AMERICA ENTERS THE WAR
FDR ABANDONS ISOLATIONISM
FDR’S TAKE ON WWII

Delivered his
Quarantine Speech called war a disease
that the U.S. needed to
avoid (quarantine)
because it was deadly
Instead of war, sign
peace agreements
 Quarantine (isolate)
aggressive nations
 Connected to U.S.
traditional isolation
and neutrality policy

NEUTRALITY ACTS
Attempts at avoiding U.S.
involvement in WWII but
were revised in 1939
 allowed FDR to sell goods
and weapons to nations
that paid cash and
transported the goods
themselves
 This helped the Allies and
violated true neutrality


But Germany was winning
and we had to do something
FDR MOVES TOWARD WAR
After his re-election (3rd
term) FDR started to push
for war, saw it as inevitable
 FDR delivered his Four
Freedom’s Speech … the
only way U.S. could keep
her freedom of speech,
of worship, from want
and from fear was to
help Great Britain
combat Nazi Germany
and Japanese militarism

LEND-LEASE ACT
allowed FDR to sell, lease or lend defense
materials to Allies
 was an economic declaration of war against
Axis Powers
 violated neutrality
 In response Germany begins to attack merchant
ships delivering these war materials to Great Britain
using U-Boats

…the U.S. is practically fighting in WWII
with dollars not bullets
PEARL HARBOR (“A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY”)
Japan relied on U.S. for natural resources
(specifically oil) but the U.S. ended trade
(embargo) with Japan…negotiations were
unsuccessful
 In response, General Hideki Tojo sent troops to
bomb U.S. military base at Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941

surprise attack
 2,500 servicemen killed
 disabled the base and supplies for six months


FDR asked Congress for a declaration of war …
the U.S. enters the war with the Allies
EFFECTS OF PEARL HARBOR
U.S. begins to restrict the rights of
Japanese living in the country
because they were seen as disloyal
 Japanese-Americans placed in
internment camps (temporary
imprisonment)
 Korematsu vs. U.S. upheld the
government’s ability to use
internment camps against
citizens during wartime

U.S. MOBILIZES (PREPARES FOR WAR)

Huge patriotism followed Pearl
Harbor Attack



people enlisted, gave blood,
volunteered
people bought war bonds to fund
the war, connected to victory
Women’s Army Corps (WACs):
gave army jobs to women


nurses, clerical work, typists,
truck drivers, etc.
Rosie the Riveter became
symbolic for women to show their
war efforts making war materials
Mobilization continues
War Production Board:
oversaw the transition of
peacetime industries to
war time industries
 Ford made planes not
cars
 Other government
agencies were created to
distribute scarce
resources, create
patriotism
 Rationing: Americans
were issued coupon
books that limited the
amount of certain
goods they could buy

Propaganda or Patriotism?