Suggested Research Topics - Pacifism during World War I
Pacifist Rebecca Shelley (left) and friend, 1914.
When European nations chose to engulf themselves in the flames of the Great War during the summer of 1914, most Americans were prepared to hew to Wilson's admonitions to avoid the conflagration. Over time both Wilson and the majority of Americans found it difficult to remain on the high moral ground of absolute neutrality. By April of 1917, most found it impossible to resist the allure of intervention on the grounds of making the world safe for democracy and the hopes of building a lasting peace. A few committed pacifists held firm in their convictions that war was inherently immoral and refused to back the American war effort. It took tremendous courage to stick to these abstract ideals in the face of a public, zealous as all new converts, now committed to Allied victory. Michigan had its share of people who denounced war as an instrument of policy: Angela Morgan, Rebecca Shelley, Henry Ford (for a while), and Frederick Holt.
What compelled these folks to seek an arbitrated peace in the face of the bloodiest war they knew? Were they out of touch with the realities/verities of the times? What sort of people pushed for peace? How deep was their commitment? Did they change their views after Wilson opted for war? Why were women so prominent in the pacifist movement? Did this "feminize" the movement? Given the climate of America in 1917-1918, what compelled some of these folks to hew to pacifism in the face of an oppressive (at times overwhelming) current pushing for war?
Examples of Primary Source Collections and Other Resources:
- Angela Morgan - Correspondence, 1914-1919 in boxes 2-5; Newspaper clippings in boxes 17-21; Notebook and Diary in box 25; and the book manuscript in box 39.
- Rebecca Shelley - Oral histories in box 1; Correspondence and clippings in box 1; topical file miscellany in box 9.
- Lella Secor's published diary
- Labadie collections pertaining to pacifism - Ralph Chaplin, Frederick H. Holt, and Henry Vincent (Debs scrapbook).
- Henry Ford papers (at Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village.)
In an effort to encourage creative thinking about possible research topics for students unfamiliar with archives and their inevitable complexities, archivists and student employees of the Bentley Historical Library have authored "suggested research topics ." The purpose of these is not to define a topic but rather to stimulate thinking about a topic where the holdings of the Bentley Library are particularly strong.