Civil Rights: Before, During and After the World Wars

A resource developed in partnership with the Library of Congress, asks should you fight for a country that is fighting against you? “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” That is the official motto of the state of Iowa. Liberties and rights refer to our freedoms to pursue our own goals, but they must balance those with the rights and liberties of others. Rights and liberties often deal with restrictions on what the government can do, but they also include what we can or cannot do to others.

Students will reflect on the following questions:
What is the story of the disenfranchised Iowans who contributed to Iowa’s effort during World War I?
Did their contribution to the war effort influence society’s beliefs about each of these groups of Iowans?
Did the public support these disenfranchised groups and their contributions to the war effort, or did they continue to treat these groups poorly?