Arguing over war. German submarines sank merchant ships engaged in what Americans viewed as peaceful trade and killed American passengers on British ocean liners, most notably the
Lusitania. As the war raged on in Europe, to many, including eventually President Wilson, the conflict became a matter of principles: whether to uphold the freedom of the seas, to make the world safe for democracy in the face of autocracy, or to establish a new world order ensuring permanent peace and governed by rational law. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917.
Sedition During World War I
Shortly after the United States entered World War I, the U.S. Congress passed several measures, ostensibly for the purpose of securing allied victory overseas and security at home. The Espionage Act of 1917 was designed to prevent sabotage to wartime equipment as well as willful acts that might aid the enemy or result in military insubordination. In 1918, this Act was extended through a se