It’s not quite the “forgotten war” that the Korean War is, but World War I is certainly overshadowed in American memory by WWII, the Civil War, Vietnam, and the Revolutionary War. Nevertheless, the United States’ relatively short
It’s not quite the “forgotten war” that the Korean War is, but World War I is certainly overshadowed in American memory by WWII, the Civil War, Vietnam, and the Revolutionary War. Nevertheless, the United States’ relatively short involvement in “the Great War” intersected with some of the most significant social, cultural, political, and economic shifts in American history. And now that we’re into that centenary, there’s no shortage of opportunities for Americans to learn more about this chapter in their national history.
For example, I hope that many people will seize the chance to see WW1 America, a major new exhibit that debuted over the weekend at the Minnesota History Center — but is meant to go on tour. (It was developed in conjunction with the National World War One Museum, the National Constitution Center, and museums in Texas and California.) In addition to the exhibit, artist David Geister is painting a triptych mural that will eventually include 100 Americans connected to WWI. The Minnesota Historical Society is also sponsoring a wide array of events throughout the coming months, from a lecture series (“Forgotten Stories of WW1“) to a two-hour songs-and-stories event last Friday at the Fitzgerald Theater that will be re-broadcast next week on Minnesota Public Radio.
I already thought highly of the History Center, and the larger Minnesota Historical Society, but WW1 America more than met my expectations when I went to a special preview last Thursday night and then took 21 Bethel students (and our seven-year old twins) back on Saturday morning for the official opening.
Most of all, I’d emphasize that WW1 America is more about the second half of its title than the first. While there are artifacts of war — including a field ambulance and images of masks made for soldiers mutilated by shrapnel — and you’ll hear the stories of soldiers, pilots, and other combatants, you won’t find the simulated trench, cabinets full of rifles and uniforms, or detailed diagrams of battles and campaigns that feature in most military history museums. Instead, the war becomes the window through which we gaze at a turbulent, transitional period in U.S. history.
I kept thinking that my Americanist