The Oklahoma Home Front

While the war raged on into 1916, the United States transitioned from a “debtors nation” into a “creditors nation”. Between 1913 and 1916 American exports rose from 2 billion dollars annually to 6 billion. (Zieger, 16) While it was clear that the Allies were greatly indebted to the United States Wilson saw the opportunity to the U.S. influence to provoke peace between the warring nations. As American sentiment began rising about expanding an American army, most Americans believed that the United States had a responsibility to bring both sides together and resolve the war.

Politics executed a part in America entering the war also. Propaganda from both sides determined America’s decision. President Wilson did not want to go to war, but when Teddy Roosevelt wanted to run for anther term, Wilson felt intimidated and declared that there would be a preparation program and a chance that America would go to war. By taking part in the war, America was validating itself as a world power.

Whenever war broke out overseas in 1914, many Americans had ties to countries involved. Many of citizens living here were immigrants or children of immigrants who came from Germany, France, or other countries involved in the war. Out of the 92 million citizens living in the states, one-third of them were hyphenated Americans. There was strong support of the Central Powers in the states due to the 8 million German-Americans and the 4 million Irish-Americans who disliked English rule. Yet, many Americans were pro Allies due to the language bond with Great Britain. America wanted to keep to their selves as war broke out in Europe and not get involved. President Woodrow Wilson would announce in 1914 that the Unites States would stay neutral during the war. Wilson would run by the slogan “Keep Us Out of the War” whenever he was running for re-election for presidency. Americas would trade with both parties and bankers could lend money to both sides involved in the war. Trading with Germany would eventually be blockaded and trade with Allies would increase.

At the beginning of the war in 1914, it was the big decision for Wilson to keep the United States neutral. A majority of Americans had either emigrated

By the time President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany and its allies, the World War I had already been raging for four years (Doenecke, 2010, p. 1). Prior to this declaration of war, America had tried to remain neutral, while Germany, Autria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria waged war against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Rumania, and Japan. Many of these belligerents joined the war at various times during this four year period, so the war continued to expand during this four year period. Wilson and a significant percentage (49%) of the American public had wanted to stay out of this conflict as possible when it first started (Doenecke, 2010, p. 20), but a series of events forced America's hand.

Political views played a great part in shaping America during World War I. Previously, every war was because of a great and direct threat to American existence. In the case of World War I, we went to war to preserve democracy. Germany certainly wouldn 't have wiped us off the map. America also tried to maintain neutrality, electing Woodrow Wilson on the slogan "He kept us out of war." (fff.org)

On April 6 of 1917 America officially entered WWI as an ally power after much vouching of their neutrality. Up to that point many government officials preached to America the great strategy of neutrality especially the president of the time Wilson. At the beginning of WWI in 1914 America did stick to practiced isolationists point of view but as the war progressed and German aggression increased the American extent of neutrality decreased leading to their eventual entrance into the war. Germany blamed much of Britain’s

Why did the American position regarding entrance to World War I shift? How did it affect America? It had been tradition to stay neutral during the war and not get involved. However, despite tradition and many Americans' position on staying neutral in the war, the government decided to join the Allies in the fight. During World War I, American concerns of trade with Europe and for the future of democracy influenced major developments in transportation and communication; this led to an impact in American society politically, socially, and economically.

World War 1 proved America to be the nation producing the highest amount of propaganda. Through his use of propaganda President Wilson was able to draw American Support for the war. Despite his being elected as the “peace” president. Many Americans believed he’d keep them out of the war, especially after he stated that, “so far as I can remember, this is a government of the people, and this people is not going to choose war.” Before his election, Wilson promoted American neutrality. He pushed for what he believed his Americans wanted. However, through his employment of propaganda, Woodrow Wilson was able

In this essay I will be talking about the hero and the most important people in Oklahoma history. They are the ones who shaped the state it is today and made the state famous as it is now. I will be picking eight people from the list in this project. They were all blessed by God with their talents and they used it well. The eight people I will be talking about are the following; Jim Thorpe, Mickey Mantle, Paul Harvey, L. Gordon Cooper, Will Rogers, Shannon Lucid, Shannon Miller, and Owen K. Garriot. These are just a few people who not just made Oklahoma look great but U.S.A. look great.

No man can sit down and withhold his hands from the warfare against wrong and get peace from his acquiescence .” President Woodrow Wilson could not maintain neutrality after a series of events that threatened the interests of the US. Wilson knew that he would not have the support of a diverse American public upon entering the war, so he came up with a plan. He designed the Committee on Public Information to advertise pro-war propaganda. He needed to convince the people that an involvement in the war was needed “to make the world safe for democracy .” Propaganda was heavily used to mobilize the public opinion of a united war effort, and it was also an attempt on homogenizing a pluralistic nation. The positive effects of this use were it unified a heterogeneous society, and it was able to get the Americans to invest their time and effort on the war. The negative effects of this were it caused hatred to those who were of the enemies’ ancestry, and false advertising lead to a loss of many innocent lives.

Ethnicity, played a significant role in America’s neutrality from 1914-1917because roughly 30 million Americans were either born in Europe or had European parents , therefore, many Americans felt allegiance toward one side or the other. German-Americans felt that the attack by Germany was justified as the ship was secretly transporting

The photo demonstrated to America that even though they may have different ethnicities, they are all Americans. This source helped to unite Americans in support of the war. Source 15 targeted African-Americans, telling them that if they joined the war then society would give them the respect and rights that they desired. Both of these sources helped to unite the different ethnicities that were present in America and motivated people to join the war effort. Argument 2: Another way that the United States Government used propaganda to change public opinion was by presenting the Germans as evil.

United States declaration of war towards Germany played an important role on German immigrants because it put their loyalty in doubt. After President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany, a violent attitude wave unleashes towards German immigrants. This situation was in part to the skepticism that Americans had in regards to loyalty to the United States from the German immigrants. According to Trommler and McVeigh, German immigrants were economically, physically, or intellectually forced to prove their loyalty. Display financial support by buying war bonds. Physically acts to demonstrate patriotism such as being force to kiss the American flag. Intellectually forced by burning books of German language as well as change names of towns, personal

David Kennedy’s Over Here: The First World War and American Society gives the reader an in depth description of American history during Americas involvement in World War I. The book covers from President Wilson’s war message to Congress on April 2, 1917 to the Armistice on November 11, 1918 pointing out major dilemmas within the country, whether they are political, social, or cultural. Kennedy starts the book out with a prologue that sets the scene. After the prologue, Kennedy jumps into explaining the war and the thoughts of the American people about the war that was carried into the battlefield. During this time, Wilson had just won his re-election of 1916, which was won by promising to keep America out of the war. So it was not hard to