History 1BB3: America and the World: The Twentieth Century

Dr. Stephen M. Streeter

McMaster University, Winter 2002

 

Tutorial 1

Evaluating Primary Sources: Opposition to U.S. Intervention in World War I

Introduction:

Primary sources constitute the raw material that historians use to construct stories about the past. Secondary sources are books and essays written by scholars who interpret primary sources to make history meaningful. Scholarly monographs and essays contain footnotes or endnotes where authors indicate where they obtained their information. Textbooks usually dispense with detailed documentation in the main text and provide only a bibliography at the end of each chapter. Throughout these tutorials it is vital that you be aware of the kind of source you are reading. Before you start reading you should always make a mental note of the author and the date the account was written. By learning to read historical sources critically you will be in a much better position to develop your own perspective on the past.

This tutorial uses primary sources to explore the views of those Americans who opposed U.S. entry into World War I. The background reading reviews events that helped propel the United States into the war. Primary source 1 is an edited version of President Wilson's speech to Congress asking for a declaration of war against Germany. The appearance of ellipses [...] in the text indicates that the editor has omitted parts of the original speech. (The omission of burdensome text helps reduce the size of the document for impatient students who want to get to the point!) Primary sources 2 through 4 sample the perspectives of progressives, socialists, and anarchists who spoke out publicly against the war.

Background Reading:

Melvin Small, "Woodrow Wilson and U.S. Intervention in World War I" in Modern American Diplomacy, pp. 25-39

Primary Sources:

1. Wilson's War Message (2 April 1917)
2. Socialist Party Convention: The Socialists Protest the War (7-14 April 1917)
3. Robert La Follette: A Progressive Opposes the Declaration of War (1917)
4. Emma Goldman, "Preparedness, the Road to Universal Slaughter" (10 December 1915)

Discussion Questions:

1. How does President Wilson justify going to war with Germany?
2. How do opponents of the war differ with Wilson? With each other?
3. If so many citizens opposed U.S. intervention in World War I, then how come the U.S. Congress voted overwhelmingly to declare war on Germany?
   

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