Final answer:
World War I created new job opportunities for African Americans and women, leading to the Great Migration and a greater presence of women in the workforce. The events of the war expedited the woman suffrage movement, culminating in the 19th Amendment, and highlighted African Americans' struggle for civil rights, despite persistent discrimination. While the war accelerated these changes, underlying movements suggest they were eventually inevitable.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impact of World War I on African Americans and Women
The impact of World War I on African Americans and women was profound, leading to significant social changes and advancing their respective rights movements. Prior to the war, most African Americans lived in the rural South, subjected to the harsh realities of Jim Crow laws and limited economic opportunities. The war created a labor shortage as men were drafted and sent overseas, which resulted in new job opportunities for African Americans in the North leading to the Great Migration. This mass movement allowed African Americans to find work in industrial jobs that had previously been unavailable, though they still faced widespread discrimination and violence. Similarly, women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers, taking on roles that were traditionally filled by men and challenging societal norms regarding gender roles.
The struggle for woman suffrage gained momentum during the war, as women's contributions to the war effort were seen as an essential part of the nation's success. Post-war, the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was ratified, largely due to recognition of women's contributions during the war. African Americans also fought abroad, their military service contributing to a growing demand for civil rights, even though they returned to a country that was not ready to provide them. Despite the return of soldiers and a shift back towards peacetime norms, the foundational changes for African Americans and women created lasting impact on American society.
It is debatable whether these social changes would have occurred without the U.S. entering World War I. The exigencies of war certainly accelerated these shifts, but the foundational movements for civil rights and woman suffrage were already in place, suggesting that change was inevitable, albeit possibly at a slower pace.