World War 1 is still relevant today in many ways.

Many of the changes that happened

during and because of WWI are still around today. The social and military changes that
happened in WWI affect my daily life and my fellow Americans, even though it may not seem so
at first glance. In my eyes WWI is the beginning of many events and movements that happened
in later American history. For instance, the new wave of fighting for black civil rights that
occurred right after WWI, in part, caused the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Today, people
of every color and background are able to vote without discrimination or intervention. During
WWI, the black population ran into Jim Crow laws and other prejudices that hindered them from
using their full voting power. Today, the African-American population holds equal votes of other
Americans, thus giving them the power to change policies today. I am not saying African-
Americans would have not received proper voting protection without WWI, but I think WWI
was instrumental in the timing of when voting protection came to be.

Gender transitioned jobs are also applicable in today’s world. Just like women took over
jobs like being a secretary or a nurse during the WWI era, women are expanding to new jobs
opportunities in the modern world. For example, being a doctor used to be a male-dominated
field, but more and more women are becoming doctors. Another example is being a principal of
a school. When my parents were growing up most of their principals were men, but when I was
growing up the majority of my principals were women. Men are also working in areas that used
to be acceptable for women only. Men may work as elementary teachers or be a stay-at-home
parent. Gender assigned jobs are having less meaning as time goes on. Another way WWI is still
relevant today is through the military and status of our nation. The draft is also relevant to
modern America. Every 18 year old male has to register for the draft, even throughout
peacetime.

WWI created an active permanent military that protects me and others every day. I may
not see obvious effects of an active military in my daily life, but I do live in a safe country rid of
violence and contention found in other countries. WWI changes my perception of cause and
effect. The American Yawp states that World War 1 was partly responsible for later conflicts
such as WW2, the Cold War, and tensions in the Middle East. Studying how WW1 affected
these later events has helped me understand that one event in history just doesn’t affect the next
chronological event, but can affect the next several decades or even have a forever lasting effect.
This knowledge makes me conscious about how America’s current events will affect the many
years to come.

I would say that WWI has mostly affected what I intend to do with my education, not
what other concepts I have learned in my other classes. Because of the active military created in
WW1 I am protected and live in a well-off country where I have the freedom to gain an
education and get a job easily. The changing of gender dominance occupations allows me to
accomplish my dream of working in occupational therapy. Overall, the impacts of WWI have
changed the world I live in and have enabled me to live the way I live today.