World War II has another name: "The Good War." It is the one war which stands out in American history during which American citizens overwhelmingly unite in a common cause. However, during "The Good War" about 40,000 men made the choice not to fight. Did this make them "bad", or were these men setting their own example of courage by following the beliefs of their religion or conscience not to kill? Pennsylvania, more than any other state, had its share of conscientious objectors. This was due in large part to its founding by a Quaker as "a religious experiment"—an experiment which encouraged many pacifist religions to settle in the state. In this lesson students will have the opportunity to explore conscientious objection—its history and variety, several experiences of those who chose it during World War II, and the complexity of human rights and common good that goes along with it.

Access this lesson at:  The Arsenal of America : Pennsylvania during the Second World War - The Unseen Army: Conscientious Objectors During World War II

Story Credits:  https://explorepahistory.com/story.php?storyId=1-9-19

The idea for ExplorePAhistory.com first took shape early in the year 2000. Kathleen Pavelko, President and CEO of WITF, Inc. (Harrisburg's PBS and NPR affiliate), imagined the creation of an online resource that would make innovative use of the nearly 2,000 historical markers that the state's official history agency, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), had been placing on the Pennsylvania landscape since 1946. The new web site would make Pennsylvania and American history more exciting and available to public audiences, while providing educational resources for K-12 teachers and promoting visitation to the state's many historic sites and museums. When Pavelko and her colleagues from the Pennsylvania Public Television Network presented the idea for such a web site to officials at the PHMC, they quickly agreed to a partnership. And ExplorePAhistory.com was born.

ExplorePAhistory.com was launched in the spring of 2003 with support from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the William Penn Foundation, and the United States Department of Education. From the start, WITF has assumed responsibilities for project management, while PHMC has taken on content management responsibilities. WITF has managed funds and overseen the site's initial technical development by Pittsburgh-based firm Ripple Effects Interactive and subsequent development by MATRIX, a program based at Michigan State University. PHMC has worked with the Pennsylvania Historical Association, the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations, and history professionals across the state to create the site's content. The two partners also worked with the Ridgway School District to secure and manage Teaching American History Grants and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to produce educational content.

New information is regularly being added to the site. We welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions. Contact us at: https://explorepahistory.com/contact.php