President Woodrow Wilson wanted the United States to stop using military force and economic pressure as a tool of foreign policy. He ended up imitating his Republican predecessors, however, by sending American troops into the Caribbean. Latin Americans came to resent his "moral imperialism" as much as they did Theodore Roosevelt's "Big Stick."
When war erupted in Europe in 1914, the United States declared neutrality. But British and French propaganda, American business interests, and German submarine warfare persuaded Americans to side with the Allies. An apparent conspiracy between Mexico and Germany against the United States and the sinking of four American merchant ships ended American neutrality. Congress declared war on Germany in April 1917.
Unprepared for war, Americans mobilized with incredible speed. The production of armaments became a top priority, and government agencies such as the War Industries Board reorganized the economy to supply them. Congress reinstated the draft and the government produced propaganda to influence public opinion. The government raised money for the war effort through collecting taxes and selling bonds.
In November 1918, when the balance of the war tipped in favor of the Allies, the Germans signed an armistice. The Allies, however, rejected most of Wilson's peace plan.
After the war, the United States experienced economic and social unrest, punctuated by strikes and race riots.
