In the Palmetto State, like elsewhere in the country, the call for all to support the United States’ interest in the war began before April 6, 1917. In the few days before President Wilson declared war on Germany, Americans knew that the United States’ entry in the war was inevitable. Wilson had long advocated neutrality, yet the American media sensationalized the war, influenced by propaganda steadily streaming from Britain, France and Belgium. The methods for distributing the propaganda utilized by the United States government were diverse and included newspapers, music, posters, advertisements, film and educational materials.

Such a wide range of propaganda allowed the government’s position in the war effort to infiltrate the consciousness of all Americans. South Carolina, like other states, was not immune to the steady stream of messages issued by the government and used to raise the financial and military support needed to enter what would become the Great War. Although the South was still considered of little importance regarding political opinions following the aftermath of the Civil War, Southerners of every race and religion were in fact eager to know where the United States stood regarding the war.