▁Europe ans . ▁The ▁cot ton , ▁to b acco , ▁and ▁sugar ▁can e ▁har v ested ▁by ▁slaves ▁became ▁important ▁exports ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁countries . ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁ ▁North ▁America ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire , ▁Canada ▁immediately ▁entered ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁when ▁it ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁Canada ▁bore ▁the ▁br unt ▁of ▁several ▁major ▁batt les ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁stages ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁including ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁poison ▁gas ▁attacks ▁at ▁Y pres . ▁L oss es ▁became ▁grave , ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁eventually ▁brought ▁in ▁cons cription , ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁this ▁was ▁against ▁the ▁wishes ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁French ▁Canad ians . ▁In ▁the ▁en su ing ▁Cons cription ▁Cris is ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁ri ots ▁broke ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁Montreal . ▁In ▁neighbor ing ▁New found land , ▁the ▁new ▁domin ion ▁suffered ▁a ▁dev ast ating ▁loss ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁First ▁day ▁on ▁the ▁Som me . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁stayed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁conflict ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁when ▁it ▁joined ▁the ▁Ent ente ▁powers . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁then ▁able ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁cru cial ▁role ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁Peace ▁Conference ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁that ▁sh aped ▁inter war ▁Europe . ▁Mexico ▁was ▁not ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁as