Primary Documents - Formal U.S. Declaration of War with Germany, 6 April 1917
U.S. President
Woodrow
Wilson outlined the case for declaring war upon Germany in a
speech to
the joint houses of Congress on 2 April 1917.
The text below is the formal declaration of war which followed four days later, on 6 April 1917.
Click here to read France's reaction to the U.S. decision to enter the war; click here to read Germany's; click here to read Britain's.
Joint Resolution Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.
Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America; Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.
CHAMP CLARK
Speaker of the House of Representatives
THOS. R. MARSHALL
Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate
Approved, April 6, 1917
WOODROW WILSON
Source: Source Records of the Great War, Vol. V, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923
A cartwheel was a particular type of aerial manoeuvre.
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