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Disclaimer:
Please note that I was not able to find the exact dates of the events listed on this timeline. As a result anything marked "15" or "February 15" is not the actual date and is just a place holder. Thank you and enjoy. -
League of Nations
An international organization that Wilson dreamed would provide a system of collective security. Wilson envisioned it as a way to prevent future world wars. The League still had to be ratified by the Senate and Isolationist congressmen did not support it. -
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"Red Scare"
Fear of Russia swept across the country in the years following the communist Bolshevik revolution of 1917. The "red scare" of 1919-1920 resulted in a nationwide crusade against people whose Americanism was suspect. Communism scared Americans and resulted in the rising isolationism that would soon take over American ideas. -
Buying in Credit
Buying in credit was another new feature of the postwar economy. Prosperity thus led to increased personal debt, and the economy became increasingly vulnerable to disruptions of the credit structure. -
Voice-Carrying Radio Broadcasts
The first voice-carrying radio broadcasts were transmitted. Automobiles drew Americans away from the home, but the radio brought them back. The radio made significant educational and cultural contributions. This contributed to Americans becoming less dependent on Europe for entertainment and ultimately caused a decrease in foreign relation. -
Modernism
Modernism was a philosophical movement during the 1920s; a key component of this movement was the questioning of social conventions. Social changes changed the way people thought about America's role in foreign relations and allowed for a transition into an America first ideology. -
Merchant Marine Act
The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 authorized the government to sell its wartime fleet of 1500 vessels at extremely low prices. This further sank America into isolationism because they were selling their fleet in order to stay out of war. -
Election of Warren G. Harding
Harding's Inauguration led to the death of the League of Nations and put America on a path towards Isolationism. -
The Five-Power Naval Treaty
The Five-Power Naval Treaty of 1922 limited the construction of certain types of large naval ships, and it applied ratio limits to the number of ships a country could build. This had the same affect on isolationism as the Merchant Marine Act. By limiting construction of a Navy, the Americans were dismissing themselves from foreign relations. -
McCumber Tariff Law
Raising the tariff from 27% to 35%. Presidents Harding and Coolidge were much more prone to increasing tariffs than decreasing them; this presented a problem: Europe needed to sell goods to the U.S. to get the money to pay back its war debts. Europeans responded by also increasing tariffs. This helped America become isolationist because it became easier for Americans to sell domestically. -
Charles A. Lindbergh
Became the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. His flight energized the new aviation industry. Not only did his flight energize the new aviation industry but it also pulled America out isolationism for a short term. It didn't have much affect but it was still a spark and a step out. -
Pact of Paris
it was ratified by 62 nations. It tried to outlaw war, but it had a big exception: defensive wars were still permitted. America used this to stay out of WW2 for a long portion of time and It helped America remain isolated. -
The Great Depression
Caused President Hoover to shift complete focus to America first in effort to pull America out of the pit it had fallen into. He focused his attention on American businesses in hopes that the prosperity from the businesses would trickle down to the unemployed and end the depression. -
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
Was intended to be a mild tariff, but Congress tacked on several amendments, turning it into a bill that raised the tariff to 60%. This completely Isolated America because no countries wanted to sell to America for little to no profit when they could sell elsewhere. This also helped to keep America in the Great Depression happening at the time. -
Stimson Doctrine
Declared that the United States would not recognize any territory acquired by force. Was used to keep America out of war and further isolated America. Also made the League of Nations unable to intervene because they did not have the American power at their side. -
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The New Deal
Relevant to American isolationism because it preached the idea of America first. -
London Economic Conference
The delegates hoped to coordinated an international response to the global depression. They wanted to stabilize currencies and the rates at which they could be exchanged. President Roosevelt opposed the conference because he did not want any interference with his own plans to fix the American economy. Without support from the United States, the London Economic Conference fell apart. The American isolationist nation wanted to fix the depression themselves. -
Good Neighbor Policy
America would not intervene or interfere with Latin American countries. All marines left Haiti in 1934. America also released some control over Cuba and Panama. This release of power in Latin America further presented the isolationist ideology affecting America. -
Tydings-Mcduffie Act
Provided independence to the Philippines by 1946. The nation did not want to have to support the Philippines if Japan attacked it. -
Johnson Debt Default Act
Prevented debt-dodging nations from borrowing further from the United States. -
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act
Designed to lower the tariff. This act allowed the President to lower tariffs with a country if that country also lowered their tariffs. Was a step towards the end of American Isolationism now that America was finally opening themselves up to compromise and trade again. -
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Neutrality Acts
Congress sought to keep America out of war by passing the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937. The acts stated that when the president proclaimed the existence of a foreign war, certain restrictions would automatically go into effect. In regards to countries that were involved in a war (victim or aggressor), no American could legally sail on one of their ships, sell or transport munitions to them, or give them loans. -
Japanese Invasion of China
President Roosevelt refused to call this invasion a "war", so the neutrality legislation did not take effect. If he had called it a war, he would have cut off munition sales to the Chinese. A consequence of this, though, was that the Japanese could still buy war supplies from the United States. -
Neutrality Act
Britain and France needed war materials from America, so Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939. (The previous Neutrality Acts prohibited trade with them). This new act let the Europeans buy American war materials as long as they transported the goods on their own ships and paid in cash. This allowed America to avoid the war and remain isolated for a little longer. -
Havana Conference
The United States agreed to protect Latin America from German aggression. This signified the end of isolationism for America as they were now openly going to help protect the Latin American countries if there was war. -
Lend-Lease Bill
Fearing the collapse of Britain, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Bill in 1941, under the pretense of defending America. It allowed America to lease arms to the democracies of the world that needed them. -
Repeal of the 1939 neutrality Act
This enabled merchant ships to be legally armed and enter combat zones with munitions for Britain. Showed a turn in American Attitude towards foreign policy. Instead of making Britain use their own ships, America would deliver supplies in armored vessels. -
Peal Harbor
America Enters the WAR!
