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Declaration of War Against Germany

Black and white photograph of a full House Chamber with President Woodrow Wilson speaking from the rostrum/tiles/collection/4/49312.xml
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Reverse of photograph with caption reading, “Memories of World War I. On April 6, 1942, the United States observed the 25th anniversary of its entrance into the first World War. Today, a quarter of a century after taking up arms on what we vowed would and must be a final struggle to assure perpetuation of our way of life, we are plunged into an even more bloody, more desperate conflict over substantially the same issues. Here are scenes from the first World War, a poignant and bitter comparison with today’s scenes. President Wilson addresses Congress April 2, 1917 asking for a declaration of war against Germany. On April 6 the resolution was voted.” “World War I” is circled and handwritten text reads, “history.”/tiles/collection/4/49311.xml
Download this image
Black and white photograph of a full House Chamber with President Woodrow Wilson speaking from the rostrum
Reverse of photograph with caption reading, “Memories of World War I. On April 6, 1942, the United States observed the 25th anniversary of its entrance into the first World War. Today, a quarter of a century after taking up arms on what we vowed would and must be a final struggle to assure perpetuation of our way of life, we are plunged into an even more bloody, more desperate conflict over substantially the same issues. Here are scenes from the first World War, a poignant and bitter comparison with today’s scenes. President Wilson addresses Congress April 2, 1917 asking for a declaration of war against Germany. On April 6 the resolution was voted.” “World War I” is circled and handwritten text reads, “history.”
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Date

1917-04-02

Maker

Acme Newspictures, Inc.

Dimensions

7 x 9 in. (17.8 x 22.9 cm)

Accession Number

PA2011.07.0016

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

President Woodrow Wilson addressed a Joint Session of Congress on April 2, 1917, to ask for a declaration of war against Germany. Debate lasted for several days, ending on April 6 in a 373-50 vote to enter the war. Jeannette Rankin, sworn in as the first woman in Congress just four days earlier, voted against intervening in the war, stating, “I want to stand by my country—but I cannot vote for war.”

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov