On Tuesday, March 3, the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School will open a Smithsonian poster exhibition, World War I: Lessons and Legacies, in the Jirous Gallery Room.

World War I: Lessons and Legacies explores “the war to end all wars” and its lasting impact and far-reaching influence on American life. Sparked by the assassination of one man, the war eventually included the forces of the world’s major industrial powers (over 18 countries) and ended with millions dead. Beyond the countries involved and people affected, World War I gave rise to significant and enduring changes in America.  Wartime technologies and medical advances resulted in new industries and novel ways to fight disease and treat disability. The roles that women and minorities played in the war led to the right to vote for women and to a heightened awareness of civil rights issues throughout society.

From the Great Migration to the 1918 flu pandemic and from the unionization movement to women’s suffrage, World War I led to pivotal changes in America’s culture, technology, economy, and role in the world. It redefined how we saw ourselves as Americans, and its legacy continues to this day.

World War I: Lessons and Legacies is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Museum of American History, in cooperation with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. It is funded in part by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.

Soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” some of whom were awarded the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action in France in 1919, detail (26431282, National Archives and Records Administration).