Fourth Liberty Loan

Illustration of a waving white flag with red outline and four vertical blue stripes, on a white flagpole.  Navy blue background.

When the United States entered World War I, the Federal Government began selling "liberty bonds" to citizens to help cover war expenses. These bonds, sold primarily by the girl and boy scouts, were small loans taken by the U.S. government in which they would repay the citizens in the future. When the first three Liberty Loan Acts proved insufficient, the Fourth Liberty Loan Act was passed September 28, 1918, issuing $6 billion in war bonds with an interest rate of 4.25% for up to ten years. Artists were commissioned to create posters and famous actors, such as Charlie Chaplin gave speeches encouraging the public to do their patriotic duty and contribute to the war effort by purchasing one of these bonds.