State Historical Society of Iowa

"We Pledge...Our Undivided Support," December 14, 1917

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, "We Pledge…Our Undivided Support," December 14, 1917

Description

At a contentious 1915 American Federation of Labor (AFL) trade union convention, labor leader Samuel Gompers proclaimed to a fractious audience, "I am a pacifist . . . and I had hoped that we would get away from the war idea." Yet from 1915 forward, the AFL's labor policies hewed closely to those of the Wilson administration's foreign policy. Gompers aligned the AFL with Wilson, promoted preparedness, and was appointed to the pre-war Council of National Defense. The AFL's support for the war led to enormous growth in membership and political influence but also sparked equally vociferous dissent within the larger labor movement. For Wilson's part he shifted his stance on labor during the war effort and became the first President to speak to the AFL during the opening day of the conference where this resolution was presented.

Source Dependent Questions

  • How does Samuel Gompers justify the war effort in his proclamation? How does this proclamation corroborate ideas shown in "Go Over the Top" to show a popular belief held by US laborers?Use evidence from the sources.
  • In his proclamation how does Gompers address restrictions of human rights in the United States? How was this different from Eugene V. Debs Canton Ohio speech?
  • According to the speech, how has the war influenced what American values it upholds such as democracy?

Citation Information

Samuel Gompers to Woodrow Wilson, December 14, 1917. Woodrow Wilson Papers, Manuscript. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress