this is why the lusitania is important. it is not important because it gets america into the war, it does not. is important because this is a moment in woodrow wilson draws a line in the sand and says to germany, you step over this line, it is highly likely that there will be hostilities. we are neutral nation, we can do what we want. freedom of the seas, baby. we can go where we want, trade with whom we want. that is our right. neutrality means we have the right that you have to respect. now, that is an interesting definition of neutrality. you may think neutrality means treat both sides equally or stay out of it. after 1915, what woodrow wilson is saying, neutrality is about the rights of neutral nations. that is what germany must respect. and germany will back off because they don't have enough u-boats to really do that much damage to american ships. they have got their hands full. they don't want america to come into the war. in 1917 they will change their mind. they go back to unconditional warfare and woodrow wilson h

in response to lusitania. it comes from an actual news report, a report of one of these women who washes up and they talk about her clutching her baby as she washes up on the shore. and now we have something tangible about american lives being lost that connects to british propaganda about atrocities committed by the german army in belgium. that is the idea that uniquely children from german barbarians, which is at the heart of german propaganda movement, now has resonance in the united states as applied to us as well, ok? but the debate is not over in 1915. if we look at this one, we can see the debate is going to go on. for every person that says, look, this is the truth about germany as if we need more. there will be other people that will keep reading this drum. they put munitions on the ship. supplies, you could potentially get shot or attack. you were warned not to do it. this is your own individual responsibility right, right? this will make a difference for woodrow wilson, when he decides to go to war

you had german submarine warfare, that probably the most infamous incident, the lusitania, when the germans fired on a british ship carrying many americans. they were killed, the germans said it was because they were carrying ammunitions, and it turns out they were, but that was hugely controversial. submarine warfare had been restricted for a while. in early 1917, the germans open unrestricted submarine warfare again. that is one of the reasons the united states begins to mobilize the war. it is one of wilson's issues. remind me the second part of the question. susan: i can't because i did not write it down. i am sorry to that caller. we will move on. thomas: it was about conscientious objectors. beverly: right, they were very controversial in this moment. but it is the beginning of a national conversation about conscientious objecting. you have that conversation before, particularly in terms of quakers earlier on, but who gets to be a conscientious objector, whether it is religious, political identity, how you would make those distinctions is a big issue in world war i. susan: next is sam

her propeller was used in many warships and liners, including the scandinavian and the lusitania. received a869, she united states patent for her method of construction for screw propellers. her propeller allowed ships to go faster with less fuel, less .ibration, and better steering the civil war changed the fields of military surgery and orthopedics. the powerful, destructive, and more accurate weapons of this conflict did more damage to the human body than ever before, resulting in not only more injuries but injuries of a more critical nature. beginning in 1862, the federal government provided money to union amputees with which to purchase artificial limbs. amputees were given $50 for an .rm and $75 for a leg in the state of north carolina, resolution was passed in 1866 to begin a program similar to a federal one to supply legs to .onfederate veterans the state of north carolina contracted to supply artificial legs to its amputees. the leg that was supplied was an artificial leg, pat number 35,686. this is the actual patent model for the artificial leg that ended up being given