Wilson and FDR: Comparing U.S. Foreign Policy in World Wars I and II
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Learning Objectives
I can analyze multiple primary sources to evaluate the foreign policy decisions of President Woodrow Wilson and President Franklin Roosevelt
I can identify historical claims and support them with specific evidence from documents
I can answer Regents-style short-response questions using direct evidence and reasoning
Standards
NYS Social Studies Framework 11.7a, 11.7b
C3 Framework D2.His.5.9-12, D2.His.16.9-12
Hess DOK Level 4: Compare policies across time periods, synthesize information from multiple sources, justify claims with evidence
Materials
Warm-Up Prompt
DBQ Packet: Wilson and FDR Foreign Policy (Student Version)
Document-by-Document Short Answer Question Set
Vocabulary and Context Chart
Exit Ticket
FFW (5 min, 10 sentences): Why might presidents in two different wars make different decisions about when and how to enter a conflict? What factors might affect those choices?
Historical Context
Today we begin analyzing a Regents-style DBQ. Our focus is on two presidents: Woodrow Wilson during World War I and Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. You will examine multiple documents and answer short response questions about how their foreign policies evolved in times of global conflict.
Vocabulary
Word | Definition | Example in Today’s Context |
Neutrality | Staying out of conflict or war | The U.S. declared neutrality at the start of both world wars |
Intervention | Becoming involved, especially in foreign conflict | FDR’s support of the Allies before Pearl Harbor was a form of intervention |
Diplomacy | Managing relationships between countries through negotiation | Wilson used diplomacy to delay entry into World War I |
Isolationism | A national policy of avoiding political or economic entanglements | Many Americans supported isolationism in the 1930s |
War Powers | Legal authority a president uses in time of war | FDR cited war powers after Pearl Harbor to mobilize the U.S. military |
Primary Source Document Analysis (Documents 1 and 2)
Students read and annotate Document 1 and Document 2 using margin annotation guide.
DBQ Document 1 – Woodrow Wilson: Message to Congress (April 2, 1917)
Source: Congressional Record, National Archives
“The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind. It is a war against all nations. American ships have been sunk, American lives taken, in ways that are in violation of the dictates of right and of humanity.
With a profound sense of the solemn and even tragic character of the step I am taking, I advise that the Congress declare the recent course of the Imperial German Government to be in fact nothing less than war against the government and people of the United States.”
DBQ Document 2 – Franklin Roosevelt: Fireside Chat (December 29, 1940)
Source: Roosevelt Presidential Library
“We must be the great arsenal of democracy. For us, this is an emergency as serious as war itself.
We will not send American boys into foreign wars, but we must supply those who are fighting for freedom with the tools to do the job. The Nazi threat is a danger to the Western Hemisphere and to our own national security.”
Short Answer Response: Document 1
Prompt (from Regents-style DBQ packet): According to President Wilson, why did the United States decide to enter World War I?
Students write a one-paragraph short response (8 - 10 sentences) with at least one direct quote and explanation (analysis). Must use vocabulary and write an accurate interpretation of the claim.
Short Answer Response: Document 2
Prompt (from Regents-style DBQ packet): According to President Roosevelt, what was the U.S. foreign policy position before officially entering World War II?
Students complete this second short response (8 - 10 sentences) with at least one direct quote and explanation (analysis). Must use vocabulary and write an accurate interpretation of the claim.
Comparative Discussion
Let us look at how these two presidents faced global war. One asked Congress to declare war. The other gave support without formally entering. What is one similarity and one difference between Wilson and Roosevelt’s arguments?
Share out
Exit Ticket
FFW (5 min, 10 sentences): Which president—Wilson or Roosevelt—made a stronger argument for their foreign policy decision? WHY? Use one quote from today’s DBQ documents to support your answer.