Yes.
New Ulm residents rallied in 1917 against the United States’ impending intervention in World War I.
Leaders in the southern Minnesota city, founded by German immigrants, urged peace with Germany at the March 30 event. The U.S. declared war on Imperial Germany on April 6.
Another rally, in July, drew a reported 8,000 New Ulm area residents. This event revolved around the constitutionality of the military draft as residents feared it would send Minnesotans of German descent overseas to fight German relatives.
The war intensified anti-German sentiment. A newly established state agency, the Minnesota Commission of Public Safety, had been surveilling New Ulm for war dissent.
Gov. J.A.A. Burnquist ultimately removed New Ulm’s mayor and city attorney from office for public statements they made about the draft. Both city officials later returned to their positions.
MinnPost partners with Gigafact to produce Fact Briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- Minnesota Historical Society New Ulm Military Draft Meeting, 1917
- New Ulm Turner Hall WWI Remembrance Day
- Minnesota Historical Society Anti-German Nativism, 1917–1919
- MinnPost 100 years ago, a declaration of war launched an era of civil liberties suppression in Minnesota
The post Did New Ulm residents rally in opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I? appeared first on MinnPost.
MinnPost is a nonprofit online newspaper in Minneapolis, founded in 2007, with a focus on Minnesota news.
Last updated from