Dbq for Ap Us History: Entry into Wwi

DBQ: US Entry into WW1

        American Politics had drastically shifted going into the twentieth century. Chiefly, matters dealing with domestic issues had been handled in whatever slow and trampled way they could. From the progressive trustbusting to foreign affairs, it was plain to see some alterations had taken place. American business, although still fraught with corruption, had taken off. Aside from numerous labor strikes, American sentiment was relatively high. America began their interest in WW1 as cautionary and disinterested, and then a quiet confidant of the allies, and finally an angry power seeking vengeance and reparation.

        From the start, the American nation had not wished to fully join the allied war effort. The US was firmly rooted in the problems of its problems then. Several labor strikes swept American industries, with many thousands of low wage and immigrant workers crying foul at an uncaring omniscient labor force. With, at the time, about 1 in 3 workers belonging to some sort of union, a national labor initiative simply drew more attention than mere budding rivalries abroad. Even though the amount of immigrants pouring in from Europe to the US was a concern, Americans’ standard of life was far from unsavory. Freedom and opportunity still existed. To address the fragile relationship between Americans, Wilson stated that citizens would be better off remaining steadfast by the US, trusting that they would benefit from impartial, fair policies of neutrality (DOC A).

        As the war continued, American business had taken off in the most spectacular ways. Banks profited off of massive loans at fair interests. American factories churned out bullets and other ammunitions by the millions at a time, and sold them to the allied powers abroad (DOC C). And although the US promoted a system of neutrality, Wilson (at the start of his second term) aimed to increase the size navy during his 2nd term using his slogan “He kept us out of the war”. Interests abroad only grew after Wilson removed a foreign lending limit, effectively letting huge business tycoons to run amok financially (DOC C). By portraying itself as innocent through troubles like numerus German advances, the US maintained a loose investment in global politics.