Harrison, Lloyd, Artist. Corn - the food of the nation Serve some way every meal - appetizing, nourishing, economical. / / Lloyd Harrison ; Harrison-Landauer Inc. Baltimore. United States, 1918. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002711987/.
This poster is a compelling primary source for exploring the historical, cultural, and economic significance of corn in the United States. It provides a historical perspective on food conservation during wartime, which can be juxtaposed with Michael Pollan’s examination of corn’s dominance in today’s agricultural industry. By analyzing this source, students can investigate how government policies, cultural narratives, and industrial practices shaped corn’s rise from a wartime necessity to a central ingredient in processed foods. The poster also allows for discussions about sustainability, resource management, and the ethics of food production, tying history to contemporary issues in agriculture and nutrition.
This 1918 World War I poster, created by Lloyd Harrison, encourages Americans to incorporate corn into every meal to conserve wheat for soldiers. It highlights corn’s economic and nutritional value, reflecting the government’s wartime resource management efforts. The poster provides historical context for discussions about corn’s role in agriculture, which connects to themes in The Omnivore’s Dilemma about the modern industrial reliance on corn as a cheap and abundant food source.
This World War I-era poster promotes corn as a versatile, economical, and nourishing food staple for Americans. Created as part of a national effort to conserve wheat and other staples for soldiers abroad, the poster reflects the economic and political atmosphere of wartime resource management and agricultural policy. Teachers can explore the historical significance of corn as both a wartime necessity and a cultural symbol of American agriculture. It can be used in conjunction with Michael Pollan’s nonfiction text, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
- How did the US government’s promotion of corn during World War I influence its role in American agriculture?
- What connections can be drawn between the historical promotion of corn as a food staple and Pollan’s critique of its dominance in the modern food system?
- How do cultural, economic, and political forces shape the way we view and consume food?
Georgia State ELA Standards & Georgia State Social Studies Standards
SSUSH16: Investigate how political, economic, and cultural developments after WW I led to a shared national identity.
- The World War I-era poster promoting corn connects to SSUSH16 by demonstrating how government campaigns after World War I fostered a shared national identity through resource conservation efforts that framed corn as a patriotic staple.
ELAGSE11-12RI9: Analyze foundational U.S. documents and their historical and cultural impact, connecting them to contemporary texts.
- It also aligns with ELAGSE11-12RI9 by providing an opportunity to analyze how foundational government messaging influenced public behavior and agricultural policy, which can be compared to Michael Pollan’s critique in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Together, these sources allow students to trace the cultural and economic evolution of corn and its historical and contemporary implications for food systems.
Pair the poster with excerpts from The Omnivore’s Dilemma and focus on Pollan’s analysis of the industrial food system as well as corn’s role as a subsidized crop. Use the poster to discuss how government campaigns during World War I promoted resource conservation and shaped public perception of corn. Students can compare the wartime framing of corn as a patriotic necessity with Pollan’s critique of its overproduction and use in processed foods. As an activity, students could research the environmental and economic implications of modern corn farming, creating presentations or essays that link historical and contemporary perspectives on agriculture.
Discussions about the industrial food system and agricultural policies may raise sensitive topics related to environmental and economic sustainability. Teachers should provide balanced perspectives, emphasizing the historical and contemporary importance of corn while encouraging critical thinking about its benefits and drawbacks.
- Your sugar ration is 2 lbs. per month / The Carey Printing Company, New York. United States, 1918. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002707411/ .
- This World War I-era poster informs Americans about their limited sugar ration of two pounds per month, urging conservation to support the war effort. It reflects the US Food Administration’s campaigns to manage resources and encourage citizens to prioritize supplies for soldiers abroad.
- Britton, L. N., Artist, and Funder/Sponsor United States Food Administration. Eat more corn, oats and rye products - ... Eat less wheat, meat, ... / L.N. Britton. United States, 1917. [N.Y.: Heywood, Strasser & Voight Litho. Co] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/94507600/.
- This poster promotes substituting corn, oats, and rye for wheat, meat, and other staples during World War I to conserve resources for the military. It highlights the US government’s efforts to influence dietary habits as part of the broader home front war strategy.
- National Agricultural Library, United States Department of Agriculture. Accessed December 19,2024. https://www.nal.usda.gov/.
- Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Accessed December 19, 2024. https://michaelpollan.com/books/the-omnivores-dilemma/.
- United States Department of Agriculture. A History of American Agriculture. Accessed December 19, 2024. https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/history-american-agriculture.pdf.