The United States and Europe: From Neutrality to War, 1921-1941
Lesson Plan #4: The Great Debate: Internationalists vs. Isolationists
I. Introduction
President Roosevelt’s proposal to provide direct military aid to Great Britain launched a
nationwide debate over foreign policy that lasted through most of 1941. Should the
United States observe its traditional policy of non-involvement in European affairs (to
which World War I had been the sole exception), or should the United States take
whatever steps were necessary (up to and, perhaps, including direct involvement in the
war) to prevent a German victory? It was a bitter, passionate debate that in a sense was
never adequately resolved—after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor it simply ended, as
both sides clearly recognized that, like it or not, the United States was at war.
In this lesson students will be introduced to the main arguments used by both sides in this
great debate. Through the use of an interactive map and primary documents they will
trace the events of 1941, and think critically about what foreign policy would have best
served national interests.
II. Guiding Question
Which side offered the better approach to U.S. foreign relations—the “internationalists”
or the “isolationists”?
III. Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students should be able to:
 Articulate the main arguments used for and against greater U.S. involvement in
the European war.
 Identify the major events of the European war in 1941, and how they shaped the
debate over U.S. intervention.
 List the Roosevelt administration’s major foreign policy initiatives, and explain
the significance of each.
 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the “internationalist” and “isolationist”
positions, and advance an argument as to which was the better approach.
IV. Background Information for the Teacher
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease proposal—first mentioned in this “Arsenal of
Democracy” address
[http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=657] and
presented in greater detail in his January 1941 State of the Union Address
[http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1354]—sparked a
massive debate over foreign policy, pitting “internationalists” against “isolationists.” It
was a debate that was waged in the halls of Congress, on the editorial pages of major
newspapers, on the radio, in meeting halls, and across kitchen tables throughout the
country. For nearly a year this debate divided the nation, until the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor—bringing about the actual involvement of the United States in the war—
rendered it moot.
There were extremists on both sides of the debate. There were some who openly favored
a German victory, and others who advocated an immediate U.S. declaration of war on
Germany. These, however, tended to be irrelevant. The vast majority of Americans
hoped that Great Britain would win, but were equally determined that the United States
remain neutral. The real debate was between those who believed that extending direct
military and economic aid to Great Britain would make actual U.S. entry into the war less
likely, and those who argued that it would increase the chances of U.S. involvement.
The so-called “internationalists” claimed that America’s security depended on the defeat
of Germany, and called for providing whatever Great Britain and its allies needed to
bring that about, save actual troops. The British, they maintained, represented the last
great defense of democracy from Nazi tyranny. Moreover, they argued, the United States
could not survive as a free and prosperous society in a world dominated by Hitler. If
provided with sufficient military and economic aid from America, the British and their
allies would win the war, making actual U.S. involvement unnecessary. Those who
embraced this view were attracted to a group called the Committee to Defend America by
Aiding the Allies, whose name was later shortened to the Committee to Defend America.
Their opponents were usually referred to as “isolationists,” although most of them
preferred the term “anti-interventionist.” They were driven by a variety of motives, but
tended to agree on several common points. The war, they believed, was more about
protecting the British Empire than it was about defending democracy. If the United
States provided direct economic and military aid to Great Britain, they claimed, the
country would have abandoned neutrality and placed itself on an inevitable course toward
intervention. The anti-interventionists flocked to a national organization called the
America First Committee, based in Chicago and boasting a number of celebrities,
including the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, among its membership.
In spite of a spirited campaign of opposition coordinated by the America First
Committee, Lend-Lease passed both houses of Congress by a sizeable margin in early
March. Yet this was only the beginning of the debate, as Lend-Lease seemed to demand
deepening involvement in European affairs. When Hitler’s forces invaded the Soviet
Union in June Lend-Lease aid was extended to that country as well, in spite of protests by
those who believed that Stalin’s regime was no better than (if not worse than) Nazi
Germany. The ongoing war at sea provided other areas of controversy. German
submarines inflicted staggering losses against British merchant vessels in the Atlantic,
which meant that American arms, ammunition, and supplies provided under Lend-Lease
were being destroyed before they could reach Great Britain. Roosevelt’s response was to
authorize U.S. warships to convoy British merchant vessels farther and farther along their
routes across the Atlantic. Anti-interventionists protested, claiming that this ran the risk
of subjecting American vessels to submarine attack. When in late summer several such
attacks took place, the president on September 11 issued an order that U.S. naval vessels
open fire on German submarines on sight. That autumn, Roosevelt sought another
revision of the neutrality laws to allow the arming of American merchant ships. Again
the isolationists cried foul, claiming that the president was waging war against Germany
without a congressional declaration.
