USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Unprepared and unwilling to be drawn into a European conflict, the United States sought to protect its interests by remaining neutral in the war in Europe. Simultaneously, the United States relied on trade with both France and the British Empire as a vital driver of economic growth.

Detailed explanation-2: -When war broke out in Europe, the United States immediately declared its neutrality. President Woodrow Wilson stated that America must be “impartial in thought as well as in action.” For a century, the U.S. had stayed out of European affairs. Most Americans preferred to continue this policy.

Detailed explanation-3: -The United States wanted to remain neutral because after WWI, most European nations refused to pay their debts. Because arms factories made so much money during the war, many Americans felt they had steered the country into war. The U.S. tried to remain neutral, but the British needed help.

Detailed explanation-4: -The best policy, they claimed, was for the United States to build up its own defenses and avoid antagonizing either side. Neutrality, combined with the power of the US military and the protection of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, would keep Americans safe while the Europeans sorted out their own problems.

Detailed explanation-5: -The British as well as the French ignored U.S. neutrality claims and seized American merchant ships.