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To help finance the costs associated with WWI, the U.S. Treasury instituted four Liberty Loan drives during the war, and a fifth “Victory Loan” in May, 1919 to consolidate the nation’s debt after the armistice was signed.  Everyone from Wall Street bankers to Boy Scouts campaigned to sell bonds, and rallies were held featuring Hollywood stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin.

Purchasing bonds was seen as a display of support for the war, and purchasers were given buttons to wear and window stickers to display to advertise their patriotism.  It is estimated that twenty-million individuals purchased liberty bonds.

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Used during the 1940 presidential campaign of Wendell Willkie, this button refers to the a controversy surrounding President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's family. In 1940, Roosevelt's son Elliot had enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He was quickly given the rank of Captain while bypassing the standard procedure necessary for receiving the title. The topic soon became a controversial issue amongst the American public at the time. Willkie's supporters distributed this button as an attack on Roosevelt and the perceived special treatment that his family was receiving.

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This button was worn to support striking workers at General Electric during the 1960’s and 1970’s. It most likely dates from either the 1960 or 1969-1970 nationwide strikes led by the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and the International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine, and Furniture Workers (IUE). The successful 103-day strike of 1969-1970 ended the company’s policy of “Boulwarism” (named after General Electric executive Lemuel Boulware); a "take-it-or-leave-it" style of bargaining that was anathema to the unions.

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Victoriano Huerta was the dictatorial president of Mexico from 1913 to 1914. His iron-handed rule caused several revolutionary forces to oppose him. Woodrow Wilson was a newly elected President of the United States, who was brought into the conflict because of American business interests in Mexico. Wilson attempted to persuade Huerta to step down and permit the holding of free elections. After negotiations with Huerta broke down, Wilson openly supported the Constitutionalists rebels and headlines around the country read “Huerta Must Go.”  When it seemed the rebels were not going to be able to regain control, Wilson sent U.S. troops to occupy Veracruz to cut off Huerta’s supplies. Huerta resigned on July 15, 1914 and fled to Spain. He came to the United States in 1915 and was arrested on charges of fomenting rebellion in Mexico. He died in custody at Fort Bliss Army Base.

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The China War Relief Association of America (CWRAA) was an organization that organized fundraising and war relief efforts throughout the Chinese Communities in America to support China’s struggles against Japan. It was formally established in 1937 under the leadership of a prominent Chinese community leader Bing Shun Fong. At its height, the organization was the largest China war relief organization in the United States with 47 branch associations across more than 300 cities. The organization primarily raised funds by placing collection boxes at the Chinese businesses and organizations. They also sponsored ticket sales to social events, such as auctions, variety shows, fashion shows, etc. One of the most successful fundraising events were the Rice Bowl Festivals held in San Francisco and New York. In San Francisco, attendees of the festival were asked to buy buttons for fifty cents as a way of supporting the relief efforts.

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The Chicago American was a newspaper company that began publishing in 1900 and changed names several times before folding in 1974. It was called the Herald-Examiner between 1918 and 1939. “Buy American products,” was a campaign the Herald-Examiner and other papers ran during the Great Depression telling readers to spend their money on American goods instead of foreign products.

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The Delano Grape Strike was a labor strike in California that began in September of 1965, and lasted for more than five years. The striking workers, led by Cesar Chavez and others, formed the United Farm Workers and demanded wages equivalent to the federal minimum wage. Through grassroots efforts, including consumer boycotts of non-union grapes, the United Farm Workers succeeded in reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the grape growers in July 1970.

Pink text on black background with black Aztec eagle in center. 

The Delano Grape Strike was a labor strike in California that began in September of 1965, and lasted for more than five years. The striking workers, led by Cesar Chavez and others, formed the United Farm Workers and demanded wages equivalent to the federal minimum wage. Through grassroots efforts, including consumer boycotts of non-union grapes, the United Farm Workers succeeded in reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the grape growers in July 1970.