1930 : American Isolationism

•Liberals and conservatives•Isolationism were not necessarily

pacifists•Most Americans remained ready to fight•Isolationists simply wanted to preserve

America's freedom•FDR was not an isolationist

Neutrality Act of 1935

When Congress discussed foreign affairs, it was generally to pass isolationist measures, such as the first Neutrality Act. Passed in 1935, this law was meant to prevent the nation from being drawn into war as it had been in 1917.

1937 FDR’S Quarantine Speech

States to work with peace- loving countries to quarantine aggressive nations and stop the spread of war. FDR’S speech upset many isolationists. They predicted that his policies would lead to war.

1939: Cash and Carry policy

• The change set a new policy know as cash and carry

• Cash and Carry during WWII, allowed countries at war to purchase American goods as long as they paid cash and picked up their orders by themselves.

• Only Great Britain have benefit from U.S about weapons.

January 1941: Lend Lease Act

• Lend Lease Act: that gave government had a power to make weapons to Great Britain with out regard for its ability to pay

• Roosevelt declared his goal of making the U.S the “ arsenal of democracy ”. An arsenal is a place where weapons are stored. Soon afterward, Congress passed the Lend Lease Act.

August 1941: Atlantic Charter

• Ties between the US and Britain were further strengthened in August 1941

• There the two leaders agreed to the Atlantic Charter

December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attacked

• Japan had forged an alliance with Germany and Italy, and Japan’s new prime minister, Hideki Tojo, was hostile toward the United States.

• American officials were correct: Japan had decided on war.