Can something be simultaneously genius and vilely racist? This is the question posed by D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film Birth of a Nation. Silent film star Mary Pickford called it the first movie that made people take the motion picture industry seriously. The film debuted in a politically charged atmosphere, full of anti-immigrant bias, racial tensions, […]
5 Things I Learned While Writing A Tale of Two Nations
If you’ve been studying a subject for as long as I have, you might not think there is anything left to discover or surprise. I’ve been studying World War I and how it changed the lives of ordinary people since I was a teenager. When I embarked on writing A Tale of Two Nations, my […]
The Committee on Public Information
President Woodrow Wilson struggled to maintain United States neutrality when war broke out in 1914. Strong social and political forces lobbied specific arguments supporting intervention or isolation. With the declaration of war in April 1917, Wilson understood that in order to maintain public support for the war, the U.S. government needed to create an agency […]
World War I Led to Prohibition
The global impact of the Great War reverberated throughout world history. In the United States, the outbreak of the war brought about a significant event impacting every citizen. The conflict didn’t just influence how the United States recognized its place internationally, but how it behaved socially. It was in this wartime environment that the 18th […]
History of Father’s Day
Like many holidays, Father’s Day had a humble beginning. It began as a day of remembrance for fathers who had passed away. In 1908, a Methodist congregation in West Virginia held a service to honor the 250 fathers who had died in a mining accident. Two years later, the first event to be held on […]
The League of Nations: Hope For Peace after WW1
World War One was supposed to be the war to end all wars. The League of Nations was created as part of the Treaty of Versailles. Its creation brought people hope that a lasting peace could be established. Instead, the 20th century was a century of unresolved warfare. What Was the League of Nations? The […]
The Treaty of Versailles Solved One Problem, Caused Plenty More
Armistice stopped World War One on Nov. 11, 1918, but officially the war didn’t end until the Treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919. The date was the five year anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event credited with starting the war. The treaty was signed specifically with Germany. Separate treaties […]