This poster was created by James Montgomery Flagg for the Mayor’s Committee of New York City. One of the most famous poster artists of his time, Flagg is best known for painting the iconic portrait of Uncle Sam that graced many U.S. Army recruiting posters. In this poster, he urged New York City residents to donate their time and money to the mayor’s relief committee. In this case, Flagg chose to personify the United States as a woman rather than as Uncle Sam. The figure was draped in an American flag and wore a Phrygian cap, a traditional symbol of liberty. Of additional significance was the poster’s caption, which stressed that “Civilization Calls.” In 1917 and 1918, pro-war Americans often claimed that the United States had entered the conflict to save “civilized nations” and to protect “civilization” itself. Indeed, Woodrow Wilson used these very terms when he asked Congress to declare war in April 1917. It is important to consider what these terms meant to Americans at the time and what they implied about the people and governments of the United States’ enemies, the Central Powers nations.

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