Americans Will Always Fight for Liberty
See adjacent text.
ArtistBernard Perlin
Year1943

Americans will always fight for liberty is the title of a poster frequently displayed throughout the United States during World War II. The poster depicts three American soldiers from 1943 marching in front of members of the Continental Army from 1778.

History

The poster was created in 1943, near the height of the advance of the Axis Powers into Europe, Asia and Africa. The poster was produced by the United States Office of War Information to foster patriotism and support for the war effort by depicting American soldiers as freedom fighters. The poster equates the motivations of soldiers of the U.S. Army in World War II to Continental soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, drawing a connection between the soldiers from the Revolutionary War and the soldiers engaged in combat against the Axis powers.[1][2]

Impact

The poster was displayed throughout the United States in public areas such as schools, libraries, post offices and factories. It helped to instill patriotism during the Second World War and has been called one of the most recognized and enduring posters produced during the World War II era.[3][4] The poster in underlining the word "always" also attempts to demonstrate that the United States is committed to continue fighting against the Axis Powers, as it did the British in the U.S. Revolutionary War.[5]

Legacy

The poster was analyzed by members of the National World War II Museum. They argued that the poster demonstrated transfer propaganda, or an attempt to transfer the belief that Americans fought for liberty during the Revolutionary War to the then-ongoing Second World War.[6]

References

  1. ↑ ""1778 - 1943 Americans Will Always Fight For Liberty" Poster". Smithsonian. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ Brewer, Susan (2009). Why America Fights: Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq. Oxford University Press. p. 284.
  3. ↑ "Americans will always fight for liberty". Museum of the American Revolution. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  4. ↑ Grant, Susan-Mary (2012). A Concise History of the United States of America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 314–315. ISBN 9780521848251. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  5. ↑ Schwartz, Barry. "Presidents' Day: The Commemoration of What?". Institutions of Public Memory: 82–97.
  6. ↑ "Winning Over Hearts and Minds: Analyzing WWII Propaganda Posters". National World War II Museum. Retrieved May 10, 2014.

Further reading

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