World War One: Simply Reshaped America

War never changes, does it? War in itself is a horrible thing. People die and families are cut apart. It's awful, even from a politician who thinks of the population only as a percentage. However, war can do good for a country in certain ways. It can help solve internal problems like equality and economic crises. That being said, World War 1, while presenting challenges, ultimately reshaped America in a positive light by fostering societal transformations, driving technological advancements, and fueling sustained economic growth. Firstly, during the early 20th century, women entered the workforce and showed America that women could work as hard as men when the men were away at war, even “President Woodrow Wilson acknowledged to Congress that
Machine guns were extremely effective because “Machine guns had existed since late 1800 but they were refined and improved throughout World War 1” (America Through the Lens 2019). This is an amazing example of how technology can be enhanced if we band together over a common enemy. These inventions and more helped drive technology into the modern world. These inventions also boosted our economy. With these inventions, the economy carried us to an economic frenzy due to the “The flood of money into the manufacturing sector from both home and abroad led to a welcome rise in employment for American workers. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped from 16.4% in 1914 to 6.3% in 1916.” (Michon 2019). This means that the war boosted our economy into the Roaring Twenties when being middle class was like being upper crust today. In conclusion, while it was a brutal war, the economic boom, technological advances, and societal changes are all great things that came out of WW1. It drove us toward the economic boom of the 1920s, commercial planes, and women’s suffrage. Most people only remember WW2 because it is so recent but we must also remember WW1 not for its brutality but for the good things it has brought us