During the early morning hours of July 30, 1916, tons of munitions stored at the Black Tom Island loading facility in Jersey City and bound for the Allies fighting in the trenches of the Western Front exploded, sending shockwaves that could be felt as far away as Maryland. Germany believed the United States’ claims of neutrality were a farce because war supplies made in the U.S. and loans from its bankers allowed the Allies to keep fighting as the British blockade starved the German people.