Hello and welcome to this day, a history show from Radiotopia. My name is Jody Avergan.

It is 50 Weeks that shaped America, our series looking at some of the most fascinating and

consequential stories in American history, all part of marking 250 years of American history.

And this week, week 13, we go to April 1917, Washington, D.C.

One reporter noted that it was a, quote, soft, fragrant rain of early spring that was

enveloping the city that day, and President Woodrow Wilson spent the

morning playing golf. Then he had dinner with his family around 6.30 p.m. where he would later say

that they talked about everything but the grave matter at hand. And then around 8.20, a black

car pulls up in front of the White House, takes him over to Congress, where he delivered a

speech announcing that the United States would formally enter World War I. And that is the focus

of this week's series, the decision to enter the war, and what it said about how the U.S.

saw itself in the world, isolationism, a robust peace movement, Woodrow Wilson versus Teddy Roosevelt, and yes,

a lot of talk of, quote, America first. Here to discuss, as always, Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt

and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley. Hey there. Hello, Jody. Hey there. So before we really get

into this story in 30 seconds, and either of you can take this, can you please explain for our listeners the cause of World War I and how it really kicked off? And your time starts now. Well, look, they shot friends Vernon in. And then some stuff happened. And people lost their shit. And the entire continent collapsed into war. But you don't need more details of that. Pretty good. Yeah. Yeah, it's complicated. It is. There you go. I will confess that I listened to the rest of history's brilliant series. Their work is always brilliant, but they're brilliant, many, many part series on the outbreak of World War I. I think it came out last year. And I listened to it. I was riveted. And then at the end, I was like, I still don't really

get it. But maybe that's the point. But look, listeners, maybe we'll give you a little time right now

to go and brush up on the real causes of World War I. Because we're going to take a little

ad break and you can gather your notes and your research. And going into the break, let me remind

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