At the outset of World War I, women in the United States did not have the right to vote in national elections and could not serve in the military. In keeping with the spirit of the Progressive Era, many women came to view active participation in the war effort as an opportunity to gain more rights and independence.
This video is made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is a partnership of the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, the Doughboy Foundation and the National WWI Museum and Memorial as part of the teaching and learning resources of “How WWI Changed America.”