Problem
A. The textbook states that African Americans "were generally eager to participate in" the First World War. How might one explain this eagerness? Why would they have been so willing to fight a "War for Democracy" at a time when many of them were denied their democratic rights?
B. The First World War is often described as a "total war" in which the United States government mobilized all of the country's resources to the defeat of its enemy. Assess the validity of this statement in light of the service of black men and women during WWI. In what roles was the government willing to use black people, and in what roles was it reluctant to do so? What does this dynamic reveal about the attitudes toward black men and women which prevailed at the time?
C. What did black Americans take away from their experience during the First World War? Did participation in the war enhance their radicalism or derail their attempts to achieve social justice?
D. Describe the economic impact of the First World War on African-American communities. What new opportunities opened to black Americans during this time, and which ones remained closed to them?
E. Even as it claimed to be fighting a "War for Democracy," the United States government passed several laws that stifled citizens' right to criticize their elected officials. How did these restrictions affect black newspapers and black activists? How did they respond to these restrictions?
F. Discuss the racism faced by black recruits from their enlistment in the military through their return home from overseas. What role did race play in deciding who would be drafted? In what positions were black Americans permitted to serve in the military? How did racial concerns affect their training? How did the experience of race relations overseas differ from the experience at home? How were returning black soldiers greeted?
G. Assess the role of black soldiers in the war overseas. What roles did they usually perform? How did they conduct themselves in combat? How were they viewed by their white commanders and compatriots and by white observers generally? Did military service in the First World War helped or hinder the struggle for racial equality?