As the First World War was being waged in Europe, members of Mennonite and Brethren churches on the home front faced military conscription, government surveillance, and intense pressure to buy war bonds. The 1917 conscription law was ambiguous with regard to conscientious objection, although peace church members ultimately found a political ally in Lancaster County Congressman, W. W. Griest. In this presentation, Steven Nolt will describe these dynamics, and other ways that Lancaster’s peace church people experienced war-time pressures and sought to explain their convictions to their neighbors and to the government. They also struggled to know how best to help those suffering from the war’s effects.

Lecture held in conjunction with a national touring exhibition on view at the High Library, “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War,” which explores the experiences of conscientious objectors during World War I.