question for historians, what would Jefferson had done about..?

[tnvoter]

...our merchant ships getting attacked by German uboats - that supposedly irked us enough to get us involved and declare war on Germany.

This is the explanation I was given anyways.. I know there's more to it.. but if this were exactly the reason what do you think Jefferson would have done?

 

[torchbearer]

He would have heeded the warning from germany, not ignore it.
Germany even warned through advertisement in america that it would sink any of our vessels in their waters.
Plus, Jeffereson wouldn't have been shipping supplies to help one side of the other, thus, there would have been no reason to sink our ships.

 

[tnvoter]

He would have heeded the warning from germany, not ignore it.
Germany even warned through advertisement in america that it would sink any of our vessels in their waters.
Plus, Jeffereson wouldn't have been shipping supplies to help one side of the other, thus, there would have been no reason to sink our ships.

So you think he wouldn't have declined aiding either side? & Staying out of trade with nations at war would be a common policy of our founders? I'm asking because I'm really just curious, like, what did Switzerland do?

 

[torchbearer]

So you think he wouldn't have declined aiding either side? & Staying out of trade with nations at war would be a common policy of our founders? I'm asking because I'm really just curious, like, what did Switzerland do?

that was their recommendation.
Sending england supplies made us enemies of germany.

 

[Shed]

It's not exactly the same, but American merchant ships were attacked by the Barbary States during Jefferson's administration. Congress authorised Jefferson to send the new American military, without declaring war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War

Jefferson did indeed try to stop trade to influence other nation's behaviour. That said, it was a huge blunder, terribly unpopular, didn't work and made people poorer or turn to smuggling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embargo_Act_of_1807

Switzerland, to the best of my knowledge, traded with all nations throughout both wars and remained politically neutral.

 

[TCE]

There were even warnings by the Germans that they might sink a ship that exactly resembled the Lusitania. And yet, Wilson ignored it. The Lusitania was filled with ammo, which was why it sunk so easily. Germany was in the right with a lot of what they did.

 

[Aratus]

an easy equation --- thomas jefferson = william jenning bryan

think of wilson's sec of state as he seeks re-election. potuses can be politicians.

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigations/607_sabotage.html in good ole NYC, black tom island sits...