April 6, 1917: Following President Woodrow Wilson’s enthusiastic speech and recommendation from four days prior, the U.S. Congress declared war against Germany. This marked the official entrance of the United States into World War I and launched a reorganization of American society. As historian Christopher Capozzola writes, “America’s first world war marked an unprecedented mobilization of social institutions, human labor, and popular will. Obligations to employers, families, schools, and churches had generally been considered outside the state, even though the force of law often backed up personal responsibilities. Now, these private obligations were suddenly fundamental to war mobilization in a moment of crisis, prompting state intervention into American bedrooms, kitchens, and congregations, places where the federal government hadn’t always been before.” In a way, local identities and loyalties were forcefully replaced by national ones as the federal government demanded mobilization. Many Americans objected to this unprecedented government intervention in their lives.
Recommended reading to learn more:
Citations: Christopher Capozzola, Uncle Sam Wants You: World War I and the Making of the Modern American Citizen (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), 7-8, Kindle edition; “For the freedom of the world,” halftone photomechanical print (location unknown, c. December 21, 1918), https://lccn.loc.gov/2002716887.
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