The Library of Congress | |
Overview | Documents | |
By 1917, the Germans needed to take desperate action to stave off defeat. By renewing U-boat warfare in an attempt to cut off trade to Britain and by trying to get Mexico to declare war on the United States, Germany drew the United States into the war on the side of the Allies. War was declared on April 2. Within a few months, Americans were being drafted into the military. Others, including women who had never worked outside the home before, took jobs in factories producing supplies needed for the war effort. As you read the sources in this set, look for evidence of the different roles Americans played in the war effort, as well as the effects of the war on Americans' lives.
To find additional sources on this topic in
American Memory, you might use the
phrases World War One or The Great War, or look for specific subjects,
such as munitions plants or defense industries. |
|
The Library of Congress | American Memory | Contact us |
Last updated 09/26/2002 |