DOLLARS FOR VICTORY

Despite increased revenue from taxes, during WWII the federal government relied upon borrowing from the public through the sale of government war bonds and small denomination war stamps to meet most of the war costs. Posters played an important part in convincing people to buy bonds and help with the war effort. In early 1942, U.S. Treasury officials worked to secure public ownership of the national debt by encouraging voluntary purchase of war savings bonds and stamps. The goal was to enlist ordinary citizens to make them shareholders in the war effort. By July 1945, the government had conducted seven successful war-bond drives, which had raised a total of almost sixty-one billion dollars. Characteristic of these war drives were the great numbers of volunteers from civic organizations who teamed together in door-to-door selling campaigns. It is estimated that over 6 million men, women and children volunteered to sell bonds during 1944. It was during the 1944 campaigns that the introduction of the popular Series E $25 bond was introduced.

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