The expression “America First” has been used by numerous American organizations and movements since at least 1914. Most of them opposed US involvement in foreign conflicts. The Minnesota-based America First Association (AFA) was an exception in that it was formed to support the United States’ entry into World War I.
Minnesota State Representative Ilhan Omar, 2017. Omar was elected to the US House of Representative in 2018. Photograph by Wikimedia user Leopaltik1242; CC BY-SA 4.0.
County officials in front of the old Cottonwood County Courthouse, Windom, Minnesota, 1905. John A. Brown, county auditor, is standing third from left.
John A. Brown, a Civil War veteran, settled in Cottonwood County in 1878 on land that he homesteaded near Windom. After surviving many hardships, he became one of the county’s best-known citizens and contributed significantly to its welfare and advancement.