World War I and America examines the role the United States played in World War I and the impact of this move away from a policy of isolationism. Viewers will learn about life on the homefront and at war through documents, posters, and photos from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Among the highlights are recruitment broadsides, a pro-war letter by Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson’s 1917 message to Congress, letters, diary entries, photographs from the Western Front, and more.
World War I and America
Purchase: $1,875
Rent: $495
Logistical Information
Size: Six freestanding sections, requiring 18 running feet for display.
Purchase Information: Your institution may purchase a copy of this exhibition for permanent use for $1,875. This includes all panels, supplemental material, and carrying bags for each panel. A travel case is available as a separate purchase.
Rental Information: $495 for a four-week display period
More logistical information can be found in the World War I Exhibition Guide.
Panel One
World War I and America
Panel Contents
- Quote from Ella Jane Osborn
- Quote from Russell S. Flynn
- World War I poster, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09521.02)
- Woodrow Wilson, ca. 1915. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC02551.02)
- Quote from Woodrow Wilson
- Quote from W. E. B. Du Bois
Panel Two
The US: An Industrial Nation in the World
Panel Contents
- Quote from Jane Addams
- Jane Addams, ca. 1910. Frontispiece from Twenty Years at Hull-House by Jane Addams, New York, 1910. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC05168)
- Panama Canal, ca. 1915. (Library of Congress)
- Broadside, Woman’s Suffrage Party of the City of New York, ca. 1915. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC08963)
- Udo J. Keppler, “Next!,” Puck, September 7, 1904. (Library of Congress)
Panel Three
The Road to War
Panel Contents
- American delegates to the International Congress of Women for a Permanent Peace, April 1915. (Library of Congress)
- Theodore Roosevelt, ca. 1905. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC00162.13.02)
- Theodore Roosevelt to Oscar King Davis, June 23, 1915. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC08003 pp. 1 and 2)
- Quote from Theodore Roosevelt
- “Enlist” by Fred Spear, New York, ca. 1915. (Library of Congress)
- Telegram in code from Arthur Zimmermann, German foreign secretary, to the German ambassador in Mexico City, Mexico, January 19, 1917. (National Archives)
Panel Four
The Experience of War: Why We Fight
Panel Contents
- An Army nurse assists with the treatment of a patient during World War I. Army Nurse Corps photo. (Department of Defense)
- Diary of Ella Jane Osborn, May 31, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC06570)
- Quote from Ella Jane Osborn
- Helen Belknap in Paris, France, to Mrs. Stowe, November 6, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC07810.004)
- Quote from Helen Belknap
- Quote from W. E. B. Du Bois
- Troops resting in a trench, ca. 1918. (New York Public Library Digital Collections)
- World War I poster, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09121)
- Diary of William Shepp, Company A, 7th Engineers, January 5, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC06888.01)
- Quote from William Shepp
Panel Five
The Home Front: Selling Unity, Suppressing Dissent
Panel Contents
- Eugene V. Debs, Canton, Ohio, June 16, 1918. (National Archives)
- Quote from Eugene V. Debs
- World War I poster, ca. 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09550)
- World War I poster, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09522)
- World War I poster, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC09521.01)
Panel Six
Coming Home
Panel Contents
- Representatives of the “Big Four”—(from left) David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States—at the Paris Peace Conference, May 27, 1919. (Library of Congress)
- Quote from Woodrow Wilson
- Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pa.), December 15, 1918. (Library of Congress)
- Quote from Russell S. Flynn to M. J. Flynn, November 28, 1918. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC07810.014)
- Quote from Reverend Francis Grimke, The Race Problem as It Respects the Colored People and the Christian Church, 1919. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC06122)
- African American soldiers of the 369th Regiment homeward bound, ca. February 1919. (New York Public Library)
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery, Virginia, November 11, 1921. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-hec-43115)
Exhibition Resources
These resources have been curated to provide documents, videos, reading suggestions, and more for World War I and America.
