Education During World War I - 2213 Words

Education has an importance in the world that cannot be matched. By learning new things and applying them to everyday tasks, the world has rapidly advanced over the past century. However, in the beginning of the 20th century, there were not many educational opportunities for the public, but with the help of World War I (WWI), changes were made. Even though there were not immediate impacts after World War I, the war set the stage for the development of education in the United States because women were granted more educational rights, and the government instituted programs to improve overall education. Before the war, children in rural areas started school in September in a one-room schoolhouse nearest to their house. Normally, the building†¦show more content†¦Before WWI there were schools for children to attend, however they were not of great quality, and could easily be improved upon. In 1914, when the war began, the United States remained neutral, taking a backseat to the fighting in Europe. The war however, still had an impact on America. There was a large industrial expansion in industry and agriculture from the increased demand for those supplies over seas. The French, British, and Russians imported raw materials, foodstuff, and military supplies, which resulted in an increase of 15% in the gross national product (GNP) for the United States (Progressive Era). Although some questioned the need to spend such a large amount of money on a war that the U.S. was not yet a part of, the U.S. raised $15 billion dollars more than they spent on their allies with just the sale of Liberty bonds; that doesn’t include the money tax revenue (Progressive Era). Staying neutral actually helped the U.S. maintain a steady economy without losing any lives in combat. The money that the U.S. was able to make back went into programs to aid apparent issues in the country, such a s education, that only received the attention after the war. Women played an important role in allowing the U.S. to improve its GNP before their entrance into WWI. Many women wanted to help the cause overseas, but they were not