Question

this is a multi-part item.
which of the following statements best summarizes the central idea of woodrow wilsons speech?

• three years after the war had begun, president wilson made a speech to congress.
• on april 2, 1917, the president addressed congress, giving the speech you will read.
• four days after this speech, congress passed the war resolution that brought the united states into world war i.
• wilson used key terms with strong connotations to get his viewpoint across. he sought to make his argument clear to the audience.

wilsons war message to congress april 2, 1917
by woodrow wilson

as you read, highlight words with strong connotations that wilson uses to influence his audience to agree with

options:

• the united states must enter the war to protect its right to free trade.
• the central powers have declared war on the united states.
• the united states must act first or it will be attacked.
• the united states has no choice but to enter the war because of hostile actions by the germans.

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context and prompt

The prompt asks for the statement that best summarizes the central idea of Woodrow Wilson's war message to Congress on April 2, 1917.

Evaluate the options against historical evidence

• Option 1 focuses solely on free trade, which is too narrow.
• Option 2 is factually incorrect; Germany did not formally declare war on the US first.
• Option 3 suggests a preemptive strike, which does not align with Wilson's justification of responding to active hostile acts.
• Option 4 correctly identifies that the US was forced to enter the war due to hostile German actions (such as unrestricted submarine warfare).

Answer:

• (A) The United States must enter the war to protect its right to free trade.
• (B) The Central Powers have declared war on the United States.
• (C) The United States must act first or it will be attacked.
• (D) The United States has no choice but to enter the war because of hostile actions by the Germans. (Correct answer)