When war broke out in Europe in 1914 America was focused on its own concerns - managing its new wealth and addressing the urgent social problems of the time. Years of rapid industrial expansion had made America the world's most productive economic power, but it remained an insular nation in its relationship with the rest of the world.

The United States' entrance into World War I in 1918 changed the country in profound ways. The trends that arose during the war years would set the agenda that dominated American life for the rest of the century.

The World War I Years uses documentary films and texts to engage the public in a study of the United States and its people during this period of history. The series consists of six sessions, each featuring either a complete documentary film or excerpts from longer documentaries to provide context for scholar-led discussion.

PROGRAM TOPICS AND FILMS

Session 1: The Road to War

Wilson (The American Experience)

Session 2: Over There

The Great War: 1918 (The American Experience)

Session 3: Modern War

Shell Shock (The Century with Peter Jennings)
Men of Bronze: The Black American Heroes of World War I (Produced and Directed by William Miles)

Session 4: The American People in Wartime

Up South: African American Migration in the Era of the Great War (The American Social History Project)
One Woman, One Vote (The American Experience)

Session 5: Peace Making

Wilson (The American Experience)

Session 6: After the War - The Turbulent Years

Return to Isolationism (Between the Wars)
Lost Peace: Ideals for a United World Fail (People's Century)