Declaration of War — World War I
🏛️ House of Representatives
373-50
🏛️ Senate
82-6
📝 Details
Jeannette Rankin (R-MT), the first woman in Congress, voted no. She later voted against WWII — the only member to vote against both. The House vote came at 3:12 AM. Senator Robert La Follette (R-WI) led the opposition, delivering a 4-hour speech against the war.
📖 Historical Context
Wilson had won reelection in 1916 on the slogan 'He kept us out of war.' Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram (proposing a German-Mexican alliance against the US) turned public opinion. Wilson asked Congress for war to 'make the world safe for democracy.'
⚡ Consequences
116,516 Americans killed, 204,002 wounded. The war cost $380 billion (2024 dollars). Wilson's Fourteen Points and League of Nations failed when the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles. The Espionage and Sedition Acts criminalized anti-war speech — 2,000+ prosecuted, including Eugene Debs. The punitive peace planted seeds for WWII.
👤 Key Figures
- ▸Woodrow Wilson — President who reversed his neutrality stance
- ▸Jeannette Rankin (R-MT) — First woman in Congress, voted no
- ▸Robert La Follette (R-WI) — Led Senate opposition with a 4-hour speech
- ▸George Norris (R-NE) — Senator who voted no, called it a war for profit
- ▸Eugene Debs — Socialist leader imprisoned for anti-war speech