Chapter 13

Section 3The U.S. Enters the War

American Isolationism

• Following WWI, the U.S. returned to isolationist foreign policy

• Many questioned cost of victory in WWI• U.S. Senate was unwilling to join the League of

Nations• Feared it would drag the U.S. into future wars• Most isolationist were not Pacifists- those

who do not believe in military force

American Isolationism

• FDR was not an isolationist• Supported entry in League of Nations • FDR and Congress were more focused on the

Great Depression than foreign policy

Balancing Isolation & Intervention

• Congress passed the Neutrality Act in 1935- Prevented U.S. from selling weapons to

warring states- Intended to prevent U.S. from being drawn

into war

Balancing Isolation & Intervention

• Aggression by totalitarian dictators began to catch FDR’s attention

• Ended arms sails to Italy after 1935 invasion of Ethiopia

• After Japanese invasion of China in 1937, FDR gave Quarantine Speech

- Compared spread of war to spread of disease- Urged peace-loving nations to stop aggressive nations

from spreading war - Speech upset many isolationists

Preparing for War

• In 1938, FDR urged Congress to build a new Navy• After Hitler’s invasion of Poland, FDR got Congress to change

Neutrality laws• Cash and Carry Policy (1939)- Allowed the U.S. to sell to warring nations as long as they

paid cash & picked up orders from American ports- Intended to help Allies slow Hitler• Roosevelt urged a policy of “all aid short of war.” - Exchanged 50 aging warships for 8 British military bases. - Isolationists opposed the deal, but were too weak to stop it.

Preparing for War

• FDR aimed to make the U.S. an “arsenal for democracy”

• Lend-Lease Act (1940)- Allowed the U.S. to sell weapons to the U.K.

regardless of ability to pay• Atlantic Charter (1941)- Proclaimed shared goal of U.S. and U.K to

defeat Axis Powers

Preparing for War

• German U-Boats sank U.S. ships carrying supplies to U.K.

- Part of Lend-Lease Act• U.S.S. Kearney (1941)- 11 Americans killed• U.S.S. Rueben James- More than 100 Americans killed

Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

• Japan launched a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941

- Home of the U.S. Pacific fleet• Japanese war planes launched from aircraft

carriers - Attacked fleet with torpedoes and bombs

Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

• Attack lasted 2 hours• All 8 battleships

damaged- 4 sunk• 200 aircraft damaged• 2,400 Americans killed

American Reaction

Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

• Congress declares war on Japan on Dec. 8, 1941

• Listen to FDR’s Day on Infamy Speech• Dec. 11,1941, Italy & Germany declare war on

U.S.

Warm Up:

Read pages 412-413• Complete numbers 1-5

Chapter 13

Section 4Mobilizing for War

Chapter 13 Quiz on Friday

Mobilizing the Armed Forces

• Millions volunteered for the service after attack on Pearl Harbor

• FDR had reinstated the draft in 1940

• 16 million Americans entered armed forces during WWII

Women & the Armed Forces• Women not permitted for combat roles• Women performed non-combat roles in the U.S. armed forces• Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES)- Clerical work for the Navy- 10,000 women• Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS)- Tested & delivered aircraft- 1,000 served- 40 died• Women’s Army Corps (WAC) - Repaired equipment, worked as electricians, etc- 150,000 women served- Full fledged members of army, received army benefits- led by Col. Oveta Culp Hobby

Mobilizing Industry

• U.S. had to rapidly equip its growing military• Business converted from civilian to military production- 125,000 tanks in 1942- 125,000 aircraft in 1942- Transport “liberty ships” produced in 4 ½ days• The Federal government regulated industry:- what factories produced- what they could charge- how raw materials were used

Rosie the Riveter

• Men were leaving factory jobs to join armed forces

• 6.5 million women took industrial jobs that had never been open to women before

• Rosie the Riveter symbolized strength of American working women

Labor in WWII

• Government spending on the military ended the Great Depression

- Millions joined unions• National War Labor Relations Board created in

1942 to help settle labor disputes• Smith-Connally Act (1943) gave president the

power to take over vital industries in event of strikes

• Goal was to reduce strikes, ensure war production

Mobilizing Science

Manhattan Project• Top-secret program to build the atomic bomb- Los Alamos New Mexico- Led by J. Robert Oppenheimer- Program began in 1939

Fighting for Freedom at Home

African Americans in the Military • First African American marines• First African American naval officersPrejudice continued • Fought in segregated unites• No African American soldiers received a Medal

of Honor

Fighting for Freedom at Home

African Americans in the Work Force

• Many African Americans took factory jobs

• Worked for lower wages• A. Philip Randolph organized a

protest in Washington D.C. to protest discrimination

• FDR outlawed discrimination in defense jobs

• Marched cancelled

Fighting for Freedom at Home

Challenges for Hispanic Americans

• High demand for farm labor• Bracero Program (1942)- Gave Mexican workers chance

to temporarily live in U.S.• Arrival of Hispanics increased

ethnic tensions- Zoot Suit Riots (1943)- Week of riots between white

sailors and Mexican youths in L.A.

Create a propaganda poster

• The goal of your poster is to gain support the war effort in the U.S.

• Target your poster to a specific group.- Women, workers, soldiers to enlists, etc• On the back, write an explanation of any

symbolism/images on the poster