This document provides background information on two cases regarding why the U.S. entered World War I. Case 1 discusses Germany attacking merchant and passenger ships in the Atlantic in violation of agreements, resulting in American deaths. Various perspectives are given from a president, naval officer, merchant, and widow. Case 2 discusses the implementation of the draft in the U.S. to expand its army in response to demands in Europe. Perspectives are included from a draftee, African American soldier, mother of a draftee, and female factory worker replacing drafted men.

1. Why The U.S. Went To War Case #1 Case #2 INSTRUCTIONS: Read the background information about Case 1. Consider the issues listed following the short reading. Review each person's perspective on the issue at hand. Draw a conclusion on the topic of World War I and explain your reasoning. Go back and do the same for Case 2. Pictures Cited By: Maria Marinari, Rachel Marinari, Jackie Nedorezov, Cassie Plunkett Final Assignment

2. Case #1 Home The President Naval Officer Merchant Widowed Wife The United States is under attack. Despite the Agreement That Was Made Between the US, Germany, and Other Countries, Germany Persists in Attacking Unknown Vessels in Neutral Waters. The Sussex Pledge, That Germany Signed, Stated That They Would Not Attacking Ships With Their U-boats Without Fair Warning. The Advancement of Germany’s Naval Technologies Had a Direct Effect of the War Strategies That They Implemented During WWI. Continued

3. Case #1 Cont’d Home The President Naval Officer Merchant Widowed Wife The Germans Are Using Submarines, Also Known As U-boats, to Launch Missiles and Torpedoes at Their Perceived Enemies. These Perceived Enemies Are Not Really Enemies at All. They Are Merchants That Are Trying to Sell Their Goods in Foreign Markets to Support Their Families. The Men Who Man the Ships That Are Being Attacked Are Dying. These Men Are Leaving Behind Wife's, Children, and Parents That All Have to Deal With the Repercussions of German Actions. President Woodrow Wilson Kept America Out of the War During the First Years, but As Germany Gained Strength and Broke the Neutrality Pledge, America Had No Choice but to Go to War. America Went to War to Protect Their Allies, Their Men, and Their Economy. Back

4. Case #2 Home Draftee African American Mother Female Worker The United States is in war. As a result of other nations large armies, America had no choice but to expand it’s own army in order to compete with the other nations. America passed the Selective Service Act in 1917 which required all men between the ages of 21 and 30 to fight in the war against the world. Soon after, America drafted all man between the ages of 18 and 45. This was in response to the urgent need for more troops in Europe. All of these new recruits were raw and have had no prior war time experiences. As the war progressed and America had to keep expanding, African Americans were drafted in the armed forces. 370,000 of all of the new troops were African American. Continue

5. Case #2 Cont’d Home Draftee African American Mother Female Worker Along with the need for more troops, the factories in America changed to accommodate the need for war products. Tactile factories, farms and most other businesses redirected their need for monetary and economic gain, to supporting their troops over sea’s with good such as guns, clothes, and weapons. Due to the Draft that America implemented, the factories and businesses desperately needed workers. All able bodied men and African Americans were over sea’s fighting leaving the women to take over in the fields and factories Back

6. Woodrow Wilson Home Case #1 Naval Officer Merchant Widowed Wife This war has affected every single person, in every single nation of the entire world, and it needs to cease. I herby state that America will enter World War I. We will not enter for revenge or vengeance of Germany, but for the innocent Americans that have died, the American ships that have been sunk, and for all of those innocent neutral countries that have no power to defeat the almighty German forces. More importantly, America will fight for the vindication of righteousness. It is immorally wrong to see mankind and the world as we know thrown into the terrible mess in which we call war. Continue