Courses
History U Courses
History U offers free, self-paced courses for high school students.
- Conflict and Reform: The United States, 1877–1920 with Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
- World War I with Michael Neiberg, US Army War College
Self-Paced Courses
Self-Paced Courses offer graduate-level online instruction in American history by eminent historians.
- Conflict and Reform: The United States, 1877–1920 with Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
- The World at War with Michael Neiberg, US Army War College
- World War I with Michael Neiberg, US Army War College
Essays
History Now
History Now, the online journal of the Gilder Lehrman Institute, features essays by the nation’s leading historians.
- “Dear Miss Cole: WWI letters of American Servicemen” by Philip Papas (History Now 43, “Wartime Memoirs and Letters from the American Revolution to Vietnam,” Fall 2015)
- “Fighting for Democracy in WWI - Overseas and Over Here” by Maurice Jackson (History Now 57, “Black Voices in American Historiography,” Summer 2020)
- “Harlem’s Rattlers: African American Regiment of the New York National Guard in WWI” by Jeffrey Sammons (History Now 57, “Black Voices in American Historiography,” Summer 2020)
- “The Influenza Pandemic of 1918–1919” by Carol Byerly (History Now 40, “Disasters in Modern American History,” Fall 2014)
- “The Puerto Rican Experience in World War I” by Harry Franqui-Rivera (History Now 53, “The Hispanic Legacy in American History”, Winter 2019)
- “The William Shepp Diaries: Combat and Danger in WWI” by Michael S. Neiberg (History Now 43, “Wartime Memoirs and Letters from the American Revolution to Vietnam,” Fall 2015)
- “The Zimmermann Telegram and American Entry into WWI” by Michael S. Neiberg (History Now 31, “Perspectives on America’s Wars,” Spring 2012)
Other Essays
“World War I” by Jennifer D. Keene, Chapman University (2012)
“The Progressive Era to the New Era, 1900–1929” by Daniel T. Rodgers, Princeton University (2012)
Historical Documents
Each Spotlight on a document from the Gilder Lehrman Collection provides explanatory text, a transcript, and an image of the featured document
- Theodore Roosevelt on the sinking of the Lusitania, 1915
- Food Will Win the War, 1917
- Selling WWI: “Buy Liberty Bonds!” 1917–1919
- Recruiting posters for African American soldiers, 1918
- WWI poems: “In Flanders Fields,” and “The Answer,” 1918
- Diary of World War I Nurse, Ella Osborn, 1918–1919
- Emma Goldman on the restriction of civil liberties, 1919
- Rules for discharging disabled veterans, 1919
- Why Black men fought in WWI, 1919
- Treaty of Versailles and President Wilson, 1919 and 1921
- American Indians’ service in WWI, 1920
Lectures
Short Takes
- How did war shape the twentieth century? - 1 minute
- Who was president during World War I? - 2 minutes
Full Lectures
- America Between the Wars: Backlash with Michael Kazin, Georgetown University - 55 minutes
- America Between the Wars: 1919 and Change with Philip Morgan, Johns Hopkins University - 55 minutes
- Life in the 20th Century: Innocent Beginnings, 1917–1950 with Arthur Schlesinger Jr. - 57 minutes
- The Lion’s Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and his Family in Peace and War with Edward J. Renehan Jr. - 36 minutes
- Soldier for Equality: Jose de la Luz Saenz and the Great War with Hamilton’s Javier Muñoz - 41 minutes
Lesson Plans
Middle and High School
- America’s Role in the World: World War I to World War II
- American Women and World War I
- Americans All: Foreign-Born Soldiers and World War I
- National Security, Isolationism, and the Coming of World War II
- The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
- The Soldier’s Experience: Letters from Four American Wars
- World War I, African American Soldiers, and America’s War for Democracy
Public Programs
Book Breaks
Book Breaks is a free weekly public program where hosts interview scholars about their new books.
