Treatment of Germans at Kansas State Manual Training Normal School
Category
Business, Education and Humanities
Department
History
Student Status
Undergraduate
Research Advisor
Dr. Kyle Thompson
Document Type
Event
Location
Student Center Ballroom
Start Date
10-4-2025 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2025 4:00 PM
Description
When the United States of America declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the nation made enemies not only with Germany, but with German culture. Pro-German sentiments were viewed with suspicion and people were looked at as a traitor or a spy. With the suspension of constitutional rights under the Espionage and Sedition Acts, Americans that expressed an opinion against the war effort became criminals overnight. The crusade against the anti-American sentiment enveloped all aspects of life; schools were no longer allowed to teach German, German towns and streets were renamed, speaking German in public became taboo. This wave of Americanization was felt across the nation, including universities and normal schools. The same level of anti-German sentiment was not seen everywhere, and this paper examines Kansas State Manual Training Normal School and how it compares with other schools. Through renaming, German language, harassment, size, and ethnic diversity this paper argues the Kansas State Normal School faced little to no German persecution.
Treatment of Germans at Kansas State Manual Training Normal School
Student Center Ballroom
When the United States of America declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the nation made enemies not only with Germany, but with German culture. Pro-German sentiments were viewed with suspicion and people were looked at as a traitor or a spy. With the suspension of constitutional rights under the Espionage and Sedition Acts, Americans that expressed an opinion against the war effort became criminals overnight. The crusade against the anti-American sentiment enveloped all aspects of life; schools were no longer allowed to teach German, German towns and streets were renamed, speaking German in public became taboo. This wave of Americanization was felt across the nation, including universities and normal schools. The same level of anti-German sentiment was not seen everywhere, and this paper examines Kansas State Manual Training Normal School and how it compares with other schools. Through renaming, German language, harassment, size, and ethnic diversity this paper argues the Kansas State Normal School faced little to no German persecution.
