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Neutrality Act of 1937
This act limited the trade of even non-munitions to belligerent nations to a "Cash and Carry Basis". This meant that any nation would have to use its ships to transport goods to avoid American entanglements on the high seas. -
Marco Polo Bridge Skirmish
Japanese and Chinese troops started to fight on the Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing. Though the cause of the fight is unknown, the Japanese government used it as a pretext to launch a full-scale invasion of China. -
Quarantine Speech
Due to Japan starting to attack the Chinese, President Roosevelt was forced to abandon cooperation with Congressional isolationists to use a more forceful approach against Japan. He used this speech to advocate collective action to stop the epidemic aggression. -
Bombing of the USS Panay
The quarantine speech failed when a Japanese plane bombed the USS Panay. However, the Japanese apologized and paid an indemnity and the incident was soon forgotten, like it wasn't important. -
World War II Begins
Right before the War started, Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin put their mutual hatred aside for each other and signed a ten-year Nonaggression Pact. This led to Hitler being able to seize their lost territory from Poland breaking a different pact, leading to France and Great Britain declaring war on Germany. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, bombs rained on Pearl Harbor, killing almost 3,000 Americans Six battleships were destroyed or rendered unseaworthy, and most of the ground planes were ravaged. The next day President Roosevelt asked for a declaration of war, then the Americans plunged headfirst into the conflict.