Library of Congress marks World War I entry
Image used in "Over There," sheet music composed by George M. Cohan.
The exhibition, opening April 4, examines the debates that surrounded U.S. engagement, the mobilization of the military and the impact of the war. Diaries tell the stories of soldiers -- including Gen. John J. Pershing, who lamented the failings of his unseasoned troops. The library also promises newly digitized footage unseen for the past century.
While much of Europe had been embroiled in the fighting since 1914, the U.S. did not enter until April 6, 1917. Four days earlier, on April 2, President Woodrow Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress and requested a declaration of war because: 1) Germany had conducted submarine warfare on merchant and passenger ships in the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; and 2) An intercepted message revealed that Germany had attempted to recruit Mexico into an alliance against the U.S.
Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I will be in the Southwest Gallery on the second floor of the library's Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. The exhibition is set to remain until January 2019. A portion of the exhibit can be viewed online.
To know more:
- Library of Congress, exhibition overview, Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I.
- Our Documents.gov: Joint address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War against Germany, 1917.
- U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, U.S. Entry into World War I, 1917.
- The National Archives: The Zimmermann Telegram.
Related:
World War I, Day One, July 28, 1914
100 years ago: 5 reasons World War I started
How the first world war got its name
World War I art sought to sway opinion
Belated World War I soldiers honored
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