World War I: American Legacy
Inecom Entertainment, Widescreen, 112 minutes
World War I had a profound impact on Americans on and off the battlefield. The well-educated sons of the nation’s elite were among the first to report to duty overseas, even before the United States officially entered the war. Segregated units such as the Harlem Hellfighters, whose exploits made it the most decorated American unit of the war, challenged notions about race. The equal rights campaign for women gained momentum as thousands served in frontline areas as nurses and U.S. Signal Corps operators. Ernest Hemingway, Dashiell Hammett, E.E. Cummings and many more drew on their wartime experiences to reshape the literary landscape. American Legacy recounts these years of change through period photographs, drawings and recordings.
Originally published in the August 2007 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
