Pre-involvement
"America is too proud to fight"
- President Woodrow Wilson
The sinking of the Lusitania, an American passenger boat, pushed the United States to the brink of war. Prior to this event, which killed 128 civilians, America had been entirely neutral, desiring to stay out of the war for as long as possible. Afterwards, however, tensions rose to the breaking point.
Infuriation
The text of Germany's proposal of alliance with Mexico infuriated the U.S. Brimming with renewed nationalism, people across the U.S. pushed for war with Germany; a resolution that echoed in the following actions of the government.