Question

What messages do you think are conveyed to Americans in this 1917 poster? Check any of the boxes that apply. Americans must not ignore threats by other countries. Americans must unite against enemies. American citizens are unaware of danger. The United States should defend civilization in times of war.

Answer 1

• American citizens are unaware of danger  (The U.S declared war against Germany in 1917,  after WWI. Therefore, the government needed to convince the people that they had to  fight. The American citizens were not aware of any enemy. The poster has these words: " Wake up America!! Civilization calls Every man, woman and child". Besides, the picture of the woman sleeping reflects the fact that the nation was passive and ignored that there was an enemy outside).
• Americans must unite against enemies. ( This is expressed in the words: " Civilization calls for every man, woman and child. " The aim is to create the idea of a potentail enemy.)

These options are not right:

-Americans must not ignore threats by other countries: In fact, the U.S government declared war against Germany and made the people think there was an enemy. Germany was not a direct threat .

- Americans should defend civilization in times of war.  America was not at war yet. The poster 's aim was to create a potential enemy.

Answer 2

The correct answers are A, B C and D.

The Wake up, America posters were a series of propaganda posters created in 1917 and addressed to all American citizens. The woman in the poster is dressed in stripes and stars representing the sleeping America. The purpose of these purpose was to rise awareness about the political situation and the approaching dangers in international relationships.

America must not ignore threats by other countries : Americans should become more interested in current affairs and be willing to fight for their country.

Americans must unite against enemy by creating an army and participating in the war.

American citizens are unaware of danger, they are asleep and not aware of the enemy outside, therefore, they should wake up and participate actively in defending their country.

The United States should defend civilization in times of war because it was the country's moral duty to help civilizations threatened by war and where people were not treated right.