359. Pensacola's Daylight Savings Time 1918

Updated: Mar 23, 2022

Within two days, it will be that time of the year again when we are forced to set our clocks back one hour. And it is amazing how a slight deviation of one hour has such as impact on our lives, but it does. But it seems that in the last few years there seems to have been more controversy about changing the clocks than ever before. But keep in mind, this controversy is not new and has risen to the surface before!

Although other countries came up with the idea much earlier, it was Germany that was the first to adopt it in 1916 during World War I. America would follow suit on March 31, 1918 after passing "An Act to daylight and provide standard time for the United States (DST)" on March 19, 1918. Along with this stipulation, they also established the four time zones we know today. Unfortunately, once the war ended DST didn't, and there lay the controversy. So much so that the protests led to its repeal in 1919 while at the same time allowing it to become a local option.

Citizens who supported it stated that it created more "daylight hours" thus giving them time to stay outdoors thus preventing a sedentary lifestyle. And longer evenings increased their night life thus a thriving economy. Those against it argued that it changed their "body clocks" that in turn led to more heart attacks and car accidents from fatigue and depression. As the conflict widened it became a fight between rural and urban America, small town versus big cities, and farmers versus factory and office workers. The battle raged with little give or take on either side and in the long run, the controversy continues!