Final answer:
Many Americans wanted to avoid World War I due to its perception as a European conflict, economic fears, and sympathies rooted in the diverse immigrant population. Despite eventual pressures, a significant number remained opposed to US involvement throughout the conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many people in the US wanted to avoid World War I because they saw it as a European conflict that did not concern them, feared the economic repercussions, and were influenced by their own backgrounds, with German and Irish immigrants sympathizing with their home countries. In addition, prominent figures and socialists believed that the war served capitalist interests and would only result in the loss of lives for the economic benefit of the wealthy. The desire to avoid a war that many saw as a 'rich man's war but a poor man's fight' was widespread, and there was a strong sentiment to remain neutral unless directly threatened.
American neutrality was strongly supported by several groups, reflecting a widespread reluctance to send American soldiers to die in foreign conflicts. Immigrants and the immigrant population within the US, which had strong ties to countries on both sides of the Atlantic conflict, added to the tension. Socialists, pacifists, and business leaders publicly opposed the war, and even Woodrow Wilson ran his reelection campaign on the promise of keeping the US out of it.
Only when direct threats like the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred did some noninterventionist groups abandon their stance. However, during the war, thousands still registered as conscientious objectors, demonstrating the sustained anti-war sentiment among Americans.