Chapter 19

1. The Road to War

At the start of World War I, the United States remained neutral. President Woodrow Wilson hoped to stay out of the conflict and act as a mediator.

However, several factors pushed the U.S. toward war:

  • German submarine attacks on ships trading with Britain and France

  • The sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915

  • The Zimmermann Telegram, where Germany proposed a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S.

In 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, saying the goal was to make the world “safe for democracy.”

2. Mobilizing for War

The U.S. government rapidly mobilized society and the economy.

Key actions included:

  • The Selective Service Act of 1917, which required men to register for the draft.

  • Creation of the War Industries Board, which coordinated industrial production.

  • The Committee on Public Information, led by George Creel, produced propaganda promoting patriotism and support for the war.

The government also regulated food, fuel, and transportation to support the war effort.

3. Workers and the War

War production created economic growth and job opportunities, especially in factories.

  • Labor unions gained recognition and membership grew.

  • The National War Labor Board mediated disputes between workers and employers.

However, labor activism was limited because strikes were discouraged during wartime.

4. The War and Civil Liberties

The war led to serious restrictions on civil liberties.

The government passed laws such as:

  • Espionage Act of 1917

  • Sedition Act of 1918

These laws punished anti-war speech and dissent. Socialist leader Eugene V. Debs was jailed for speaking against the war.

The American Protective League spied on suspected radicals and immigrants.

5. The War and Social Change

World War I brought major social changes:

Women

Women joined the workforce in greater numbers and supported the war effort. Their contributions helped push forward the movement for voting rights, leading to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920.

African Americans

Many African Americans moved from the rural South to northern cities in the Great Migration seeking industrial jobs.

Despite opportunities, racial tensions increased, leading to violence like the East St. Louis Race Riot.

6. Wilson’s Vision for Peace

Near the end of the war, Wilson proposed the Fourteen Points, which called for:

  • national self-determination

  • free trade

  • open diplomacy

  • creation of the League of Nations

Germany surrendered in 1918, ending the war.

7. The Treaty Fight

The Treaty of Versailles created the League of Nations, but many Americans feared it would drag the U.S. into future wars.

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led opposition in the Senate. Despite Wilson’s campaign to support the treaty, the Senate rejected it, and the United States never joined the League of Nations.

8. The Red Scare

After the war, fear of radical political movements grew, especially after the Russian Revolution.

This fear led to the First Red Scare:

  • government raids against suspected radicals

  • mass arrests and deportations led by A. Mitchell Palmer

Overall theme of Chapter 19:
World War I expanded the power of the federal government, reshaped American society, and raised major questions about democracy, civil liberties, and the United States’ role in global affair