St. Cloud Does Their Bit

In the World War, Becker County, Minnesota

The First World War

In 1914 the assasination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand brought to the surface, among other European issues, many border and territory disputes between European countries. These disputes quickly broke down into a war that involved almost every country on the European continent and lasted from August 1914 to November 1918. At first the U.S. stayed nuetral, but officially entered the international conflict in April 1917.

"Then what is my duty as a citizen? What does patriotism mean to me?"

C. Russell Hoyt, The Normal School Recorder, Spring 1917

Once the U.S. entered WWI, communities all across the nation were asked to respond and "do their bit" in order to help with the war effort, and the St. Cloud Normal School was no exception.

Exclusively a teachers training program during this time period, many of the students found a variety of ways in which to rally the campus community around a mixture of activities to support the war effort. Although many St. Cloud Normal students did join the military, the campus was also highly involved in a large amount of activist and conservation work as well.

Dominated by the idea patriotism, and surrounded by a sense of community, many St. Cloud Normal School students felt that they were personally responsible for helping the U.S. fight this war. Through the rest of this exhibit, readers will see the ways in which St. Cloud Normal School students responded to the war, and we invite you to reflect on how you would have done your bit if you lived during the First World War.

For more context on the international aspects of World War I, see the National World War I Museum and Memorial's interactive timeline.

For more context on the Minnesota state aspects of World War I, see the Minnesota Historical Society's wesbite MNopedia.