U.S. Events during WWI

U.S. declares war on Germany: On April 2, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany, entering World War 1. The sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman note caused this action. A German U-boat sunk a British ship, killing numerous people- Americans included. The Zimmerman note contained a message from Germany's foreign secretary to a German ambassador in Mexico stating that if Mexico helped Germany fight, Germany would help Mexico regain their land that was taken by the United States. America entered the war as part of the Allied Powers. This would be the bloodiest war that America had ever seen; it would also change how Americans lived (rationing, women working, etc).

Connection Across Time: World War 1 helped determine how Americans functioned. For one thing, they were not too fond of Germany. This set up who they sided with for World War 2. Also, the Great War gave women a slow but sure start to gaining more rights. They showed their country that they could work and support their nation. Later, they would gain the right to vote. Without U.S. involvement in the war, the nation could function quite differently today.



First Woman Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives: On November 7, 1916, Jeannette Rankin, from Montana, was elected to the the House of Representatives. She was a Republican who also happened to be a pacifist. She was active in the fight for gaining women's suffrage. When the House had to vote whether or not to go to war against Germany, she was the only one who voted against it. Voting a woman to the House of Representatives was a big step for America.

Connection Across Time: Electing a woman to the House of Representatives, especially during a time of war, set America up for change- especially for women. Soon after Jeannette Rankin was elected, the 19th Amendment for women's suffrage was passed. Thanks to Jeannette, rights for women came sooner, and without her efforts they might not have come at all.