America's Involvement in World War II

By Matthew Lee

  • Neutrality Acts

    These were laws passed in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 to limit U.S. involvement in wars in the future. They were based on the widespread disillusionment with World War I in the early 1930s and the belief that the U.S. had been drawn into the war through loans and trade with the Allies.

  • War Production Board

    This was an agency of the United States government that watched over war production during World War II.

  • "Cash and Carry" Plan

    This was a policy requested by FDR at a special session of the United States Congress.

  • America First Committee

    This was the foremost United States isolationist pressure group against the American entry into World War II.

  • Selective Training and Service Act

    This required that men who had reached their 21st birthday but had not yet reached their 36th birthday register in the draft. Later, when the U.S. entered World War II, all men from their 18th birthday until the day before their 45th birthday were made subject to military service, and all men from their 18th birthday until the day before their 65th birthday were required to register.

  • Tripartite Pact

    This was an agreement between Germany, Japan and Italy signed in Berlin .

  • Roosevelt's "Arsenal of Democracy" Speech

    This was the slogan used by FDR in a radio broadcast. Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by giving them military supplies while the United States stayed out of the actual fighting.

  • Roosevelt's Four Speech

    These were goals by FDR on January 6, 1941 that addressed four fundamental freedoms that people everywhere in the world should be able to enjoy Freedom of speech.

  • Lend- Lease Act

    Congress authorized the sale, lease, transfer, or exchange of arms and supplies to 'any country whose defense the president allow vital to the defense of the United States.

  • Randolph's March on Washington

    This is a tool to design to pressure the U.S. government into desegregating the armed forces and providing fair working opportunities for African Americans.

  • FEPC

    FEPC was established to help enforce the order.

  • Atlantic Charter

    This was a joint declaration released by FDR and Winston Churchill on August 14, 1941 following a meeting of the two heads of state in Newfoundland. The Atlantic Charter provided a broad statement of U.S. and British war aims.

  • Office of Price Administration

    This was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The OPA job was originally to control money after World War II.

  • U.S. enters WWII

    The United States did not enter the war until after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.

  • Navaho Talkers/ Code Used

    This was strongly associated with Navajo speakers recruited during World War II by the Marines to serve in standard communications units in the Pacific Theater.

  • Manhattan Project

    This was a research and development during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada.

  • Congress of Racial Equality

    This was an African-American civil rights organization in the United States that played a major role for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Bracero Program

    This was a series of laws and diplomatic agreements, initiated on August 4, 1942

  • Zoot Suit Riots

    These were a series of attacks in Los Angeles, California by white American servicemen stationed in Southern California against Mexican American youths and other minorities .

  • Tehran Conference/ Operation Overland

    During the Conference, the three leaders coordinated their military strategy against Germany and Japan. They made a number of important decisions concerning the post World War II era.

  • GI Bill of Rights

    The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans

  • What the Negro Wants

    A book that helped with the civil rights movement.

  • An American Dilemma- The American Creed

    This is a book on the study of race relations.

  • Bretton Woods conference

    This was the gathering of 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations at the Mount Washington Hotel.

  • Yalta Conference

    The Yalta Conference, held from February 7-11, 1945, was the World War II meeting of the head people of the U.S. government, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

  • Hiroshima

    The United States dropped nuclear weapons on the Japanese city called Hiroshima.

  • Nagasaki

    The United States dropped nuclear weapons on the Japanese city Nagasaki

  • V-J Day

    Victory over Japan Day is the day on which the Empire of Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect ending the war.

  • United Nations

    This is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation. This is also a replacement for the ineffective League of Nations.