United States in World War I 11 approximately 10,000 fresh soldiers were arriving in France daily. In 1917, Congress gave US citizenship to Puerto Ricans when they were drafted to participate in World War I, as part of the Jones Act. In the end, Germany miscalculated the United States' influence on the outcome of the conflict, believing it would be many more months before US troops would arrive and overestimating the effectiveness of U-boats in slowing the American buildup. The United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet, destroyers to Queenstown, Ireland and submarines to help guard
Centenary of the outbreak of World War I 49 beams of light rising above London from Victoria Tower Gardens to mark the centenary of the entry of Britain into the war. Between 5 August (the centenary of the first day of the war) and 11 November (Remembrance Day) 2014 at the Tower of London, a ceramic poppy was planted for each British and Commonwealth soldier that died, making up the artwork titled "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red". Centenary of the outbreak of World War I The centenary of the outbreak of World War I was commemorated in Europe in late July and early August 2014. A