7. The President Continued Home Case #1 Naval Officer Merchant Widowed Wife http://www. americanrhetoric . com/speeches/wilsonwarmessage . htm All nations must come together and reach an agreement, or the world will not live until tomorrow. I, with the help of the armed forces and the support of the citizens and Congress, will save the world. We need to do this to save humanity, so that leaves me no choice but to break my vow for neutrality. After observing the Great War for the first years, the idea of neutrality seems impractical. I cannot be named President if I sit back and watch my country suffer. I will fight for America, and all the other nations every day until an agreement is made, and the world returns to a state of sanity. Above all, we will fight for democracy, and the idea of losing our democracy is unfeasible. Together, we will fight as a unified nation, and in doing that, we will be victorious. Back

8. Naval Officer Home The President Case #1 Merchant Widowed Wife My name is Edward Robinson, but on the seas I'm referred to as Officer Robinson. It's been so difficult to sail the seas these past few weeks because the Lusitania sank. My good friend Officer William Dratch tradgically passed away on that ship. And then they sunk another ship, the Sussex. It's scary being in open water and seeing fellow ships being sunk by your enemy. I don't think the President should hold out any longer. Continue

9. Officer Continued Home The President Case #1 Merchant Widowed Wife http://memory.loc. gov/cgi-bin/ampage ? collId=rbpe & fileName=rbpe13/rbpe132/13201300/rbpe13201300 .db&recNum=1 Back It's time the United States joins this war to get back at what they did to ships in our alliance, may the victims on those ships rest in peace. I'm not just ready for war for my country, but for my allies that have fought beside me. It's going to be a rough ride, but as soon President Wilson gives us the green light, which I know he will, and soon, our ship will be ready and loaded to attack. I'm looking forward to defeating those Germans once and for all.

10. Merchant Home The President Naval Officer Case #1 Widowed Wife My name is Alexander Browning. I own a company that exports raw materials. I am losing money during this time when the world is unstable because those Germans. They keep sinking the ships that all of my goods are on. More than that, they are attacking without any reason to. I have never done anything to them. I need all of the money that I make from the foreign markets. I have a wife and a passel of kids that I need to support. The United States are not even in the war. Damn, we just got news that they blew up another ship. http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/ww1/submarine.html

11. Widowed Wife Home The President Naval Officer Merchant Case #1 My name is Millie Webber. It is all the Germans fault. My poor husband is gone and it is all the Germans fault. We should be over there in Europe, fighting to keep our men alive. My poor husband, what did he ever do to the silly Germans. Absolutely nothing, I tell you. He was killed because he was just a passenger on a boat. Why is the government just sitting around and watching our people and our citizens get killed. We need to step in and stop the Germans from hurting innocent people, just like my dear husband. It is our responsibility to protect the people, so no one else has to have the pain of losing their husband, like me. http: //historylearningsite .co. uk/lusitania . htm

12. 18 Year-Old Draftee Home Case #2 African American Mother Female Worker Hello, my name is Jimmy Johnston and I am 18 years old. I was very excited when the government issued the Draft. I want to serve my country during this important time. My Mother is worried. I can see it in her face when she looks at me, or when my Father and I talk about when I leave. My Father is proud of me for signing up. My friends and I went right after we heard the news in school. We marched right to the hall were they were taking names. We said the pledge and that was that. There are a lot of posters around town and the atmosphere is super charged. Everyone is excited and the war is the only thing that is talked about. My friends and I, along with the other men who signed up, are like heroes around town. Continue

13. Draftee Continued Home Case #2 African American Mother Female Worker http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do? vendorId=FWNE .fw..se077000.a - FWNE.fw..se077000.a We are packing our bags and boarding ships that will take us over to Europe. This will be my first trip out of the country and I cannot wait. We will get Germany in no time at all. Back

14. African American Home Draftee Case #2 Mother Female Worker My name is Clarence McCullough. I did it for the respect of my fellow countrymen. I did it for the rest of my family that had to stay behind in the horrible conditions that was still in the United States. I did it to get away from the prejudice and the racism. But it followed me anyways. When I first turned 18 I tried to sign up for the war but they wouldn’t let me. I had to wait until I was 20, and the Selective Service Act was passed to finally join in the efforts to fight and protect my country. Continue

