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Red Scare (1919-1920)
After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, a fear of Russia and communism swept over the US. It resulted in a nationwide manhunt against those whose American patriotism was debatable. -
Emergency Quota Act of 1921
The Emergency Quota Act placed a quota, a limited amount of people, on the number of European immigrants that could enter America each year. The quota was set at 3% of the people of their nationality that had been living in America in 1910. -
Sacco and Vanzetti Case
An example of antiredism and antiforeignism in a criminal case. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted for the murder of a Massachusetts paymaster and his guard. Throughout the child, the judge and jury were prejudiced against the two due to the fact they were Italian, atheists, and anarchists. They were electrocuted in 1927. "Supporters of the two men believed they were victims of a deeply ingrained prejudice against immigrants and radicals." -Nicola Sacco -
Washington Naval Conference
A military conference led by US President Warren Harding, held in Washington DC, attended by the US, Japan, China, France, Britain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The conference was conducted outside of the League of Nations. The primary objective was to restrict Japanese naval expansion, specifically in the Pacific. Resulted in the Four-Power Treaty, Five-Power Treaty, and the Nine-Power Treaty. -
Five-Power Treaty
Agreed upon by the attending nations at the Washington Naval Conference, the treaty prevented an arms race by limiting naval construction. Along with the Five-Power Treaty was also the Four-Power Treaty, in which all the nations agreed to uphold the status quo of the Pacific Ocean by respecting Pacific holding of other countries, and the decline of territorial expansion. The Nine-Power Treaty was also drafted, which reinstated the Open Door Policy, recognizing Chinese sovereignty. -
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act replaced the Quota Act of 1921, cutting the quota from 3% to 2%. The Japanese were complete banned from coming to America. While Canadians and Latin Americans were excused from the act, because they were so close to America that it was easy to call for them when needed and easy to send them home when they were not. This act ended the unrestricted immigration to the US. -
Dawes Plan
Proposed by Charles Dawes, the main priority of this plan was to stabilize the German economy. The plan called for the US to loan Germany money, who could then pay their reparations due to the Allies (France and England), who could then pay the war debt they owe to the US. In the end, the US was never fully repaid the loans they gave out. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
Ratified by 62 nations, the pact stated that nations would not solve conflicts through war, trying to put an end to them. It was originally drafted by the US and France, and called for peaceful settlements over disputes. -
Stimson Doctrine
After Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, the Secretary of State, Henry Stimson, issued the Stimson Doctrine. The doctrine stated that the US would not recognize any territory obtained by the Japanese by force.This was stated to uphold the Four-Power Treaty. -
London Economic Conference
An international conference called by the League of Nations, attended by 6 nations. The goal of the conference was to find a solution to fight global depression, renew international trade, and stabilize currency rates. However, FDR opposed the conference because it would interfere with his plan to fix the American economy. And without the United States' support, the conference fell apart. -
Tydings-McDuffie Act
Passed due to FDR's isolationist mindset, it provided the Philippines with its independence after a 10 year transition period. It led to the creation of the Constitution of the Philippines as well as the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The act also limited Filipino immigration into the US. -
Johnson Debt Default Act
This act prohibited future loans to nations that defaulted on repayments on previous loans to the US. Mainly Allied countries in Europe. -
Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act
This act, proposed by Secretary of State Cordell Hull, allowed for the US to negotiate treaties that would reduce US trade tariffs by up to 50% in return for reciprocal reductions on tariffs from the other nation. This resulted in 21 new treaties and a 40% increase in US exports. -
The Neutrality Acts
Beginning in 1935, the US passed three separate Neutrality Acts. the act of 1935 banned shipment of war materials to belligerents and forbade US citizens to travel on belligerent ships. The act of 1936 banned loans to belligerents. The act of 1937 extended these bans to civil wars. These acts only applied when the president acknowledged the existence of a foreign war. -
Abraham Lincoln Brigade
American volunteers who served in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939, fighting alongside the loyalists, who were supported by the Soviet Union. They were fighting against fascist Franco, who was supported by Mussolini and Hitler. In order to stay out of the war, the US amended the neutrality legislation, applying an arms embargo to both the Loyalists and the rebels. -
Panay Incident
The Japanese attacked the American gunboat, the Panay, while it was anchored outside of China. The Japanese apologized, claiming to not have seen the American flags painted on the ships, but this placed a large strain on the already-tense US-Japan relationship. -
Quarantine Speech
Delivered by President FDR, he called for an international "quarantine" against aggressive nations, placing economic embargos on these aggressive nations, rather than standing by. Not nations were specifically mentioned, but it was delivered after Japan invaded China. The idea was greatly opposed and therefore did not receive any follow up. -
Neutrality Act of 1939
This act permitted arms trade with belligerent nations, on a cash-and-carry basis, which meant the nations would have to pay in cash and transport their goods on their own vessels. This repealed the past three Neutrality acts and put an end to the arms embargo. -
Havana Conference
The US agreed to share with its neighbors, Latin America especially, the responsibility of protecting the Monroe Doctrine. -
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
The US transferred 50 destroyers lefts from WWI to Britain, and in return, the British gave the US 8 defensive bases in the Western Hemisphere. It was an obvious violation of America's neutrality terms. -
Lend-Lease Act
The act gave President FDR the power to sell, transfer, exchange, and lend equipment to ant country to help defend itself against the Axis powers. Approximately $50 billion was put aside for the Lend-Lease Act. -
Robin Moor
A US ship, the SS Robin Moor, was sunk by a German submarine. It was sunk in a relatively safe area from submarines. -
Atlantic Charter
Winston Churchill and FDR met in order to establish the goals of the Allies post-WW2. The goals mainly consisted of the prevention of territorial expansion and peaceful solutions. -
Repealed Neutrality Act
After the Lend-Lease Act, the US repealed the Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing merchant ships to be armed and enter combat with arms for Britain. -
Pearl Harbor
The US imposed its first trade embargo on Japan, which they offered to repeal if Japan ended its war with China, Japan refused. The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US naval base in Hawaii, several battleships were damaged/sunk. The next day, the US declared war on Japan, and on the 11th, Germany and Italy declared war on the US and vice versa. This attack united Americans for their moral want to fight in WW2, initially only supporting policies that possibly led to war.
