With this digital collection, students will explore U.S. popular—and, especially, visual—culture during World War I. These sources were not produced by the government. Rather, they demonstrate how extensively private companies, organizations, and individuals embraced the war effort. Atlases, cartoons, advertisements, and sheet music all expressed support for the war with remarkable consistency and reinforced the government’s messages. One exception was the socialist magazine the Masses, which provides dissenting voices among the documents below. Students will consider the following questions as they review the documents: 1. How did popular publications encourage Americans to support the war effort? 2. How did artists, advertisers, and mapmakers visually represent the war to the American public? What patterns or conventions do you notice in these images of soldiers? What ideals of masculinity and national identity do they express? 3. What criticisms of the government and, specifically, the war effort did dissenters voice? How did dissenting artists parody or otherwise subvert pro-war propaganda?
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Material Type:
- Activity/Lab
- Provider:
- Newberry Digital Collections for the Classroom
- Date Added:
- 05/01/2017