Answer 1
Students' answers should begin with discussion on how World War I facilitated the entrance of a million women into the workforce for the first time. Better students will highlight their answer with a statement about how many working-class women were able to move from low-paying jobs to jobs in industry that paid better wages. Of course, the war's greatest effect on women was that it provided the opportunity to make a final push for women's suffrage. Since many women mobilized themselves and supported the war, the franchise could be seen by more insightful students as a reward for women's patriotism.
Answer 2
Students should immediately recognize that wages during the war did not keep up with the increasing cost of living, causing workers to lose buying power. Once the emergency of the war ended, workers were no longer content to take lower pay. Better students will point out that union membership increased significantly during the war, making postwar conflict more likely. The best essays will also tie the labor movement to the fear of radical politics in the wake of the Russian Revolution. The Bolshevik takeover made it easier for anti-union forces to present labor activists as radical anti-Americans, greatly increasing tensions throughout the United States.