Reverend Mercer Johnston's Letter to His Father During the War, October 12, 1914

    Courtesy of Library of Congress, Johnston, Mercer G., "Mercer Green Johnston to His Father," 12 October 1914

    Description 

    Reverend Mercer Johnston was the rector of Trinity Church in Newark, New Jersey. In this letter to his father, Johnston expressed his strong opposition to Germany's role in the war and the desire to do what he could to "hasten Germany's day of judgment." Johnston wrote, "I could no more remain neutral towards the program that the Kaiser and his war party have put forth than I could remain neutral towards the program of His Satanic Majesty." Acknowledging that Johnston's sermons in favor of the Allies upset some of his German American parishioners and colleagues, the letter describes the divided sympathies among America's 100 million diverse people toward the warring nations.

    Transcript of Mercer Johnston's Letter to His Father During the War

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • Why would Reverend Mercer Johnston state that the German ideal and American ideal would be in violent conflict?
    • Thinking about the way Germany was characterized by Reverend Johnston in the letter, would not entering the war be an option? Why or why not?
    • According to Johnston, how should the United States interact with the rest of the world?

    Citation Information 

    Johnston, Mercer G., "Mercer Green Johnston to His Father," 12 October 1914. Courtesy of Library of Congress

    Close

    Navigation