The First World War had an
effect on communities across America, and Arkansas was no exception, as the war
had a social and economic impact on our state.
Joining with the Department of Arkansas
Heritage’s campaign to commemorate 100 years since World War I and to remember
Arkansans’ efforts during the conflict, the Arkansas State Archives has
launched “Arkansas
in the Great War,” a three-part online
exhibit chronicling the state during this period.
The exhibit was created through Google Arts
& Exhibits and contains over 150 high resolution images of photographs,
letters, government documents and maps that tell the story of Arkansas’s
involvement in the war.
The first section, “Mobilizing the State for
War,” profiles Arkansas before the U.S.’s entrance into the war and how the
state mobilized to meet the challenge. Part two, “The War at Home,” examines
the domestic impact the war had on Arkansans and explores the contributions of
women and African Americans to the war effort. The last section, “In the
Trenches,” details Arkansans serving in Europe and the events immediately
following the end of the conflict.
Archival Assistant Brian Irby started the
project over a year ago, initially as a book. However Irby changed it to
an online exhibit when he saw that it would potentially reach more people.
Becky Ballard worked with Irby on the exhibit, which included research,
locating and digitizing materials, and writing descriptions.