The debate between the internationalists and the isolationists was very much alive in
early December 1941. While the president and his supporters in Congress won all of the
legislative battles, his opponents could take comfort in the fact that public opinion polls
still showed that most Americans remained determined to stay out of the war. Yet war
did come, and from an unexpected direction. To a large extent the great debate over U.S.
foreign policy had ignored East Asia and the Pacific, so when the Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor on December 7 both sides were taken aback. Even the staunchest opponents of
intervention accepted that the country had no choice but to go to war, and within days the
America First Committee disbanded.
While the attack on Pearl Harbor effectively ended the debate between internationalists
and isolationists, it left unanswered some of the most important questions that it had
raised. Can the country really claim to be neutral when it openly assists one side against
another? To what extent did the security of the United States depend on the survival of
friendly foreign powers? How far may the president involve the country in a foreign
conflict without a declaration of war? All of these questions would return to haunt later
generations of Americans; indeed, they are still worth asking today.
Teachers interested in reading more about U.S. foreign policy before Pearl Harbor are
encouraged to consult “Hypertext History”
[http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm], the online U.S. history
textbook available at the EDSITEment-reviewed resource Digital History
[http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu]. The section entitled “War Begins”
[http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=534] is most
relevant to this lesson.
V. Preparing to Teach this Lesson
Review the lesson plan. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and links from
EDSITEment-reviewed websites used in this lesson. Download and print out selected
documents and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.
Download the Text Document for this lesson, available here as a PDF file. This file
contains excerpted versions of the documents used in the various activities, as well as
questions for students to answer. Print out and make an appropriate number of copies of
the handouts you plan to use in class.
Finally, study the interactive timeline “America on the Sidelines: The United States and
World Affairs, 1931-1941” [http://www.kfallon.com/civ/]. This timeline will, through
text, maps, and photographs, guide students through the major European events of 1941,
and will ask students for each event to identify (choosing from among a menu of options)
how the Roosevelt administration responded to it. By using this interactive students
should get a sense for how the United States became more and more deeply involved in
the European war over the course of 1941.
Analyzing primary sources:
If your students lack experience in dealing with primary sources, you might use one or
more preliminary exercises to help them develop these skills. The Learning Page at the
American Memory Project of the Library of Congress
(http://memory.loc.gov/learn/start/prim_sources.html#) includes a set of such activities.
Another useful resource is the Digital Classroom of the National Archives, which
features a set of Document Analysis Worksheets
(http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis_worksheets/worksheets.htm
l). Finally, History Matters offers helpful pages on “Making Sense of Documentary
Photography” (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/Photos/) and “Making Sense of Maps”
(http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/maps/) which give helpful advice to teachers in
getting their students to use such sources effectively.
VI. Suggested Activities
Activity #1: The Debate over Lend-Lease
President Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease proposal deeply divided the nation in the early months
of 1941. Supporters insisted that the United States must take any measures necessary to
prevent Great Britain from being defeated. Critics, on the other hand, objected that the
United States could not claim to be neutral if it were openly assisting one side in a war
over another. In this activity, students will put themselves into the role of members of the
America First Committee and the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies,
debating whether Congress should pass Lend-Lease.
Begin class by having students read from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Eighth Annual
Message to Congress, January 6, 1941. This address is available in its excerpted form on
pages 1-2 of the Text Document, and in its complete form on the EDSITEment-reviewed
resource Teaching American History
(http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=83). For lower
achieving students you may wish to read it aloud to them. As students read, they should
make a list of the key points included in this proposal. Then, in class spend
approximately ten minutes going over the key proposals of this policy. How does this
new policy relate to the Neutrality Acts previously passed?
Next, break the students into two groups: the “internationalists” (members of the
Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies) and the “isolationists” (members of
the America First Committee). Explain to students that there will be an in-class debate,
and that each member of each side has a particular role to play. They should also be
reminded that for the purposes of this activity the year is 1941—neither side should make
arguments based on developments that occurred later.