- The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Plague in History by John Barry, Tulane University
- Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn by Christopher Cox, University of California, Irvine
- The Wounded World: W. E. B. Du Bois and the First World War by Chad Williams, Brandeis University
Inside the Vault
Each month, Inside the Vault highlights unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection.
- The Diary of WWI Nurse Ella Jane Osborn with Ron Adkisson, 2012 Kentucky History Teacher of the Year, and Hamilton’s Samantha Pollino.
- The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt with Tweed Roosevelt
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need more information, please fill out this traveling exhibitions inquiry form. We strive to respond to inquiries within one business day.
Setup Guide
General Questions
Do I need to pay sales tax?
State sales tax laws vary. You may be liable for sales taxes. The Gilder Lehrman Institute will contact you about your potential sales tax obligations.
How can I pay?
We accept credit cards, checks, and purchase orders, but we do not currently accept bank transfers.
Do you offer any discounts or grants?
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer any discounts or grants at this time. We recommend DonorsChoose for schools that need financial assistance to rent or purchase an exhibition.
How do you ship the exhibitions?
Exhibitions are shipped in wheeled cases measuring 15 x 15 x 40 inches and weighing approximately 90 pounds. FedEx handles all shipping. Once your exhibition has shipped, you will receive a tracking number.
How do I set up the exhibition?
We include detailed setup instructions with each rental. Please note that different exhibitions have slightly different setup instructions, so make sure you refer to the correct type of exhibition.
What happens if something breaks after I receive my exhibition?
We are always here to help you troubleshoot or order new parts. The venue will bear the costs of replacement parts due to venue error or excessive wear and tear.
Purchase
What materials are included in my exhibition purchase?
With your purchase, we will order a brand-new exhibition to send to you. Each panel comes in its own zipped sleeve for storage and transport. You will also receive all the supplementary materials typically included with a rental, including the Exhibition Guide and setup instructions.
Does my purchased exhibition come with the travel/storage case?
The travel/storage case is a separate purchase. You can add a case for your exhibition for an additional $500 on the same menu where you bought the exhibition. All exhibitions can fit into one case, except for Freedom: A History of the US, which requires two.
Is shipping included in the purchase price?
Yes!
Can I purchase a “used” exhibition instead of a new one for a lower price?
Occasionally, a limited number of gently used exhibitions are available for purchase at a discounted price. For the current selection of gently used exhibitions, visit the shop. Exhibitions are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are sold as-is.
How long will it take to receive my exhibition?
Once we receive payment, please allow 2 weeks to print and ship your new exhibition. Exhibition orders are not sent for printing until we receive payment in full.
Rental
How long is the rental period?
4 weeks. Please let us know if you would like a longer booking period, and we will do our best to accommodate you! However, we cannot offer discounts for shortened booking periods.
How far in advance should I book my rental?
It is recommended to book 2–3 months in advance of your desired rental date, but we can accept bookings up to a year in advance. Please note that we do not ship exhibitions until payment is received in full, so please keep this in mind when booking your exhibition.
What is included in my rental fee?
The rental cost is a flat fee that covers shipping, the exhibition, and supplemental materials. Extra charges will only occur if a venue damages an exhibition.
Can I bring the exhibition to multiple venues during my rental period?
Exhibitions are limited to the location booked in the contract. While you’re free to relocate the exhibition to different buildings or rooms within your contracted location, we do not permit any other circulation of the exhibition. If you need to feature an exhibition at various locations, we recommend purchasing it rather than renting it.
Can I reschedule my rental?
If your new rental dates are available, we will happily reschedule your rental, provided the exhibition has not already shipped to you.
How do I ship the exhibition back to you?
We’ll send you a FedEx label up to 10 days before the end of your display period and set up a pickup appointment for your exhibition return. Please remove any existing labels from the case before attaching the new one, and notify our team if there are any special instructions for FedEx.