15. African American Continued Home Draftee Case #2 Mother Female Worker But as I entered the war, segregation followed me there. We had an all black regime. The army was completely separate. No soldier wanted to recognize us as real people and soldiers working for the same cause as them. We were not allowed to join the Marines. We were only allowed to hold small and non-important jobs in the Navy and Coast Guard. Life in the military was hard, the only ones actually appreciating our efforts were the British and the French. In the end we all came together to get rid of the German. When we got back to the United States we were hero’s to our families. We gained the respect that we were looking for when we entered the war. Back http://www. armyhistory . org/armyhistorical . aspx ? pgID=868 &id=103& exCom

16. Mother of a Draftee Home Draftee African American Case #2 Female Worker I can't believe my son is going to war! My poor Arthur Crawford. He's only 19 years old and he's already fighting til death to defend our country. I'm his mother, Martha, and I'm so proud of him to keep his head up high and serve our country, but I cannot bear the thought of anything horrible happening to him. He is my only child and seeing him walk away just like that in the draft is the worst feeling a mother could get in the pit of her stomach. Continue

17. Mother Continued Home Draftee African American Case #2 Female Worker I know how proud he is to serve his country, and his father is too, but now I am home alone trying to keep the house looking good for when they come back. I know my boys will come home safely, I just know it. They are strong men fighting by day and by night, they'll be safe and sound eating the dinner I've made for them. I hope this is all over soon because I can't stand the thought of the only men important to me not coming back. And once this is all over, I can make them a feast rather than what I left them with the night they left. They were both so excited to be saving our lives. I'll never forget the smile on their faces, especially if that will have to be the last time i see them.. Back

18. Female Factory Worker Home Draftee African American Mother Case #2 Hello, my name is Annabel White. Today, I was summoned along with many other women to go into the factories and replace the men at war. I am extremely excited because we have been fighting for rights and suffrage for years now, I finally feel like I am important to America. I quickly packed my lunch, tied up my hair and rushed to the weaponry factory. Continue

19. Female Worker Continued Home Draftee African American Mother Case #2 http:// depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/kim.shtml As I arrived, I was surprised to see how much needed to be done. Before I could observe anything else, I, along with the other female workers, was quickly called together into the central part of the factory. After a brief tour, we were put to work. I was assigned to fill shells with explosives. After about an hour, I began to wheeze from all of the fumes. It smelled like a strong acid, but the government said it cannot hurt us. After a long, strenuous day, we were dismissed. I hurried home to my children. They had been left alone, and I had nothing to feed them. Once home, I discovered that my hands had a light tint of yellow. Hopefully, this is not harmful, for I must return back to the ammunition factory every day until the end of the Great War. Back

20. Pictures Cited Ship with Flag: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h53000/h53712.jpg President: www.archives. gov Army Poster: http://www.loc. gov/rr/program/bib/wwi/images/wwi .jpg African Americans: http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/56857.jpg Case #1: http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3224958.jpg?v=1& c=ViewImages & k=2 &d=27D044C0A019FA6C113CA67BF174EDE3A55A1E4F32AD3138 Mother: http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3315739.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=11B127B063386F6118DC670C9515DCA4A55A1E4F32AD3138 Draftee: http://www.bonsallhistory.org.uk/picarchive/images/gration8.jpg Navy Symbol: http://upload. wikimedia .org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/United_States_Department_of_the_Navy_Seal.svg/600px-United_States_Department_of_the_Navy_Seal. svg . png Merchant Ship: http://www.thaiwreckdiver.com/wreckblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/jap_merchant_ships.jpg Widowed Wife: http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media_collection/6/PGP%20HA%20279.jpg Navy Officer: http://www.uss-serpens.org/all_hands/sailors/jack_dempsey.jpg Boy Soldier: http://cache. viewimages .com/xc/52316892.jpg? v=1 & c=ViewImages & k=2 & d=EAF53FDC935F6F504839D9CABBBBCE84284831B75F48EF45 Home

21. Final Assignment Based on the perspectives you have just read, write your own perspective for each case as to why the U.S. entered World War I. Be specific and back up points with factual information. Feel free to use the links we have provided to help support your perspective. Home