World War 1 Informative Essay

World War 1

        In Europe, in 1914, World War 1 erupted. For three years straight, Americans debated over if the United States should or should not have been involved in the war. In 1917, America joined the Allies. Americans protested against America’s involvement. As a result, the U.S. government launched a dominant campaign to win support for the war effort. World War 1 affected many Americans at home. World War 1 was known as The Great War. It had many positive points as well as negative points.

        World War 1 had many clear-cut points of going to war. As stated Document 2, “wake up, America! Civilization calls for every man, woman, and child!”  The woman in this poster represents Uncle Sam (United States). The main message of this poster is for Americans to support the war effort instead of being lazy. The reason why America did not enter the war was because President Woodrow Wilson felt that “we have no quarrel with the German people. We have no feelings toward them but one sympathy and friendship. It was not upon their impulse that their government acted in entering the war.” President Woodrow Wilson had sympathy and friendship with the German people. However, by 1917, USA had no choice but to enter the war.  However, it felt that it was the Government of Germany to enter the war and put the people of Germany at risk. President Wilson wanted to go to war so that he can free the people of Germany from risking their lives and to fight for peace of the Germans.

On the other hand, World War 1 had many unfavorable points about going to war. According to Document 9, it states, “their object in having war … is to make money.” It also says, “we are going into war upon the command of gold….” Senator George Norris did not want the U.S. to go into World War 1 because he believed the war was all about making money. Senator Robert La Follette does not want the U.S. to enter World War 1. He did not want the U.S. to go to war because the rich decide to go to war or not and the “the poor, Sir, who are the ones called upon to rot in trenches, have no organized power, have no press to voice their will upon this question of peace or war….” As stated in Document 10. Clearly, there was on support for war.

World War 1 had affected many Americans at home. According to Document 4, it says, “food will win the war. You came here seeking Freedom. You must now help to preserve it. Wheat is needed for the Allies. Waste nothing.” This World War 1 poster is targeting marketers and American families. The U.S. Food Administration wanted Americans to save the food that they want to throw out. This affected Americans at home because they had to keep food that they did not want as well as, eat as little as possible. This was because the Allies need food in order to gain could gain energy and preserve the freedom that the U.S. had. Another reason that families were affected was because they no longer had freedom of speech. Document 6A says that whoever prints, writes, or says anything bad about the form government of the United States, the Constitution of the United States, or the flag of the United States will be fined or sent to jail from the Sedition Act in 1918. The freedoms that were suspended by the Sedition Act were Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press. Congress passed the Sedition Act in 1918 to protect the U.S. The Sedition Act affected many Americans at home because they were not allowed to have Freedom of Speech or Freedom of Press that was against the U.S.