Why did the US declare war on Germany in 1917? Include the following 3 factors in your essay: a)German Naval Policy b)American economic interests c)Wilson's idealism

Why did the United States enter World War I after more than a century of not being involved? Was it the big business of free trade, sinking of the Lusitania or the Zimmerman Note? Did Wall Street, American oil industry, and or the armament producers unnecessarily exaggerate the threat to American interests by saturating the airways with pro-British propaganda to force American entry into the war and give their businesses an enormous boost? Could it …

…The world must be made safe for democracy." Congress declared war on April 6, and Wilson signed the war declaration on April 7. America's entry into the Great War was its first major foray into international affairs and was a great testament to the vitality, strength and flexibility of the American democracy to have been able to adapt to such a change. References: http://spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk http://sparknotes.com http://www.bookrags.com/biography/thomas-woodrow-wilson/