President Woodrow Wilson's Speech Against Declaration Of World War I: George W. Norris

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany he stated that, “The world must be made safe for democracy.”(172) Four days later, Congress voted in favor of a war declaration. One of the men that opposed the declaration of war on Germany was George W. Norris; In George Norris' "Speech Against Declaration of War," he thought it was in America's best interest to stay neutral in World War I. His speech was for those Americans who were against the choice that the United States made to enter the war.

In George W. Norris Speech He felt that the reason America entering the war would be for its own profit, not for principles. His point of view was that America had the right to declare itself as a neutral

In 1915, a U-boat torpedoed the Lusitania, the merchant ship that was likely carrying military cargo was shot down and killing 128 Americans citizens. Wilson told Germany to stop, they said they would end attacks on merchant ships, but then again in a different situation, on March 1916 a German attacked a French owned ferry. Woodrow Wilson, demanded that Germany stop attacking passenger ships. Wilson also tried to resolve the problems in settlements but one was never met. In January 1917 Germany announced it would destroy all ships heading to Britain. America was still hoped to avoid war by arming vessels. Germany began sinking American ships immediately. In February 1917, British gave the United States government a decoded telegram from Germany's foreign minister, a man by the name of Zimmerman that had been intercepted on route to the ambassador to Mexico. The Telegram offered Mexico the portions of the Southwest it had lost to the United States if it only joined the Central Power. Wilson tried his best to not join the war but he felt as if he couldn’t find any other option so on April 2nd 1917 he asked congress for a declaration of war and four days later war was