In December 1916, the American Union Against Militarism intensified its organizing against U.S. entry into World War I. The group criticized preparations for war and defended civil liberties for critics of military policies. Some of its leaders later helped create the National Civil Liberties Bureau, a direct forerunner of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). December pamphlets and speeches argued that free speech was essential in times of crisis. The organization’s activities foreshadowed later conflicts over dissent, security, and individual rights in wartime. Its work helped anchor civil liberties as a key part of American political debate.
