Fallon County Is Way over the Top.” Fallon County Times [Baker Montana], 2 May 1918, montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn84036037/1918-05-02/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1918&city=Baker&rows=20&words=Liberty+Loan+Third&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=11&date2=1918&proxtext=third+liberty+loans&dateFilterType=year&page=1.
Fallon County Times. “Third Liberty Loan Bonds.” Fallon County Times [Baker Montana], 18 Apr. 1918.
Holmes, Krys. Montana Stories of the Land. Montana Historical Society Press, 2008.
Sutch, Richard. “Liberty Bonds.” Federal Reserve History, 4 Dec. 2015, www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/liberty_bonds. Accessed 16 May 2018.
Citations: “Fallon County Is Way over the Top.” Fallon County Times [Baker Montana], 2 May 1918, montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn84036037/1918-05-02/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1918&city=Baker&rows=20&words=Liberty+Loan+Third&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=11&date2=1918&proxtext=third+liberty+loans&dateFilterType=year&page=1.
Fallon County Times. “Third Liberty Loan Bonds.” Fallon County Times [Baker Montana], 18 Apr. 1918.
Holmes, Krys. Montana Stories of the Land. Montana Historical Society Press, 2008.
Sutch, Richard. “Liberty Bonds.” Federal Reserve History, 4 Dec. 2015, www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/liberty_bonds. Accessed 16 May 2018.