World War 1 Dbq

President Wilson addressed congress in 1917 to seek declaration of war against Germany in order to make "the world safe for democracy". Although, Wilson's words indicate that democracy was a crucial factor for American entry into War World I, the notion of American ideals of democracy were challenged by American women's demand to vote.
The United States was at first natural about War World I, the neutrality lasted for three staggering years. However, two events embarked a reaction from the United States. Firstly, German aggression against American ships which triggered a shift of the government and public minds "but after Germany started sinking American ships with unrestricted submarine warfare in January of 1917, and after the Zimmerman

Telegram suggested that Germany might threaten US homeland security, public opinion began to shift in favor of war"(Gendzel, Section1). Despite the fact that public opinion was in favor of war, Wilson feared that the American public wasn't committed to the war effort, therefore the Committee on Public Information (CPI) emerged. The CPI worked to portray the war as a battle of democracy, and freedom in the form of Anti-German campaign, and propaganda “The result was a rather crude but effective anti-German campaign conducted throughout the nation by 75,000 public speakers and by mass distribution of books, pamphlets, newspaper columns, billboards, posters, and silent films"(Gendzel, Section1).

In the posters, the Germans are displayed as barbaric, and blood thirsty, and the American soldiers are portrayed as heroic and saviors of democracy.
Although American women weren’t recruited for war, they played a vital role as they showed their patriotism and support of the war in the form of working in male oriented jobs such as factories, farms, and in offices. Additionally, they volunteered as nurses, and bought war bonds. During the era of War World I, the women suffrage movement which started in 1848, took advantage of Wilson’s stand on war, and actively fought for their rights by challenging traditional ideals of democracy. The women suffrage movement started long before the war in 1848. President Wilson was initially against the suffrage movement which caused the leaders of women suffrage to accuse him of hypocrisy as he advocated for democracy They had chained themselves to the White House fence and, when arrested, staged hunger strikes in order to shame a president who claimed to fight for democracy”(Gendzel, Section2). In January 11, 1917, suffragists started a protest at the white house, and held banners that asked

“Mr.

President, What Will You Do for Woman Suffrage?” The white house response was to ignore the protesters “At the White House it was said that it was the purpose to ignore the presence of the pickets. The White House police, supposedly acting under orders, merely smiled when they approached the sentinels"(President Ignores Suffrage Pickets, NY Times, Jan 11, 1917). Protests wasn't the only tactic suffragists used, some suffragists went as far as going on hunger strikes. The most notable is suffragist leader, Alice Paul "Alice Paul, National Chairman for the Woman’s Party, now doing a seven months’ sentence in jail here for picketing the White House, has gone on a hunger strike, and tonight she had been in the jail hospital without food for the preceding twenty-four hours, stolidly threatening to starve herself to death unless her six companions, serving time for the same offense, got

better food"(Miss Alice Paul on Hunger Strike, NY Times, November7, 1917). Carrie Chapman Catt, a woman's suffragist leader speech before congress used democracy as a main argument for women's rights. Chapman highlighted the double standards of American principals at the time, principals that believed in representation of the tasked, however ignored the other half of the population that was composed of women “Behold our Uncle Sam floating the banner with one hand, "Taxation without representation is tyranny," and with the other seizing the billions of dollars paid in taxes by women to whom he refuses "representation" Carrie Chapman Catt, “Speech Before Congress on Women’s Suffrage” (speech, 1917). Suffragists used the fighting for democracy in War World I to help promote their cause fighting for democracy in the United States illustrated in a historical parade. In October 28, 1917, 20, 0000 suffragists held a parade that was filled with patriotism for American troops with thousands of women carrying service flags as an indication that a male family member fought for the war. The parade theme was the patriotism of American women, their sacrifices and contributions to the war, and an argument that a country fighting for democracy abroad, should establish democracy at home first. Banners of women's financial support of the war were displayed at the parade" A banner stating that the Woman Suffrage party had subscribed the $7,053,400 to the second Liberty Loan was evidence of one of the patriotic contributions of women."(20 0000 March in Suffrage Line, NY Times, October 28, 1917). Banners also quoted Wilson's favor for democracy, and that US allies supported women's rights to vote “Our allies, England, France, and Russia, are for Woman Suffrage. Wake Up, America!” were the words on two of the banners” (20 0000 March in Suffrage Line, NY Times, October 28, 1917) .Although the parade signified the values that American women’s rights activists held, American women weren’t given the right to vote until thirty women almost died of starvation, and the government couldn’t afford to feed them “It would not afford to feed thirty women forcibly and risk the social and political consequences; nor could it let thirty women starve themselves to death”(Doris Stevens, 1920). War World I slowed the women’s suffrage movement, however, it served their cause, and led to the historical 19th amendment as American women’s contribution to the war convinced the public, and eventually president Wilson to support their right to vote.