World War I and the Making of the Modern American Citizen

The First World War marked a fundamental transformation in U.S. citizenship. From Ellis Island to the U.S.-Mexico border, from the voting booth to the draft board to the marriage registry, the choices Americans made during and after World War I resonate a century later.

Prof. Christopher Capozzola (MIT) specializes in the political and cultural history of the United States from the late nineteenth century to the present. He teaches courses in political and legal history, war and the military, and the history of international migration. His research interests are in the history of war, politics, and citizenship in modern American history. His first book, Uncle Sam Wants You: World War I and the Making of the Modern American Citizen (Oxford University Press, 2008), examines the relationship between citizens, voluntary associations, and the federal government during World War I through explorations of military conscription and conscientious objection, homefront voluntarism, regulation of enemy aliens, and the emergence of civil liberties movements.

This event was part of Oregon State Universities ongoing series of programs focused on Citizenship and Crisis. We take the centenary of WWI as our starting place to think deeply, discuss, and debate questions about the rights, obligations, and changing definitions of citizens and citizenship. Our wide-ranging inquiry focuses on citizenship at times of crisis, particularly in wartime, with special reference to contemporary challenges and long-term patterns.

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