In the early years of the 20th century, America, a young nation on the rise, found itself caught between the tides of tradition and transformation. It was an era of unprecedented change, a time when the United States stood on the brink of becoming a global power. As the landscape of industry, culture, and society shifted dramatically within its borders, across the Atlantic, dark clouds gathered. The Great War, later known as World War I, was raging in Europe, a conflict so vast and destructive it threatened to engulf the entire world. 

The United States, a land built on ideals of freedom and liberty, championed a policy of neutrality, maintaining an ocean's length from the European power struggle. The American public, weary from their own battles on the home front, were disinterested in the far-off war. However, the tides of conflict were ever encroaching, and events were aligning that would pull America from the sidelines and onto the world stage in a dramatic fashion.

President Woodrow Wilson, who had successfully campaigned for re-election under the banner "He kept us out of war," was now wrestling with the enormity of a decision that could alter the course of world history. With the sinking of the Lusitania and the revelation of the Zimmermann Telegram, the country's isolationist stance was under siege. 

In the chapters that follow, we explore this pivotal moment in history - April 6, 1917, the day the United States declared war on Germany and formally entered World War I. We delve into the intricacies of this decision, the key figures and events leading up to it, the consequences it had on the battlefield, and the profound impact it left on American society and the world order.

So, come, journey back to a time of valor and sacrifice, of tumultuous change and enduring spirit, to discover how a country, reluctant to partake in a global conflict, emerged as a beacon of hope in a war-torn world. As we walk through the annals of history, we witness the extraordinary transformation of the United States, from a nation on the periphery of global affairs to a decisive participant that would shape the course of the 20th century. This is the story of America's entry into World War I.