The inquiry-based lesson plan featured below addresses the supporting question "What led to the decision to fight?" and asks students to consider why the U.S. government decided to move from a position of neutrality to active participation in WWI as well as how American citizens felt about the war in Europe and President Wilson's choice to enter into the war:
President Wilson's decision to enter World War I after nearly three years of trying to keep the U.S. out of the war was a difficult decision that he did not make entirely on his own and a course of action that he did not take lightly; this decision is regarded as a major turning point in U.S. foreign relations. Click on the image of President Wilson on the left to learn more about the dilemma he faced and the factors that led up to this decision. Click on the buttons below to access additional resources regarding this pivotal moment in U.S. history as well as primary sources about U.S. entry into and participation in WWI.
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The illustration on the right shows the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, after it was torpedoed by a German submarine. Over 1,100 passengers were killed, including 123 Americans. Click on the image to learn more about how this incident eventually contributed to the U.S. decision to enter WWI. Click on the button below to read an Evening Ledger article (1915) about the sinking of the Lusitania.
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Even before the arrival of U.S. troops in 1917, Americans volunteered in Europe to help with the Allied war effort. To learn more about the role of American volunteers in WWI, click on the button below.
Click on the image below to access resources provided by the National Council for the Social Studies for teaching different perspectives on WWI using music from the Library of Congress' National Jukebox.
To listen to "I Didn't Raise My Boy to be a Soldier" (1915), click on the YouTube link below. To learn more about other songs of the Peace Movement of WWI, click on the following Library of Congress link: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197516
Access more resources about opposition to WWI, both in North Carolina and throughout the United States, by clicking on the button below.
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To learn more about women as peace activists before and during the United States' involvement in WWI, click on the photograph above.
Pictured above is Addie Daniels, NC native whose family was directly impacted by the decision to enter WWI. She took an active role in supporting families during the war through the YWCA and also promoted women's suffrage. Click on her photograph to learn more about her life and role during and after WWI.
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To read an article in the News & Observer about how the decision to enter WWI divided North Carolina, click here.
Click on the button below to learn about the draft that was enacted during WWI and the experiences of "doughboys" once they reached Europe and were in the midst of the war.
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To learn about how propaganda was used in WWI, click on the poster above. To access a gallery of propaganda posters, click on the button below.
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Click on the photo above to learn about Camp Greene in Charlotte, NC, the site of a military training camp during WWI.