A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : Coded Zimmerman Telegram National Archives and Records Administration Decoded Zimmerman Telegram National Archives and Records Administration Text of Zimmerman Telegram Brigham Young University Library: World War I Document Archive Political Cartoon of Zimmerman Telegram Incident Rutland (Vermont) Public Schools: "World War I Cartoons" President Wilson's War Message to Congress Brigham Young University Library: World War I Document Archive These grouped resources deal with the final stages of American abandonment of neutrality in World War I. While the refusal of Germany to abate her submarine warfare was the most significant reason that President Wilson decided the United States must join the fight, the incident of the Zimmerman telegram was, in effect, the "last straw" for American public opinion. Students can trace Wilson's thinking in his eloquent "War Message to Congress." Students can examine the text of the telegram side-by-side with the cartoon, either on a computer or an overhead. The students can answer the following questions in a journal entry or a discussion: a) Why is this telegram threatening to the United States? b) How is the threat represented in the cartoon? c) Do you think the telegram was more threatening to the American government or the American public? d) Why do you think the American government made the information public? Students can work in groups and use the resources in this section (including the 'He Kept Us Out of War' sites, the U-Boat cartoons, the Zimmerman Telegram and Wilson's War Message) and any additional information from their text or lectures to create a PowerPoint presentation on the causes of United States involvement in WWI. The more comfortable the students are with PowerPoint, the better they will be able to incorporate the documents into their presentation.

(b) evaluating United States involvement in World War I, including Wilson's Fourteen Points, the Treaty of Versailles, and the national debate over treaty ratification and the League of Nations;

Coded Zimmerman Telegram
National Archives and Records Administration

Decoded Zimmerman Telegram
National Archives and Records Administration

Text of Zimmerman Telegram
Brigham Young University Library: World War I Document Archive

Political Cartoon of Zimmerman Telegram Incident
Rutland (Vermont) Public Schools: World War I Cartoons

President Wilson's War Message to Congress
Brigham Young University Library: World War I Document Archive

Description: These grouped resources deal with the final stages of American abandonment of neutrality in World War I. While the refusal of Germany to abate her submarine warfare was the most significant reason that President Wilson decided the United States must join the fight, the incident of the Zimmerman telegram was, in effect, the "last straw" for American public opinion. Students can trace Wilson's thinking in his eloquent "War Message to Congress."

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

Students can examine the text of the telegram side-by-side with the cartoon, either on a computer or an overhead. The students can answer the following questions in a journal entry or a discussion: a) Why is this telegram threatening to the United States? b) How is the threat represented in the cartoon? c) Do you think the telegram was more threatening to the American government or the American public? d) Why do you think the American government made the information public?

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

Students can work in groups and use the resources in this section (including the 'He Kept Us Out of War' sites, the U-Boat cartoons, the Zimmerman Telegram and Wilson's War Message) and any additional information from their text or lectures to create a PowerPoint presentation on the causes of United States involvement in WWI. The more comfortable the students are with PowerPoint, the better they will be able to incorporate the documents into their presentation.