Distribute to each student a copy of pages 3-4 of the Text Document, and ask the students
in their groups to determine who will fill the following roles:
Opening Speaker (no more than one student): Responsible for preparing a five-minute
opening speech.
Closing Speaker (no more than one student): Responsible for preparing a five-minute
closing speech.
Research Team (at least one student): Responsible—along with the Opposition Research
Team—for providing both speakers with “talking points” to help them prepare their
speeches, and for providing teachers with a list of five questions to be asked of the
speakers during the debate.
Opposition Research Team (at least one student): Responsible—along with the Research
Team—for providing both speakers with “talking points” to help them prepare their
speeches, and for providing teachers with a list of five questions to be asked of the
speakers during the debate.
Publicity Team (at least one student—may be omitted for smaller classes): Responsible
for making flyers, to be posted in the classroom, graphically portraying their side’s point
of view.
The following documents should be read by the Opening Speaker, the Closing Speaker,
and the Research and Publicity Teams for the America First Committee. They should
also be read by the Opposition Research Team for the Committee to Defend America by
Aiding the Allies. Excerpts are available on pages 5-9 of the Text Document.


Radio Address by Sen. Burton K. Wheeler (D-MT), December 31, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1592
Charles A. Lindbergh, testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1601
The following documents should be read by the Opening Speaker, the Closing Speaker,
and the Research and Publicity Teams for the Committee to Defend America by Aiding
the Allies. They should also be read by the Opposition Research Team for the America
First Committee. Excerpts are available on pages 10-14 of the Text Document.


Radio Address by Sen. James Byrnes (D-SC), January 17, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1593
Radio Address by Sen. Tom Connally (D-TX), February 17, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1594
Give students approximately one class period to prepare for the debate. By the end of
that class period all questions developed by the Research and Opposition Research
Teams, and all flyers developed by the Publicity Teams, should be submitted to the
teacher.
On the day of the debate, allow students to place their propaganda posters around the
room. Give each of the Opening Speakers five minutes to make their speeches, then ask
the both sides’ speakers the questions (ten in all) submitted by the Research and
Opposition Research Teams. This should take approximately twenty minutes. Finally,
give each of the Closing Speakers five minutes to present their summary arguments. If
time permits, allow students to “break character” and discuss which side they thought had
the better arguments.
Activity #2: The Drift toward War
The passage of Lend-Lease in March 1941 by no means ended the debate over U.S.
foreign policy, since over the course of the year the country became drawn more deeply
into world events. In this activity, students will use the interactive timeline to study the
major developments of 1941 and write an essay on whether American aid to Great Britain
made actual involvement in the war more or less likely.
Direct students to the interactive timeline “America on the Sidelines: the United States
and World Affairs, 1931-1941” [http://www.kfallon.com/civ/]. Students will use this
timeline to go through the events of 1941, as well as the U.S. response to each of them.
Once students have completed the interactive timeline, which should take approximately
30 minutes, they should write for homework a five-paragraph essay, the instructions for
which may be found on page 15 of the Text Document. The essay should answer the
following question:
“Isolationists claimed that U.S. aid for Great Britain would increase the likelihood of
actual American involvement in World War II. Internationalists claimed that it would
make U.S. intervention less likely. Based on the actual events of 1941, which do you
think was closer to the truth, and why?”
VII. Assessment
Both the debate from Activity #1 and the essay from Activity #2 could be used as formal
assessment tools. Students should also be able to write a five-paragraph essay in
response to the following question:

“Could the United States have remained truly neutral toward Europe during
World War II? Should it have?”
In addition, students should be able to locate the following on a blank map:
 Yugoslavia
 Greece
 Soviet Union
Finally, students should be able to identify and explain the significance of the following:
 Lend-Lease
 Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies
 America First Committee
VIII. Extending the Lesson
One of the biggest controversies to emerge in U.S. politics in late 1941 was the question
of “freedom of the seas.” After a German submarine sank an American destroyer off the
coast of Iceland, President Roosevelt issued an order to U.S. naval commanders that Uboats were to be attacked on sight. The president argued that this was necessary in order
to protect the rights of neutrals to travel on the high seas. His critics, however, charged
that it was the administration’s policy of assisting Great Britain that opened U.S. ships to
such attacks. Roosevelt’s speech announcing the “shoot-on-sight” order may be found at
“World War II Resources” (http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/paw/235.html), which is linked
from the EDSITEment-reviewed site Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu).
