In the book, America's Great War: World War I and the American Experience, Robert H. Zieger discusses the events between 1914 through 1920 forever defined the United States in the Twentieth Century. When conflict broke out in Europe in 1914, the President, Woodrow Wilson, along with the American people wished to remain neutral. In the beginning of the Twentieth Century United States politics was still based on the "isolationism" ideals of the previous century. The United States did not wish to be involved in European politics or world matters. The U.S. goal was to expand trade and commerce throughout the world and protect the borders of North America.
The American belief at the beginning of the war was that it would be short conflict …show more content…

Woman abandoned their traditional domestic jobs and went to work in factories and for the military. With this also came discrimination from employers, co-workers and even the government. The status-quo of women's role in America was altered and no-one necessarily knew how to deal with it. Although this would set in motion the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) which would give women the right to vote.
The Civil War had been over for nearly fifty years, but African-Americans were still segregated and discriminated against. The war introduced the same new job opportunities for African-Americans but did not bring greater equality. Tensions also mounted over African-Americans asked to fight for a government that would not fight for them. As the war prompted for greater African-American involvement it was not enough to strengthen race relations.
As the war neared its end Wilson's vision of the end of war and world peace was prophetic. Wilson knew that the Great War needed to end the previous European alliance system that drew the nations into war. He also knew that handling the Central Powers a defeat but not a crushing blow would be the catalyst of democracy. The "Fourteen Points" that he presented to Congress would embrace all these ideals along with his greatest idea, a League of Nations.
On November 11, 1918, Germany agreed to an Armistice based on Wilson's Fourteen Points. While Wilson