Liberty Bonds: Funding the Allied Victory from Northwest Ohio

Among the chief instruments used by the U.S. government to fund its engagement in World War I were war bonds, known as "liberty bonds" or "liberty loans.”  All eligible Americans were encouraged to purchase war bonds as an expression of their patriotic duty.  The government issued war bonds through a series of five subscription campaigns in April and October of 1917, April and September of 1918, and April of 1919 (known as the “Victory Liberty Loan” campaign).  Subscribing to war bonds was a way for Americans to publicly demonstrate their support for the U.S.’s war effort, and parades and other public demonstrations were often held in conjunction with war bond campaigns in order to drum up support and increase war funding.  This gallery showcases select items representing Northwest Ohioans’ participation in liberty bond subscriptions to help fund U.S. involvement in World War I.

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