Featured Articles
The Chemistry of World War I Gas
An enduring hallmark of WWI, along with the trenches and the mud, is the large-scale use of chemical weapons, commonly called simply "gas." Although chemical warfare caused less than one percent of the total [...]
Primary Sources from the Interwar Neutrality Debate
Analyze debates about neutrality in the leadup to World War I Overview of Neutrality Acts This collection of resources facilitates critical analysis of a pivotal moment in U.S. foreign policy history. It contains a [...]
Sentinels of Memory: How Personal Keepsakes Preserve World War I Service Stories
More than a century after the guns fell silent along the Western Front on November 11, 1918, the First World War has slipped entirely out of living memory. Every one of the 4.7 million [...]
These were the last surviving veterans of every major American war through World War I
A reminder that our World War II veterans won't be around forever. In 2023, the VA’s Veteran Population Projection (VetPop) Model counted 95,000. It estimated just 31,000 in 2026. And here we are. At last count [...]
German-Americans battle loyalty questions in World War I: Revisiting St. Louis’ history
Only one week into the Great War, thousands of German-Americans jammed Turner Hall, at 1508 Chouteau Avenue, to defend the Fatherland and their loyalty to America. A band played waltzes and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” [...]
Upcoming Cycling Trip Along the Western Front Way
In the Somme River region in France and in the Flanders region in Belgium are among the most famous and bloodiest battlefields of the First World War. Names such as Péronne, Thiepval, and Beaumont-Hamel [...]
America 250: What is being celebrated? Why? And How?
This article addresses those seemingly obvious questions with some thought provoking answers, and it offers an option for HOW YOU might honor this poignant moment in American history — with an idea that has [...]
Hello Girl Renee Messelin to be honored in Chicago July 16
It is time for an update! Two years ago, we discovered that an African American woman served as a Signal Corps Telephone Operator. Renee Messelin – born Ellarane Caldwell – turned out to be [...]
Answering the Call: My National History Day Journey with the Hello Girls
My National History Day project began with a Doughboy Foundation article about the Hello Girls, a group of bilingual women who served as U.S. Army Signal Corps telephone operators during World War I. I [...]
