American Women in World War I: A Detailed Summary

American women in World War I experienced several major impacts from the events of the First World War.  World War I was a major historical conflict that took place from 1914 until 1918 and involved most of the major nations at the time.  In particular, the United States played a significant role in the war based on its trade with the Allied Powers and direct military involvement beginning in 1917.  The United States’ involvement in World War I had a dramatic impact on the lives of the American people and the home front of the United States.  This was especially true regarding the lives of American women, who saw their lives changed during the years of the war.

April 6th, 1917

The United States Entered World War I

President Woodrow Wilson signed the declaration of war against Germany on April 6th, 1917, ending nearly three years of American neutrality. The decision brought the United States into the Allied war effort and changed life on the American home front, opening new work roles to American women and drawing them into jobs in factories, heavy industry, and other fields that had previously been held by men.

Source: National Archives© factsthatcrunch.com

American Women in World War I – Military

As stated above, American women experienced several major impacts from the events of World War I.  First, World War I was the first war in which American women could play a direct role militarily.  Although they were not placed in active fighting situations, American women joined the armed forces of the United States and played an important role in the United States’ response to the war.  For instance, more than 13,000 American women enlistedOfficially signed up to join a branch of the military. in the United States Navy.  They were primarily posted in positions in the United States and helped with duties toward the war effort.  Furthermore, over 1,400 women served as nurses in the United States Navy with some being posted overseas.  Also, the United States Marine Corps enlisted 305 women in World War I to serve in administrative positions.​

Next, over 21,000 American women served as nurses in the United States Army during World War I.  They often served near the battlefields and were important in aiding injured soldiers on the front lines of battle.  As well, about 450 women trained as switchboard operators, and 223 of them served in France with the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators UnitA U.S. Army unit of women, 223 of whom served in France, who operated switchboards and relayed military communications in English and French..  They relayed messages and were bilingualAble to speak two languages fluently. in both English and French.  At the time, they were known as the ‘Hello Girls’ by soldiers.​

These roles served by American women were important as they helped free men to fight on the front lines in the battlefields of Europe while also providing the necessary support for the overall American war effort.  Women who enlisted in the Navy and Marine Corps were recognized as veterans after the war. The Hello Girls, however, were treated as civilian workers and were not given veteran status until 1977.​

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By untiring devotion to her exacting duties under trying conditions she did much to assure the success of the telephone service during the operations of the First Army against the St. Mihiel salient and the operations to the north of Verdun.

United States Army, Distinguished Service Medal citation

Awarded to Chief Operator Grace Banker, 1919

Grace Banker led the first group of Hello Girls, the bilingual switchboard operators of the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit, 223 of whom served in France, who connected military phone calls in English and French. The Army awarded her the Distinguished Service Medal for keeping battlefield phone lines running during major American offensives in France.

Source: National Archives© factsthatcrunch.com

American Women in World War I – Work

The second way that World War I impacted life for American women was their role in helping supply the United States and its allies for the war.  When the United States joined the war effort in 1917, women were needed to enter the workforce.  Furthermore, many of the women found employment in factories that produced weapons and ammunition for the war effort.  This was an incredibly important change for the lives of many American women, because before the start of World War I most women did not work outside of the home.  Not only were many women working for the first time, but they were also working in jobs that were generally held by men.  This included jobs in heavy industry, manufacturing, police, firefighters, etc.  This was the first time in American history that American women had worked in many of these positions and in such large numbers.  The contributions of women in these roles were significant as it helped maintain American society at a difficult time while also supplying the necessary resources for the war.

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We have made partners of the women in this war; shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?

Woodrow Wilson

Speech to the United States Senate, September 30th, 1918

Wilson asked the Senate to support giving women the right to vote, arguing that their work in factories, offices and the military had earned it. The Senate did not pass the amendment that year, but the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920.

Source: Library of Congress© factsthatcrunch.com

American Women in World War I – Family

Third, American women were responsible for maintaining the family in the absence of the men, who were away fighting in the war.  This was incredibly significant because women were tasked with caring for children and taking care of the home during a major worldwide conflict.  Another aspect of this was the challenge faced by women (and others on the home front) in dealing with the role of rationingA government system that limits how much food or fuel civilians can use so supplies reach soldiers..

During World War I, there was a nation-wide emphasis on food and fuel production and consumption.  Both food and fuel were important resources necessary to the overall war effort.  The soldiers on the front lines in the battlefields of Europe required both in order to carry out victory against the Central Powers.  As such, the United States government sought to ration their consumption by American civilians on the home front during World War I.  This is best evidenced by creation of both the United States Food AdministrationA wartime government agency that managed food use by American civilians through campaigns and restrictions. and the United States Fuel AdministrationA wartime government agency that limited how much fuel American civilians could consume during the war..  Both agencies sought to limit the use of their respective resource by introducing certain measures and carrying out different public campaigns.  For example, the United States Food Administration (which was headed by future President of the United States Herbert Hoover) introduced days such as ‘meatless Tuesdays’ and ‘wheatless Wednesdays’.  The United States Fuel Administration similarly introduced ‘heatless Mondays’.  These campaigns obviously had an impact on the lives of Americans living on the home front during World War I and placed certain types of hardships on the everyday lives of American women who were tasked with many of the issues on the American home front.​

World War IMatchingInteractive

FactsthatCrunch

Which definition fits each World War I wartime rationing term?

Tap a term, then tap its match.

United States Food AdministrationUnited States Fuel AdministrationMeatless TuesdaysWheatless WednesdaysHeatless Mondays

1A government agency that cut civilian fuel use, including a campaign for heatless days.2A Food Administration campaign that asked Americans to avoid wheat products on a set day to conserve grain.3A government agency that reduced civilian food use through campaigns like meatless and wheatless days.4A Fuel Administration campaign that asked Americans to go without heat on a set day to save fuel for the war effort.5A Food Administration campaign that asked Americans to skip meat on a set day each week to save supplies for troops.

Source: The National Archives, UK© factsthatcrunch.comMore World War I Facts →

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MLA: Beck, Elias. “American Women in World War I: A Detailed Summary.” HistoryCrunch, 30 September 2026, https://historycrunch.com/american-women-in-world-war-i/.

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Sources

• Margaret MacMillan, The War That Ended Peace.
• Imperial War Museum
• Hew Strachan, The First World War.
• John Keegan, The First World War.