Pacifism vs. Patriotism in Women's Organizations of the 1920s: Part A

This question is based on the accompanying documents (1-7). The question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of the documents have been edited for the purposes of this question. As you analyze the documents, take into account both the source of each document and any point of view that may be presented in the document.

Historical Context:

After World War I, most Americans wanted to avoid another such catastrophic war. Government officials and political organizations differed in their proposals for achieving this goal. Women's organizations and their members reflected this disagreement over the most effective means of achieving world peace. Some peace organizations, like the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), advocated mediation and dialogue among the powers involved in the world conflict. Other women's organizations, like the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), believed military preparedness was the best way to prevent war. In this climate, pacifist organizations were often attacked by organizations like DAR, who argued that members of pacifist groups were unpatnotic.

Task:

Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help you write the essay in Part B, in which you will be asked to:

• Identify and explain two arguments of peace activists that supported world disarmament

• Identify and explain two arguments of the Daughters of the American Revolution for military preparedness

• Discuss the policy used by the Daughters of the American Revolution of red-baiting pacifist organizations, and why it was often an effective if unfair tool for discrediting pacifists in the 1920s.

Part A: Short-Answer Questions

Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document in the space provided.


 
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