Why did the U.S. stay independent in World War 1?

The U.S. initially remained independent in World War I due to a strong policy of isolationism and a desire to avoid entanglement in European conflicts. Many Americans favored neutrality, believing the war did not directly affect U.S. interests. However, factors like unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany and the Zimmermann Telegram, which proposed a German-Mexican alliance against the U.S., ultimately shifted public and political opinion, leading to American entry into the war in 1917.