why did america wait three years to enter world war 1?

The USA didn't see the first world war as a war which had anything to do with them - Americans saw it as a European war fought for European reasons. The Americans only entered the war when Germany contacted Mexico promising German support for Mexican attacks on the USA, and when a German submarine sunk a British ship, the Lusitania, which was carrying American civilians, of whom 128 died. Therefore, the USA entered the war.

Woodrow Wilson's plan for peace was based on his fourteen points - look them up. It was ultimately unsuccessful because it assumed that Europe would be ready for anit--Imperialism to set in, which it wasn't, and it made no provision for the rise of fascism.

The United States was not the only 'reluctant North American nation' to join in the World War I Fray. Canadians were asking the same question - especially when conscription came to be an issue.

One major difference was the United States had fought a war in recent history in which other nations had not been actively engaged and that was the Civil War. Much like the climate prior to World War II, the United States had citizenry ill-prepared to see more lives lost to war - especially a war 'way over there'.

While one cannot be too critical of Wilson's Peace Plans the major problem was he was an idealist who was well outnumbered by pragmatists at the Table. Others would probably scratch their heads trying to figure out what world Wilson resided in.

the united states had no real reason to enter the war at first. They supplied their allies with food and materials but many american citizens wanted U.S. to stay out of the war. There were two main things that changed their minds which were the sinking of the Lusitania and the zimmerman telegraph. (Lusitania was an american ship sunk by the germans, and the zimmerman telegraph was a letter sent by germany to mexico telling them if they attack United States they would give them land)

As for Wilson's 14 point plan i say it was way to lenient. It was basically a slap on the wrist. All it said to do was the land it took and let some countries become independent. The Treaty of Versailles was also very lenient but it WOULD have prevented Germany from starting another war if they had actually enforced the laws that they agreed to.

For a long time, Americans were divided about entering the war. President Wilson did not want to take a divided country into war. Also, American interests were not directly threatened at the beginning.

1. The US didn't have major political interests at stake initially.

2. US demographics were split, with near a quarter of Americans at that time being of German heritage

3. It's especially useful, when going to war, to have an army. The US had only a tiny force, nothing near the size of the European nations.

For the rest, you really have a good start, but you need to do your own homework.

Whoa! How much research have you done on this homework assignment? I'm not going to discuss and analyze anything - but I will suggest that America waited three years to enter WW1 because it was busy selling arms and munitions to both sides and didn't want to give up the economic windfall.

1. to keep supplies, etc.

2. wilsons plan was to keep out of war.

3. it was realistic because if you stayed out of the war, they would have no countries seekign revenge if they fought agaisnt them and won. after someone (cant remeber which) sunk a ship witrh 150 americans on it, they declared war on them. they couldnt help it.