World War I began in 1914 but America remained neutral until it entered the war in 1917. The sinking of the U-boats of the British ocean liner Lusitania in 1915 , the sinking of five American ships in 1917 and the “Zimmerman telegram” sent from Germany to Mexico led to America's declaration of war. America's involvement in World War I not only impacted the war front but also the home front. When America entered World War I in 1917, the United States government imposed many measures on its citizens. Some of these measures violated constitutional rights. The greatest measure inflicted on the American population was censorship. The formation of the Committee on Public Information (CPI) and the passage of the Espionage Act and the Sedition Amendment were major contributors. In April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson recruited George Creel to head the CPI, a government agency established to spread war propaganda to the country. The CPI defined patriotism as support for government policies, sacrifice for the good of the nation, and defense of the country from its enemies. Creel sought out the most talented and popular writers, artists, speakers and singers to help ignite patriotism in the hearts and minds of the American people. CPI propaganda used emotional appeal and demonization to win over Americans and promote patriotism. The success of the PCI's propaganda sparked great dissent against those who opposed the war. This has led to an ideology that any American who does not support war must be a traitor. Citizens took it upon themselves to impose patriotism on those accused of disloyalty. That application included wrapping a woman in a flag and deporting striking Arizona copper miners to New Mexico de...... middle of paper... to free speech. Works Cited Boyer, Paul S. et al. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, Volume II: Since 1865, 7th ed. (Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011, 2008), 682-692. Digital history. “America at War: World War I.” Last modified: April 4, 2011. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display_printable.cfm?HHID=531.Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, Library of Congress. "Loyalty." Gerard, James W. Accessed April 5, 2011. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/nfor:@field%28SUBJ+@od1%28World+War,+1914-1918-- Collaborationists --United States+%29%29#text.Snider, Christy Jo. “Patriots and Pacifists: The Rhetorical Debate over Peace, Patriotism, and Internationalism, 1914-1930,” Rhetoric & Public Affairs Volume 8, Number 1 (Spring 2005): 59-83, accessed July 19, 2010, doi: 10.1353/rap.2005.0048