A speech by New Hampshire Senator Charles W. Tobey, taking the opposite view, is
available at Teaching American History
(http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1602). Students
might be asked to read these speeches and discuss which of the two was right.
The debate over U.S. involvement in World War II spilled over into popular culture as
well. From 1939 to 1941 major motion picture studios produced a number of films that
were overtly pro-British and anti-Nazi. This led the Senate Interstate Commerce
Committee to hold hearings to determine whether Hollywood was intentionally
producing “propaganda” to encourage U.S. entry into the war. Excerpts from those
hearings may be found at the EDSITEment-reviewed site Digital History
(http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/senate_subcommittees.cfm). Students
might be asked, after reading these excerpts, whether the senators were right to raise the
concerns that they did. Is it, as the movie studios claimed, a simple matter of free speech,
or did the immense influence of Hollywood films give the motion picture industry a
dangerous power over American public opinion? Teachers might also wish to show one
of the movies that were discussed at the hearings, such as “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,”
“The Mortal Storm,” “The Great Dictator,” or “A Yank in the RAF.”
The battle over U.S. intervention was fought with political cartoons as well as speeches
and radio broadcasts. One of the most prolific American cartoonists on this issue was
Theodore Geisel, better known by his pen name—Dr. Seuss. A large collection of his
cartoons is available at “Dr. Seuss Went to War”
(http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/), which is accessible via the EDSITEmentreviewed site History Matters (http://historymatters.gmu.edu). The cartoons are arranged
by date as well as by subject matter, so teachers may choose to show their students
examples of how he denounced the isolationists in general, and the America First
Committee in particular. Given that students in this lesson will have encountered the
actual arguments made by members of America First, it might be useful to ask them
whether Geisel’s characterizations—particularly this one
(http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/pm/10708cs.jpg), which tries to connect
isolationists with Nazi Germany—are fair.
IX. EDSITEment-reviewed Web Resources Used in this Lesson
Digital History: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
Hypertext History: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm
War Begins:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHI
D=534
Hollywood’s America:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/hollywood.cfm#history_fil
m
U.S. Senate Subcommittee Hearings on Motion Picture and Radio
Propaganda, 1941:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/senate_subcommitt
ees.cfm
World War II Resources: http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/index.html
Peace and War: United States Foreign Policy, 1931-1941:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/paw/index.html
Radio Address Delivered by President Roosevelt from
Washington, September 11, 1941:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/paw/235.html
History Matters: http://historymatters.gmu.edu
Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss:
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/
Teaching American History: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org
Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Arsenal of Democracy” speech, December 29, 1940:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=657
Franklin D. Roosevelt, State of the Union Address, January 6, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=135
4
Radio Address by Sen. Burton K. Wheeler (D-MT), December 31, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=159
2
Charles A. Lindbergh, testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=160
1
Radio Address by Sen. James Byrnes (D-SC), January 17, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=159
3
Radio Address by Sen. Tom Connally (D-TX), February 17, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=159
4
Speech by Sen. Charles W. Tobey (R-NH), September 17, 1941:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=160
2
X. Additional Information
 Grade levels: 10-12
 Subject Areas: U.S. History
 Time Required: 4 class periods
 Skills:
o Analyzing and comparing first hand accounts
o Debating key issues and topics
o Interpreting written information
o Information gathering
o Making inferences and drawing conclusions
o Observing and describing
o Representing ideas and information orally, graphically and in writing.
o Utilizing the writing process
o Utilizing technology for research and study of primary source
documents
o Vocabulary development
o Working collaboratively
 Standards Alignment: www.ncss.org/standards/strands/
o NCSS-2—Time, Continuity, and Change: The study of the ways
human beings view themselves in and over time.
o NCSS-3—People, Places and Environment: The study of people,
places, and environments
o NCSS-5—Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: The study of
interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions.
o NCSS-6—Power, Authority, and Governance: How people create and
change structures of power, authority, and governance.
 Lesson Writers:
o John Moser, Ashland University, Ashland, OH
o Lori Hahn, Sheffield Middle Senior High School, Warren, PA


Teacher/Student Resources:
o Interactive Timeline
o Text Document
Related EDSITEment Lesson Plans:
o American Diplomacy in World War II
[http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=702]
o “The Proper Application of Overwhelming Force”: The United States
in World War II
[http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=653]
o The Road to Pearl Harbor: The United States and East Asia, 19151941