In the summer of 1917, at docks up and down the eastern seaboard, thousands of American soldiers boarded ships bound for France. They were the vanguard of a new American army, about to enter the most destructive war the world had ever known. For President Woodrow Wilson, the war was a crusade “to make the world safe for democracy,” a chance to transform the international order in America’s image.

As patriotism sweeps the nation — stifling free speech and dissent — a diverse group of men become the country’s first mass conscripted army.

As the war ends, America is forever transformed by the violent and bloody conflict. And while many herald the peace, others worry about democracy at home.