ABSTRACT
World War I caused considerable confusion and conflict in the United States, both before the nation’s entry into the conflict in 1917 and after the war’s end in 1918. When the assassination of a minor European noble in 1914 plunged that continent’s nations into conflict, American reaction was initially mild. Preparation for war and its actual conduct caused substantial changes in American society. Among these was increased involvement in the economy by the federal government. The social and cultural developments sparked by advertising and mass communications simultaneously expanded America’s cultural horizons and limited perceptions of diversity in society. As might be expected, America’s war effort had substantial effects on its schools. Whereas the German language had been taught together with English in many cities with sizable German populations, the coming of World War I put an end to the study of the German language in most public and private schools.
