LibGuides: U.S. History: WWI Era

World War I Books

In the library catalog, use a Subject search for World War, 1914 - 1918. These are just a few examples.

World War, 1914-1918 (Catalog search by Subject)

The First World War: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Howard
Publication Date: 2007

Loyalty in Time of Trial : the African American experience during World War I by Nina Mjagkij
Publication Date: 2011

Stars & Stripes

Stars and Stripes
Written by and for serviceman, this online collection includes the complete seventy-one-week run of The Stars and Stripes World War I edition. It was published in France by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) of the United States Army from February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919. Library of Congress.

Local Connections to WW I

Soldiers Database War of 1812 to World War I
Provided by the Secretary of State of Missouri, the Soldiers Database is a comprehensive database abstracted from the individual service cards and listing more than 576,000 Missourians who served in the military from territorial times through World War I.
St Charles County's Participation in the Great War [1919?]
Scanned book fully accessible on the Hathi Trust website.
Over There: Missouri and the Great War
A statewide, collaborative digitization project investigating the state’s involvement in World War I.

General Sites on WWI

Europeana 1914-1918
A collaborative effort between Oxford University and other European partners, this site provides the following: digitized access to letters, photographs, diaries and memorabilia; access to digital collections in libraries from 8 European countries; and 650 hours of film on the Great War.
First World War
This comprehensive site covers the war, the home front and everything in between. The section on Prose and Poetry is excellent. Its author cautions that it is NOT peer-reviewed history and should not be used as a single source for data.
Chemical Warfare and Medical Response During World War I
overview of what came to be known as "the chemists' war" due to the widespread use of deadly and debilitating chlorine, phosgene and mustard gases.
Gillies Archives at Queen Mary's Hospital
Remarkable work, headed by Sir Harold Gillies, in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery
Library Of Congress -- Guides to the Collection
This page offers access to a plethora of materials about the war and about the time period. One can even access the sheet music for the popular songs of the times.
National Archives, Historical Documents Online
A treasure trove of posters, photographs and documents. Even includes the records of the "Lost Battalion."
Statistics Comparing Wars
compiled by Louisiana State University
Teacher Oz's website
Tracey Oz teaches 9th grade AP History. She has collected websites to help her students understand the impact and realities of WWI.
US Navy in WWI
A series of links from the Naval Historical Center, an official source of information about US naval participation in WWI.
World War I
Another comprehensive site built by interested, amateur historians.
World Wars by the British Broadcasting Company
The BBC offers a rich collection of materials about world wars. This link feeds immediately to WWI.

Maps and Images

First Call -- an exhibit of posters from WWI
A collection of WWI posters from the special collections of the Georgetown University Library.
The Great War in Color
Historical photographs taken using the autochrome process; the first true color photography.
Online Collections Database of the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
illustrations of U.S. participation in World War I.
Photos of the Great War

What Else Was Happening?

A Clickable Timeline of the Era
From the VL (Virtual Library), materials originally provided by the Kansas Historical Society.
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918
The flu claimed more casualties than the war.
Patriotic Labor: America During World War I
from the Digital Public Library of America
Women's Fashions During World War I
Women's fashions of 1914-1920 were heavily influenced by World War I (the Great War) as well as the women's suffrage movement.