The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People was formed on February 12th, 1909. It was formed due to the horrific events of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield. They were horrified by the violence against Blacks, a group of white liberals called for a meeting to discuss racial justice. Approximately 60 people, 7 of whom were African Americans, signed the call which was released on the centennial of Lincoln’s birth. The NAACP’s primary goal was to secure for all people the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution, which had promised to end slavery, the equal protection of the law and universal adult male suffrage, respectively. They wanted to secure political, educational, …show more content…
the US government, led by President Woodrow Wilson, adopted a policy of neutrality with the support of most Americans. However, given the multicultural origins of the US society, responses were expected to be mixed. The USA would undoubtedly benefit financially by lending money to all the belligerents and selling weapons and essential supplies. The US industry benefited from the war.
By 1917, it had become impossible for the US to keep its neutral position, even though farming and industry had enjoyed an unprecedented boom from the war. When Wilson & Congress made the decision to support Allied cause and entered the war, there was a mixed response from the public. The war proved to be short but destructive for the USA, and it bittered the families of the men who had gone to fight.
African American Soldiers
African Americans saw the war as an opportunity for greater equality in the United States. They believed that it would be insincere for the US to fight for democracy yet treat African Americans as inferior. Some black americans were hesitant to support a ‘hypocritical’ cause, but most saw the war as a way to demonstrate their patriotism and place as equal citizens of the US. Black political leaders believed that if black people sacrificed for their country, the government had to grant them greater civil