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Election of Franklin Roosevelt
With the election of FDR, the United States chooses neutrality and turned away from international affairs and focused more on domestic issues. -
Neutrality Act of 1935
Congress prevented international involvement by passing a series of Neutrality Acts. The Neutrality Act of 1935 prevented the US from providing weapons to foreign nations at war. -
Neutrality Act of 1936
The US congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts in the 1930's to keep them isolated from war. The Neutrality Act of 1936 held the US back from giving out loans to other nations. -
Neutrality Act of 1937
The third Neutrality Act permitted the US to trade with other nations as long as they were trading nonmilitary goods and the nations were paying cash and transported the cargo themselves. This policy later became known as "cash and carry." -
Recovery of the economy
Now that unemplowment and business failures no longer required the nations full attention, the American economy slowly started recovering. -
America's Role
After Britain fell to Germany, The Congress flexed the Neutrality Acts and the USA sent 50 old destroyer ships to Britain in return for permission to build bases on British territory. -
Lend-Lease
Roosevelt got reelected to a third term as president. His easy victrory encouraged him to push farther for American involvement in the allied cause. -
Friend In Need
to keep battling Germany, Britain needed more American equiptment, however, they ran into a financial crisis. That was not a problem for FDR as he kept the supplies flowing to Britain without any payment in return. -
Cracking Codes
In November of 1941, the United States cracked a dipomatic message from Japan stating that fighter planes were on their way across the Pacific. -
The Attack
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japs arrived in Pearl Harbor. They started bombing and strafing the naval base. Killing a few thousand Americans and wounding 1200 in only 2 hours. Nearly 2000 American warplanes have been damaged along with 18 warships.